Up
The 62nd Cannes Film Festival got underway last night as an animated, in the form of Pixar's Up, kicked off the event for the very first time.
Up is Pixar's tenth movie since bursting onto the scene with Toy Story in 1995 and their new offering, which comes less than twelve months after the critically acclaimed Wall-E, and the first film made entirely in 3D.
And with a theatre full of stars, critics and film fans all donning 3D glasses Cannes Film Festival got under way.
Up is a coming of age story as Carl Fredricksen has spent his entire life dreaming of exploring the globe and experiencing life to its fullest.
When Carl was a child, he met and eventually married a girl named Ellie who grew up in a small midwestern town.
Ellie always dreamed of exploring the mountains but died before she got a chance. Now, when developers threaten to move him into an assisted living home, Carl decides to fulfil his promise to Ellie
But at age 78, life seems to have passed him by, until a twist of fate (and a persistent 8-year old Wilderness Explorer named Russell) gives him a new lease on life.
Tilda Swinton was just one of the stars that graced the red carpet for the opening night along with the film's producer John Lasseter.
Up may not be in the running for the Palme d'Or at the festival but to see an animation movie of such high quality opening the festival is a real break from the norm and a breath of fresh air, and a big improvement on last year's opener Blindness.
As has come to be expected from the Pixar the movie is of the highest quality and while it is made in 3D, Pixar once again pushing the boundaries of animation movies, there are nods back to traditional animation which is a really nice touch.
Looking forward to the rest of the festival the likes of Brad Pitt, Penelope Cruz and Quentin Tarantino are expected to attend to promote their movies Broken Embraces, which reunites Cruz with Pedro Almodóvar, and Inglorious Basterds.
Fish Tank gets things underway on the second day in the In Competition category, the first of two UK movies battling it out for the Palme d'Or, Looking for Eric, be Ken Loach, will be screened later in the festival.
Cannes runs until 25th May
FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw
Tagged in Cannes Film Festival