Cannes Festival 2008: Resume for first weekend

It's a less crowded festival than in previous years, but that's quite all right - no need for the masses that often swap over to Cannes from the nearby Monaco Formula One Grand Prix, or the French tourists that come down during one of the many French holidays in May - these are all over already this year. So a much welcome, nearly intimate atmosphere where one even has a chance to find a table in a favorite restaurant. Having said that, Variety also reports that the film market this year has less visitors - so things seem to be a little slower in the industry as well - or it's the dollar exchange rate that keeps people away - haven't seen the Troma folks this year either, but maybe I just missed them.
Filmwise, nothing much is new: people complaining about dark, sinister movies like every year.
Best pic in competition up to now is apparently the "Waltz" movie.
On the glamor side, Scarlet Johansen skipped the festival, but Harrison Ford, Penelope Cruz, Angelina Jolie and many others make up for this. Madonna is expected for the amfAR dinner; the yearly AIDS fund raiser event founded by Elizabeth Taylor (who has not attended for a couple of years now).
Well, still another week to go - although the action usually starts to die off by Thursday already, when people begin leaving.