Cannes goes gaga

Hollywood stars Salma Hayek and Antonio Banderas enjoyed the sunshine whilst promoting their new film, 'Puss in Boots', at the 64th Festival de Cannes yesterday. Copyright: GettyImages

With her live performance at Le Grand Journal, it was Lady Gaga who drew the biggest crowds up and down the Croisette yesterday. The American chart queen delighted thousands of screaming fans with a rendition of her new single, Judas, which has been stirring up the kind of controversy she loves of late, thanks to its questionable religious undertones.

With so much excitement being whipped up by the entertaining Gaga, it’s a wonder anyone was paying attention to what was going on at the Palais des Festivals. Fortunately, jury member Uma Thurman brought the all important glamour factor to the red carpet in her feathered, white, floor length Versace gown. So too did Rachel McAdams who, as the star of the opening night's film, Midnight in Paris, had the eyes of the world on her. Even if she hadn’t been in her Marchesa dress – a sheer number with blood red embroidery – the 32-year-old beauty is likely to have put the film’s director Woody Allen in the shade.

In the latest movie from the US filmmaker, his celluloid tour of Europe stops in Paris and ends up as a “love letter” to the famously romantic city.

After its Cannes premiere last night, reviews today have been so-so with the cameo from Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, making her acting debut as a museum guard, described as "wooden” by The Telegraph. Despite earlier promise of an appearance at the festival, France’s First Lady chose not to come to town for the screening, confirming her absence recently amid rumours that she is pregnant.

The celebrity hacks may have been disappointed by the Bruni-Sarkozy no-show but they were kept amused by a number of other Hollywood big hitters – including the divine Salma Hayek and swarthy Antonio Banderas who were promoting their animated Shrek spin-off, Puss in Boots. The Spanish actor later appeared on the red carpet with his wife Melanie Griffith to celebrate their 15th wedding anniversary, proving that sometimes relationships in La La Land do last. HM