Time is passing, and it's as if the sound of an hourglass is echoing clearly.
However, there's still no news from the media waiting at Nice International Airport and Cannes train station. The silence is unsettling.
With each passing moment of nightfall, the chances of "Mystic River" and "The Cutler Family" making it into the winners' list increase, plunging Cannes into a slow silence.
They can't quite distinguish whether they're more shocked by the complete absence of "Dogville," relieved that "The Brown Bunny" wasn't called back, or stunned by the possibility that "The Cutler Family" might win an award.
There are so many things to criticize, they don't even know where to start!
Thus.
One by one, they become deeply enveloped in an atmosphere of unease.
They thought the Cannes Film Festival's main competition was bad enough this year, but who knew it could get even worse? What kind of horror story is this?
Tick-tock, tick-tock.
Time is passing slowly, and the dawn of hope sinks along with the setting sun, eventually burning away in the afterglow.
The red carpet for the closing ceremony and awards ceremony unfolds slowly. Patrice Chéreau leads the jury onto the stage, and camera flashes burst forth.
Everything is settled—
No "Dogville."
The first suspense is finally revealed: the top-rated film in the official magazine is out, sinking as one of the biggest controversies of this Cannes Film Festival.
It's not the ousting of "incorrigible" Lars von Trier that shocks people the most, but the fact that Nicole Kidman missed out on the Cannes Best Actress award.
For ten days, people have been complaining nonstop, saying this year's Cannes is rotten to the core, not just the main competition but other sections as well; and now, the highest-rated film in the official magazine is eliminated from the awards. Considering the controversial nature of "Dogville," they can't even tell if this is a good thing or a bad thing.
Their minds are a mess: it's hard to judge.
And, more importantly, without "Dogville," it also means that the chances of "Mystic River" and "The Cutler Family" winning awards are skyrocketing.
Their stomachs churn with unease.
First, who would have thought that "Mystic River," which didn't generate much enthusiasm, would make such a triumphant entry, only to fall slightly below expectations, like a drop of hot oil in cold water, and in the end, make a surprising comeback into the winners' list?
Second, "The Cutler Family"… it's hard to describe… official magazine score 0.3… even lower than "The Brown Bunny"… and now it's… it's hard to even feel angry.
Let's put aside the potential news of "The Cutler Family" winning and keep a rational perspective:
Even if we include these two films, only six films have been called back, which means one of these films might win two awards.
Huh.
A gasp.
So, the key is, which film will win twice?
This is important, critically important.
"A Faraway Place" winning twice and "The Cutler Family" winning twice are two completely different things, a world apart, and might even decide how this Cannes Film Festival will go down in history. From the current perspective, it will undoubtedly go down in history, but whether it's as a glorious event or as an infamous one, no one knows.
Heart pounding—
"A Faraway Place."
"The Barbarian Invasions."
"Five O'Clock in the Afternoon."
"The Elephant."
"Mystic River."
"The Cutler Family."
Six films, seven awards; the news is finally settled. Next up is the distribution of the prizes. So, can you guess which film will win the Palme d'Or?
Buzzing.
Their minds are buzzing, like boiling water that can't be stopped.
Could it be that the Palme d'Or is really—
"The Cutler Family" crew has arrived.
Huh.
Emmanuel can clearly feel the heart-stopping gasps on the red carpet. The clicking shutters, which had just burst into a frenzy with the jury's arrival, suddenly drop in intensity, leaving a slightly awkward atmosphere.
However, director Bertrand Blier doesn't care at all.
This actor-turned-director has been in the main competition at all three major European film festivals and won the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar for "Get Out Your Handkerchiefs." He's seen all kinds of situations and isn't one to get stage fright.
Moreover, this director has always had a laid-back personality, often making comedies. This time, "The Cutler Family" scored rock-bottom in the official magazine, and he even joked about it, chatting and joking with reporters.
Here, it's the same.
As the air grows tense, Bertrand not only remains unflustered but also waves his hand and suddenly rushes toward the reporters on one side of the red carpet like a tiger descending a mountain, scaring a small circle of reporters around him.
This white-bearded, sixty-year-old director laughs heartily like an old child. Looking at the startled and bewildered reporters in front of him, he seems quite pleased with his prank.
Click.
Emmanuel instinctively presses the shutter, capturing the moment—
This, too, might become a classic: the reporters anxiously fearing "The Cutler Family" might win an award, while the director displays a relaxed composure born of experience, the contrast becoming a scene of the film festival.
Perhaps they're all too tense, even though "The Cutler Family" received a terrible review in Cannes. Who knows? Maybe when the film officially releases, audiences will respond differently.
Then.
The shutter sounds reignite, buzzing with excitement.
Who knows? If "The Cutler Family" really wins the Palme d'Or, they're recording history right now. Whether they like it or not, facts are facts; even if it's to be infamy, it can't be changed.
As Roger Ebert retorted to Vincent Gallo:
"After all, you are the director of 'The Brown Bunny.' Once the jury led by Patrice Chéreau chooses the Palme d'Or, it will be set in history."
So, instead of being shocked, it's better to record it honestly.
Even so, the stomach still burns with anticipation of the upcoming awards ceremony and its potential outcomes, unable to accept it calmly.
Click, click, click-click-click.
All the reporters transform into shutter machines, mechanically pressing the button while waiting, waiting for someone to make a grand entrance—
Not Clint Eastwood or Sean Penn, but Anson.
Tonight, how will Anson appear?
At the opening ceremony and premiere, Anson stunned the audience with two different suits, but those were planned in advance; tonight is different. Before the festival, no one knew if "The Elephant" would win an award, so it's hard to prepare an outfit for the closing ceremony red carpet in advance.
Of course, it's possible that Anson's team prepared ahead regardless of the outcome, saving the outfit for the next occasion if they didn't win.
But in any case, Anson's appearance tonight is undoubtedly the focus.
In a way, this might be the only highlight on tonight's red carpet—
After all, without Nicole Kidman, the Best Actress candidates are completely unpredictable, leaving Anson as the only point of attention.