Star gazing
One of the most prestigious events on the film industry calendar is underway this week in the south of France. Every year, a veritable whos who of cinema gather at the Cote DAzur for the Cannes Film Festival, a gloriously sun-soaked two weeks of screenings, deals and general hobnobbery.
Since the festivals humble origins in the 1930s, the parade of immaculately dressed, perfectly coiffed and suave movie stars to walk the famous Croisette have caused as much of a stir as the films theyre tasked with promoting. Read on for our rundown of the ten best moments showcasing the glitz and glamour of the worlds starriest red carpet.
The Paperboy
The stars: Lee Daniels southern thriller The Paperboy veered into bizarre territory at times, but its A-list wave of acting talent captured the attention of the press in their straight-up dapper duds.
L-R: Matthew McConaughey, Macy Gray, John Cusack, Lee Daniels, Nicole Kidman, Zac Efron and David Oyelowo.
Carpet chic: The male cast decked out in their dickie bows. Well, all except McConaughey.
Lawless
The stars: John Hillcoat snared a stellar cast for his gritty slow-burn western, who traded in the scruffy waistcoats and scuffed spurs for their time in the Cannes spotlight.
L-R: Jessica Chastain, Tom Hardy, Nick Cave (who penned the screenplay), John Hillcoat, Shia LaBeouf, Mia Wasikowska, Dane DeHaan, Jason Clarke, Guy Pearce.
Carpet chic: A tie between Jessica Chastains trailing gown, or Tom Hardys trailing beard.
The Bling Ring
The stars: A film based on the true story of a thieving group of bored Los Angelenos, who steal clothes, jewelery and general bling from the rich and famous, it was only right that the cast dazzled on the carpet.
L-R: Claire Julien, Taissa Farmiga, Katie Chang, Israel Broussard, Emma Watson, Sofia Coppola.
Carpet chic: This entire sextet opted for a stylistically co-ordinated wardrobe - a perfect compliment to the movies fashionista themes.
The Expendables 3
The stars: Whereas Cannes might rustle up associations with a certain type of high-brow filmmaking, thats not always the case as evidenced by the arrival of The Expendables 3 cast in 2014. Sure, they might not be kitted out in floor-length gowns (if only) but you cant deny the snappily dressed ensemble make quite the impression.
L-R: (top row) Dolph Lundgren, Mel Gibson, Patrick Hughes, Sylvester Stallone, Harrison Ford, Wesley Snipes; (bottom row) Kelsey Grammer, Glen Powell, Jason Statham, Antonio Banderas, Victor Ortiz and Randy Couture.
Carpet chic: Kelsey Grammers decision to stand apart from his castmates by donning a blue tux.
Maps To The Stars
The stars: The cast of Maps To The Stars hit the carpet in their finest togs to promote David Cronenbergs Hollywood satire. In spite of the relentless downpour the ensemble remained perfectly coiffed throughout their stint on the Croisette.
L-R: Evan Bird, John Cusack, Mia Wasikowska, David Cronenberg, Julianne Moore, Robert Pattinson, Sarah Gadon.
Carpet chic: While the leading ladies were kitted out in style, its got to be director David Cronenbergs white-rimmed shades.
Splendor In The Grass
The stars: At the 1963 festival Splendor In The Grass co-stars Warren Beatty and Natalie Wood strolled the Croisette before a mass of photographers, all keen to get a snap of the on-and-off screen couple.
Carpet chic: Woods bouffant do... or Beattys bouffant do.
Inglourious Basterds
The stars: Fifteen years after Tarantino led his Pulp Fiction cast onto the celebrated rouge rug, the visionary filmmaker trotted out the sizeable ensemble for Inglourious Basterds.
L-R: Eli Roth, Michael Fassbender, Brad Pitt, Diane Kruger, Quentin Tarantino, Melanie Laurent, Michael Myers, Christoph Waltz, Laurence Bender.
Carpet chic: Their classy wardrobes aside, the cheekiest spot of carpet activity came shortly after the above snap was taken when Tarantino and Laurent busted out their Pulp-inspired dance moves.
Middle Of The Night
The stars: Star of Delbert Manns Middle Of The Night, Kim Novak, brought fellow Hitchcock star Cary Grant along to the 1959 festival. Understandably, the hordes of press went berserk at the sight of the pair.
Carpet chic: The pair clasped hands for a romantic dance during the movies screening.
Pulp Fiction
The stars: With only one movie to his name at the time, Quentin Tarantino introduced the world to his sophomore flick Pulp Fiction at the 1994 festival and roped in his A-list cast to help celebrate its achievement.
L-R: Laurence Bender, Samuel L. Jackson, John Travolta, Uma Thurman, Quentin Tarantino, Bruce Willis, Maria de Medeiros.
Carpet chic: The overall look is pretty casual - as its technically just off the red carpet - but the matching Lennon shades worn by Willis and Jackson are a suitable reminder of 90s fashion.
Easy Rider
The stars: An effortless assembly of cool, the writer-director-star duo of Easy Rider Dennis Hopper and Peter Fonda hit up Cannes in 1969 with their cast in tow to unveil their counterculture biker movie.
L-R: Dennis Hopper, Peter Fonda, Jack Nicholson.
Carpet chic: The lazy hazy, ease of Hopper. A smile of his face, a battered stetson on his hand and a drink in his hand.
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