The Cannes Film Festival had a surprise for Faye Dunaway when she was honored. The French Minister of Culture Frederic Mitterand (not the embattled former president) gave the actress The Legion of Honor. The 64th event has been full of surprises for all sorts of celebrities that are honored in one way or another. Her full title is “Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters”. That is something that can do great things for your CV.
A poster girl lights up the festival
She was the leading figure within the Croisette on the official festival poster. Jerry Schatzberg did an exceptional job with that photograph which was dated 1970. A live appearance at the Café des Palmes was the highlight of the day on the 15th of May 2011. Her acting has never been in question but it is the warmth of the personality which immediately arrests you. A career that started in the 1970s has produced pieces which remain durable in the current market of short term objectives. The festival director Thierry Fremaux was full of praise for the actress. Many viewers will remember her great days in “Chinatown”. She also had quite an impact in ‘Network” where contemporary society was laid bare in its entire empty splendor. She was more than equal to the task of bringing the characters to life.
Perhaps the greatest break for Faye Dunaway was “Bonnie and Clyde”. Here she was playing the feisty woman that contributed to the most famous criminals in the world. Although the audience knows that these were terrible people who did terrible things, the acting alone is able to bring some warmth to the film. The world continues to be fascinated by the duo and Faye Dunaway was able to give some glimpses as to why this is the case despite all the things that we know about them. It takes a great actress to take on ‘Bonnie and Clyde” but an even greater one to give the protagonists some warmth.
A dramatic entrance
Like any lady of style, Faye Dunaway was fashionably late. She spoke in impeccable French and blamed the weather for her tardiness. No one was really bothered about the lateness. It was enough to witness the event. The first time that the actress had come to Cannes was to present the Palme d’Or to Wim Wenders who had amazed in “Paris, Texas”. The tears were there but none of the Gwyneth Paltrow theatrics. She gave hints that she has a dream of directing. Hopefully she will be able to take up that dream because it would give us another facet to her talents.
The award is not an Oscar but that is precisely why it is so fabled. This is all about real art not the ability to sustain a stereotype. Faye Dunaway comes in the mold of actresses who are sadly going out of fashion in as much as she concentrates on the film instead of her own celebrity. That is probably one of the reasons why the prestigious award was extended on this occasion.
