No Cannes Do

Clearly we Brits have been sitting on our laurels in recent months. Perhaps it's our general sense of superiority (we once ruled an empire, you know), perhaps it's the smug knowledge that both Adam Sandler and Val Kilmer are American, but whatever the case, we've clearly not had our head in the game and have been all but left out of this year's Cannes Film Festival. Ken Loach may have scooped the jury prize last year but 2003's line-up sees nought but a single British entry among the 22 films in competition. Peter Greenaway's The Tulse Luper Suitcases is keeping the British end up all by itself but it may serve as some small consolation to hear that the Americans have fared little better. Yes, the might of Hollywood may be vast but a measly three American films are participating: Gus Van Sant's Elephant, Vincent Gallo's The Brown Bunny and Clint Eastwood's Mystic River. Slim pickings indeed and, when you consider the strength of many of this year's European entries - including the long-awaited arrival of Lars Von Trier's Dogville - we probably shouldn't expect too many trophies for the national mantelpiece this year.