Deauville fest digs star sighting

With local luminaries and Pierce Brosnan in the audience Friday night, the opening ceremony saw an emotional start with a tribute to longtime emcee and press conference moderator Waguih Takla, who died not long after last year's festival. Film clips of Takla translating for Clint Eastwood, Sharon Stone, Billy Crystal, Robert De Niro, James Coburn and others moved many Deauville regulars to tears.

With U.S. Ambassador to France Craig Roberts Stapleton on stage, Deauville Mayor Philippe Augier addressed "the people suffering in New Orleans, that most French of American cities. Please know that we grieve with you as America is struck again."

In a typeface suitable for announcing the end of a world war, the regional daily headlined "James Bond is in Deauville!" signaling Brosnan's presence for opening-night pic "The Matador." French auds had no trouble accepting Brosnan as a friendless hitman for whom the fun has gone out of killing people for money.

On Saturday night the world preem of Harold Ramis' "The Ice Harvest" went over well, particularly with viewers over 30. Star Connie Nielsen and book author Scott Phillips joined Ramis at a spirited press conference. Having discussed the fine points of playing a femme fatale in "Harvest," The multilingual Nielsen, who won raves and awards for her recent perf in Suzanne Bier's "Brothers" in her native Denmark, replied to a Scandi journo's query that her greatest fear was not being able to swear convincingly in Danish.

"My mother always spoke very correctly and I didn't know how to speak dirty Danish," she admitted. "It's much easier for me to swear in English because it doesn't seem real -- it seems like it's in a movie."

Asked if he thought his sardonic tale of two embezzlers who run into violently funny complications one Christmas Eve in Kansas is "too intelligent for American audiences," Ramis feigned indignation on behalf of American filmgoers before confessing the audience he likes to aim for is "what studio marketers call the 'first tier.' There are perhaps 50 theaters in the whole country that represent that audience, and the highest quality and most artistic films really can only survive and thrive in those markets."

Smartly written pic, adapted by scripters Robert Benton and Richard Russo, will benefit from a generous pre-Thanksgiving print run. "I'm confident general audiences will enjoy it," he added.

Prior to film's preem, Roman Polanski had a packed house in the palm of his hand as he related a literal shaggy-dog story about being cooped up for five weeks with Robert Towne's large fragrant pet as the men hammered out the screenplay for "Chinatown."

"Roman is hands-down the best director I've ever worked with," said Towne. "But all of the 1970s was a great era because the studios really left you alone. What has come to be called 'independent film,' you could really do within the studio system at that time."

Attendees were treated to a long, enticing excerpt from Towne's upcoming fourth feature as a director, "Ask the Dust," starring Colin Farrell and Salma Hayek.

Joel Silver, Robert Downey Jr., Val Kilmer, Shane Black and Michelle Monaghan gave the folks their money's worth with a spirited promotion of crowd-pleaser "Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang."

A tribute to James Toback unspooled Monday, with Ron Howard to be feted tonight.

Ten-title competition began Monday morning with "Crash."