That Harrison Ford sure has some stamina for someone in their 81st year.
What’s the secret I ask him?
“You know what the secret is,” he responded.
“Rock ‘n’ roll and the other two things.”
What two other things?
“Sex and drugs and rock ‘n’ roll. That’s the secret but now it’s not a secret,” a bad-boy twinkle in his eye as he spoke.
Ford and Calista Flockhart were guests at Charles Finch’s A Rabbit’s Foot annual Filmmakers Dinner in Cannes on Friday night.
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For as long as I can remember the event had been held at Eden Roc, but this year Finch and his partners switched to Fred L’écailler seafood restaurant, out on the eastern peninsula, past the Palm Beach. Always cracks me up when chef patron Fred Garbellini describes himself as “just a humble fisherman.”
Strictly speaking I guess he is.
Fred Garbellini (right) and colleagues
Baz Bamigboye/Deadline
Humble fisherman to the rich and famous.
Guests mingled for cocktails before being seated at a dozen or so long white trestle tables on a huge terrace.
Wim Wenders and Ford were deep in conversation before Finch asked them, very nicely, to go and sit down. To no avail because everyone wanted to chat to the legendary star; a couple of people went so far as to follow him over to the loo. I know this because I was there ahead of him. Ford kinda told the onlookers he needed space for a minute and was allowed to enter a cubicle unaccompanied.
Interesting how famous people are just as awestruck by other famous people.
Ford is so laid back though that he took all the attention in his stride.
He wanted to be at the supper because Mads Mikkelsen, who co-stars with Ford in the blockbuster Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, was receiving a Rabbit’s Foot pin, along with director Audrey Diwan, for their contribution to cinema.
Charles Finch (standing) with guests including Mads Mikkelsen and Audrey Diwan.
Baz Bamigboye/Deadline
Alicia Vikander was there with friends ahead of Sunday’s Cannes competition screening of Karim Ainouz’s Firebrand starring Vikander as Katherine Parr, the sixth and final wife of Henry Vlll portrayed by an unrecognizable Jude Law.
Movie’s about how Parr survived that marriage. “When you look at it in today’s terms she suffered domestic abuse and that’s what we wanted to get across,” Vikander reasoned.
I sat with film executive Sam Pressman, CEO of Pressman Film; Ron Halpern, executive vice president of global production at StudioCanal; and Christophe Riandee, the vice CEO of Gaumont. We certainly put the world to rights and one thing we touched on was Ford’s longevity as a movie star and why there are so few around now — particularly stars under 30.
There are a few but they’re as rare as hen’s teeth.
We all agreed though that by this time next year Paul Mescal would have broken through as a bona fide movie star.
I sure hope that comes to pass.
We, all of us, went walkabout to other tables, some of us daring to dance along with the Gipsy Kings.
By 1 a.m. it was time to depart.
I had a rendezvous along the Croisette at the party to celebrate Molly Manning Walker’s great first feature How to Have Sex hosted by, among others, Mubi and Film4.
First thing, I needed to quickly change out of my tux. You can’t bop away freely in a bow-tie and tux.
Suitably attired, I scooted off to Nomade @ 3.14 Plage. The place was shutting down at 2 a.m. sharp.
I duly bopped away as I watched the talented young cast jump up and down. I do love this film; one of the year’s unexpected pleasures.
A huge, plastic pink inflatable creature was thrown onto the dance floor, literally swimming over our heads.
Pink inflatable storms the ‘How to Have Sex’ party
Baz Bamigboye/Deadline
Smiling, I figured this was the place to be.
At 2.10 a.m. the DJ downed tools and started to clear his deck.
The crowd hollered for him to play one more song but he wouldn’t budge. Nor would we, but he wouldn’t relent.
Film4 head Daniel Battsek observed that “it must be one helluva great party” when people barrack the DJ for more music.
A few of us sat on some steps and sang songs. By 4 a.m. we were well and truly pumpkins.
.
