Festival de Cannes: Tribute to Jean-Paul Belmondo

Delicious. When, as a teenager, I first saw JPB in Á Bout de Souffle, I had no appreciation for his very different type of cinematic masculinity. I simply could not understand what others found sexy in him. Ten years later, however, was a different matter. There is simply no other actor like him – awkward, unconventional-looking, with a strange voice and that cruel boxer mouth. And absolutely magnetic on screen. Call it attraction, curiosity, fascination – you can’t help but watch him prowl. He personifies that certain je ne sais quoi. I was pleased that Cannes honored him this year, with a screening of Belmondo, Itineraire… followed by a dinner and dance. I wish I could have been there. Felicitations, M. Belmondo. Nous vous salutons.