A Cannes circle of friends

May 13, 2008 A comparable situation crops up this year with the inclusion on the main jury of French actress Jeanne Balibar, ex-partner of Mathieu Amalric, who stars in Arnaud Desplechin's Competition title "Un Conte de Noel" (A Christmas Tale). "Christmas Tale," an ensemble piece about a family dealing with a child's terminal illness, also stars Chiara Mastroianni, who was the lead voice cast in 2007 Competition title "Persepolis," directed by another member of this year's jury, Marjane Satrapi. With some already heralding Desplechin's film as a strong contender for top honors, the whisper on the Croisette is that the jury may have been packed to improve the chances for the first French winner of the Palme d'Or since 1987, when Maurice Pialat won with "Under Satan's Sun."

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