CannesFilm Festival, 2008. Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull has played out of competition the previous day, and this afternoon, in the prestigious Carlton Hotel on the Croisette, a star-studded meet-and-greet has been arranged for a roomful of journalists.
There are probably 100 of the world’s press gathered, sorted into groups of five or six at regular intervals around the room. The idea is that Steven Spielberg and his stars will be brought in one by one and guided from group to group to shake hands and have a quick chat. Lovely. So in comes Ray Winstone, Jim Broadbent, Cate Blanchett; the system works like a dream. Then Harrison Ford and Shia LaBeouf arrive together. They look pissed off and walk straight through the room and out onto the balcony, closing the doors behind them. No dice. Oh well, Spielberg has been saved for last, and the room buzzes with excitement.