Cannes Lightning Round: Tetr-OK, Martin Scorsese Unpacks Shoes

· A smattering of critics have had a look at Francis Ford Coppola's Tetro, which officially opens Cannes' Directors Fortnight sidebar today. And so far, the praise is polite at best: "Although it feels at times like a vanity project, some strong performances [...] save all but Tetro's most cringeworthy lines," reports Screen Daily. Todd McCarthy was less sanguine at Variety: "The angst-ridden treatment of Oedipal issues makes the picture play out like a passably talented imitation of O'Neill, Williams, Miller and Inge, and thus it feels like the pale product of an over-tilled field." But, he adds, watch for big things from young star Alden Ehrenreich.

· Another legendary American auteur is in the neighborhood this week, unspooling a restored version of one of his favorite films. "Over the years, what's really stayed in my mind and my heart is the dedication those characters had, the nature of that power and the obsession to create," said Martin Scorsese of the 1948 classic The Red Shoes, which he'll present tomorrow at Cannes. "It made it a matter of life and death, really."

· A more contemporary revelation might be Katie Jarvis, the novice Fish Tank star whom indieWIRE today labeled "the discovery of Cannes (so far)." Alas, having given birth last weekend, Jarvis isn't at the festival to enjoy the accolades -- which doesn't quite impress Jeff Wells: "If Jarvis was into acting or at least trying to make the most of her opportunity, would she have decided to have a kid just as filming was ending, or soon after?" Yeah, Katie! Jeez, get with the program.

· Speaking of Mr. Wells, he made his own filmmaking debut at Cannes with a one-shot wonder that makes Touch of Evil's opening scene look like Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus.

· IFC pulled even with Sony Classics last night, making its own second acquisition of the festival with The Red Riding Trilogy.

· Got 10 minutes to kill? Ken Loach wants to talk to you about his Cannes competition entry Looking For Eric.