Partyhopper

The forecast called for rain, but even the weather cooperates with legendary director Steven Spielberg, who is making his first appearance at Cannes since the premiere of E.T. nearly 30 years ago. The gala red carpet premiere of Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull happens tonight, but Cate Blanchett, Shia LaBoeuf and Indy himself, Harrison Ford, have already been making the rounds to talk to press and pose for photo ops. From my secret perch in the media room, I staked out a spot to get a first look at Cate's daytime ensemble, and even though the weather was sunny, she chose to pair her vibrant frock with a matching purple parasol. Tres chic.

Cate Blanchett makes her way to promote her latest movie Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull at the Palais des Festivals.

Ever the doting mom, Cate made sure that all of her co-stars had water as they sat down to field questions from the press on the release of the fourth Indiana Jones installment. Until a screening this morning, the film been kept under tight wraps. Spielberg recalled how, when more than 3,000 still photos from the set were stolen  from production offices, he and George Lucas helped set up a sting operation to get them back, managing to prevent even a single shot from ever being leaked. According to a review from Variety that was released as the press conference was still in progress, the flick will be worth the wait. So how does Cate--who plays a Russian villain in the movie--handle the movie star treatment in glamorous Cannes? "I just follow Harrison's lead," the Aussie A-lister quipped.--Bronwyn Barnes