CANNES, France — The pivotal first weekend of the 69th Cannes Film Festival is coming to a close after five days of films and smiling Hollywood celebrities making their way down the famed red carpet.
A look at the winners and the losers so far from the South of France:
WINNERS: George Clooney and Julia Roberts
The longtime friends turned Cannes into their own personal buddy trip for the premiere of Jodie Foster's financial thriller Money Monster. They whispered and giggled together at the media conference before Clooney made international news when he vowed that Donald Trump would never be president.
The duo brought Old Hollywood glamour to the red carpet at Thursday's premiere, where Roberts kicked off her heels and dashed up the steps barefoot and beaming — a refreshing departure from Cannes protocol.
"They reminded us what movie stars are," says Keith Simanton, editor of movie site IMDb.com. "Thank God."
WINNERS: Competitive films
Studio-backed releases such as Money Monster, Woody Allen's Café Society, Shane Black's The Nice Guys and Steven Spielberg's The BFG received mixed receptions. But competition films captured the hearts of critics, such as Ken Loach's I, Daniel Blake and the German dramedy Toni Erdmann.
The race for Cannes' top prize, the Palme d'Or, won't be decided until the festival ends May 22. "The (contending) films are very spread out this year," says Steve Pond, film reviewer for TheWrap.com.
WINNER: Kristen Stewart
The 26-year-old star was a welcome fixture, appearing in Café Society and sticking around for a shocking second film, Olivier Assayas' Personal Shopper. It's a huge departure from Stewart's Twilight past. She dazzled in daring outfits throughout, including when she wore a T-shirt, knit skirt and sneakers to the black-tie opening night dinner.
WINNER: Blake Lively
Blake Lively and her bump (she's expecting baby No. 2 with husband Ryan Reynolds) were style stars. The Café Society actress wowed every time she stepped in front of the cameras, first in a red Juan Carlos Obando jumpsuit, then in a pair of princess-y blue gowns.
WINNER: Post-terror normalcy
Before the festivities started, the Palais des Festivals was cleared twice for an emergency drill, reminding festival-goers of the fragile state of affairs after deadly European terror attacks. Security was noticeably tighter, but the red carpet rolled repeatedly through the first weekend without incident. It was a victory for art and normalcy.
LOSER: Woody Allen
While the French love Woody Allen, the 80-year-old director's Cannes experience was clouded in controversy. He was the subject of a rape joke made in the opening night ceremony by French comedian Laurent Lafitte.
The incident came the same day that The Hollywood Reporter published an op-ed written by Allen's estranged son, former MSNBC host Ronan Farrow, repeating sexual assault allegations made by his sister Dylan Farrow. "I just think it's so silly," Allen said at the movie's Cannes media conference.
LOSER: Predicted rain-pocalypse
Cloudy skies and foreboding weather forecasts caused some festival-goers to plan a short trip. While there were spurts of rain, the deluge didn't take place. Only the street umbrella salesmen were upset.
LOSER: Dionne Warwick biopic
In a media conference near the festival, singer Dionne Warwick announced that Lady Gaga would appear in her biopic Dionne as British singer Cilla Black. Gaga's representative immediately shot back that the report was "false."
