Brazilian filmmaker Fernando Meirelles’ “Blindness” is the opening film for the Cannes Film Festival on May 14^th.   I just saw the trailer at Hollywood Reporter and it eerie.  

“Blindness,” the English-language adaptation of Jose Saramago’s best-selling mystery novel, stars Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo, Danny Glover and Gael Garcia Bernal in a story about a city struck by a strange blindness epidemic.

Here’s what else is lined up for the festival. Also added to the festival lineup was pair of Competition titles. Laurent Cantet’s “Entre Les Murs” will be the third Gallic title in the section, while James Gray’s “Two Lovers,” starring Joaquin Phoenix and Gwyneth Paltrow, also will vie for this year’s Palme d’Or.

Cantet’s “Murs” is an adaptation of prolific French author Francois Begaudeau’s novel about a French teacher at a secondary school in a rough neighborhood.

Barry Levinson’s “What Just Happened,” starring Robert De Niro, will close the festival May 25.

De Niro will serve double duty on closing night. In addition to presenting the Levinson film, the actor will bestow the Palme d’Or on the festival’s top film.

Rounding out the Sean Penn-chaired jury are two new members: French actress Jeanne Balibar and Marjane Satrapi, the Iranian author and director of last year’s animated Cannes hit “Persepolis.”

Steve McQueen’s “Hunger” will open Un Certain Regard on May 15.

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