F. Scott Fitzgerald Back on Côte d’Azur as ‘The Great Gatsby’ Raises Curtain at Cannes
The Cannes Film Festival is just around the corner (15th to 26th May) and Leonardo di Caprio will be among the Hollywood stars making this year’s event a glamorous highlight of the French Riviera calendar.
The Cannes Film Festival is just around the corner (15th to 26th May) and Leonardo di Caprio will be among the Hollywood stars making this year's event a glamorous highlight of the French Riviera calendar.
Di Caprio is starring in the new Baz Luhrman version of The Great Gatsby which will open Cannes 2013, which is especially appropriate given F.Scott Fitzgerald wrote much of this iconic novel while living on the Cote d'Azur. Di Caprio has the starring role as Jay Gatsby, with English actress, Carey Mulligan taking the role of Daisy Buchanan and Tobey Maguire (aka Spiderman) as his friend and the narrator, Nick Carraway.
F. Scott Fitzgerald was one of the most famous American exp-pats to put the French Riviera on the map for international jetsetters in the roaring '20's, especially through his other great novel set on the Côte d'Azur, 'Tender Is the Night'. In this, Fitzgerald writes, "Lately it has become a summer resort of notable and fashionable people; a decade ago it was almost deserted after its English clientele went north in April".
Today the coastline is still full of villas owned by the rich and famous, such as Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis, Bono, Tina Turner and Bill Gates. Although visitors to the Côte d'Azur may only rarely see a glimpse of such celebrities, they make the resorts from Juan les Pins to St Tropez as glamorous today as they were 100 years ago.
For celeb spotting at Cannes or simply to enjoy the high life of the Côte d'Azur this summer, Anglo French Properties is a well kept secret among Francophiles in the know, offering hand-picked, luxury villas within easy reach of the most famous resorts.
Accommodation is naturally at a premium during the Cannes Film Festival but La Marmotte is a fabulous oasis of calm and comfort, located just below the hilltop village of St. Paul de Vence, between Cannes and Nice. The Villa comfortably sleeps 6, with one double ensuite bedroom and one twin ensuite bedroom in the Main House, plus a detached 'studio' Cottage with a queen-sized sofa bed and ensuite shower room/wc. The villa is also set in a lovely garden with a pool. A 7-night rental of La Marmotte costs £1,950 during Cannes Film Festival (and throughout June) or £2,950 in July and August.
A little further down the coast from Cannes, in the hills above the other millionaire's playground of St Tropez, Le Petit Faucon is a large, contemporary villa where up to 10 people can relax in the lap of luxury. Every room benefits from tasteful designer styling, the south facing terraces have panoramic views and the garden includes a sparkling, heated pool. A 7-night rental of Le Petit Faucon costs £5,520 during Cannes Film Festival (and throughout June) or £6,350 in July and August.