Carla Bruni and Woody bring Paris to a halt

French president Nicolas Sarkozy might have a lot on his hands right now, what with riots, corruption scandals and terrorist threats, but he was able to escape from the pressures of running the country for a few hours yesterday to watch his wife in her first acting role.

Carla Bruni appears in Woody Allen’s latest film, Midnight in Paris, in which the 42-year-old model turned singer plays the director of a Paris museum. Bruni’s assistant in the film is played by French actress Marion Cotillard, winner of the 2008 best actress Oscar for her portrayal of Edith Piaf. Also starring is Hollywood heartthrob Owen Wilson (above right with Allen and Bruni), Kathy Bates and another Oscar winner, Adrien Brody.

Described as a romantic comedy, Midnight in Paris is the story of an American family experiencing life in the French capital during the 1920s. Filming began earlier in the month but it was Bruni’s appearance yesterday that brought the Pantheon district of central Paris to a standstill. Police cordoned off roads while a posse of presidential bodyguards kept a careful eye on Madame Bruni.

Later in the day her husband joined her on set to offer his support and exchange pleasantries with Allen. According to celebrity website People.com: "Carla and Woody got along incredibly well on the set. They talked constantly and laughed quite a lot between takes. Owen as well."

Bruni was invited to join the cast when Allen visited Paris last year. Yet despite her presence in the film, producer Raphaël Benoliel recently complained that the Paris police have been less than helpful to the filmmakers, routinely issuing shooting permits only at the last minute.

From the gendarmes’ perspective, the request to shoot in 40 different locations in 34 days was an inconvenience they could do without at the height of the tourist season in the French capital.
 
The film is due to be screened at the 2011 Cannes film festival and, with Bruni likely to be present, the festival organisers will be rubbing their hands at the thought of the global publicity. A word of warning, though. Asked by Canal Plus last year about the role, Bruni admitted she had never acted before, saying: "I go into everything blindly... Perhaps I'll be completely hopeless.” ·