Berlin Film Festival: Days 2 and 3

In the past, you could rely on the Berlin Festival for a few trademark antics: long faces and mishaps due to announced stars changing their mind at short notice and highly anticipated opening films that fail to set the world alight.

This year everything is different: the opening film went down a treat - due less to its quality rather than to the live experienced combination of Stones/Scorsese. Although as soon as the Stones had rolled away, it started raining cancellations - and this despite the fact that for the first time in years the weather allowed a pleasant walk across Potsdamer Square in glittery evening dresses. Woody Harrelson changed his mind at last notice, John Malkovich likewise and even a Julia Roberts, could not bring herself to make a trip to Germany.

Therefore stars who did show up were all the more heartily welcomed: Daniel Day-Lewis in his trapper jacket, hat and coloured muffler looked particular dishevelled, he nevertheless garnered huge acclaim for his role as unscrupulous oil baron in Oscar candidate There Will Be Blood After the screening everyone was asking themselves what is there to be expected next - the golden bears will be shared amongst the "Blood" crew.

Meanwhile Tilda Swinton is definitely another golden bear candidate: she presented herself in a completely new light as worn out party girl Julia. Nevertheless at the Berlinale she showed up in her normal sober state - although some party offer would have justified a filmworthy blackout. Most unusual was the party for train thriller Transsiberian (with Emily Mortimer and Ben Kingsley): you had to fight into the party location wrapped up in warm quilted coats through an igloo. It seems even the "Berliner" themselves did not really get used to the spring weather yet…