As a parody, Henry Jaglom's "Festival in Cannes" is a funny look at the world of two-faced Hollywood types, as personified by big-time movie producer Rick Yorkin, masterfully played by Ron Silver, who is at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival trying to get veteran French actress Millie Marquand to commit to a project.

The problem is the film can only move forward with Marquand cast in a bit part as one of the film's stars' mother. It seems Tom Hanks will only do the film if the hottest French actress plays the female lead. And she will only commit if her heroine, Marquand, will play her mother.

Marquand, played by -- well, veteran French actress Anouk Aimee -- is also being wooed by a famous actress, Alice Palmer (Greta Scacchi), who has written a film that she would like to make her directorial debut.

But Palmer is being asked to compromise on many aspects of her dream by a headstrong man she meets, under duress, at a cafe. Kaz -- played by Jaglom film regular Zack Norman -- professes to be a fan and claims to be a producer that can get Palmer funding for her film. He's pushy, unseemly and Palmer's not sure about him.

But the moral of Jaglom's film seems to be that everyone in Hollywood is being forced to make compromises and everyone is telling each other exactly what they want to hear.

Marquand's on-again, off-again lover, film "artist" Victor Kovner (Maximilian Schell) persuades her to do the low-budget Palmer film, because she really loves the script. But after Marquand convinces Yorkin to enlist Kovner as director of the Hanks film, Kovner is caught red-handed as he tries to tell Marquand his original advice was wrong.

Yorkin also tries his hand at influencing Palmer to delay making her film, so that it won't interfere with his and a relationship blooms. His assistant also takes up with a rising star and they appear to fall in love. But does he really love her or does he see an opportunity to hitch a ride to the big time?

All sorts of Hollywood characters pop in and out in cameo roles as themselves: William Shattner, Jeff Goldblum, Holly Hunter, Faye Dunaway and others. But the fictional characters are never what they appear to be, leading us to wonder if Jaglom ("Venice/Venice," "Deja Vu," "Last Summer in the Hamptons") has convinced these stars to unwittingly appear in a parody of themselves.

The problem is that we don't know if he's joking. He clearly seems to be and there are funny moments when the greed and backstabbing reaches comical heights. If you approach with a sense of humor "Festival in Cannes" is a fine way to pass 100 minutes. If you take it too seriously, I suspect you'll miss the point.

"Festival in Cannes" opened Fri., May 24 at Landmark's Downer Theatre.