The recent announcement of the films in competition at the upcoming Cannes Film Festival, which begins on May 12th, was greeted by nods of recognition rather than gasps of surprise.

Such veterans of the festival circuit as Abbas Kiarostami, Alejandro González Iñárritu, Bertrand Tavernier and Mike Leigh will be vying for the Palme d’Or, as will respected oddballs such as the unclassifiable Japanese director Takeshi Kitano and the youngish Thai master Apichatpong Weerasethakul.

Mathieu Amalric, who recently appeared as a Bond villain in Quantum of Solace, is included for Tournée,his debut as director.

Nikita Mikhalkov, the Russian auteur, is offering up a sequel to his 1994 masterpiece Burnt by the Sun(yes, it actually is called Burnt by the Sun 2).

The most surprising name on the list is almost certainly Doug Liman. The director of Swingersand The Bourne Identityis in competition with Fair Game,a thriller based on the career of former CIA officer Valerie Plame.

Irish eyes will be on the directors' fortnight – the more radical sideshow – where Alicia Duffy's All Good Childrenwill have its world premiere. As is often the case, the exclusions were as interesting as the inclusions. Terrence Malick's The Tree of Life, delayed more than the second coming, will not be screened at the festival. Will we ever get to see the blasted thing?