Half-time: No frontrunner for Palme d'Or in Cannes

Austrian director Michael Haneke and French actress Isabelle Huppert have made numerous films together. Haneke has already won two Golden Palms and is now going for his third. He and Huppert are presenting their new film, "Happy End," in Cannes.

Ahead of the gala showing Haneke and his team made the usual appearances on the red carpet and then made their way to the premiere. Reactions to "Happy End," however, a story about a family, death and refugees, were split. There was even some booing at the press showing. A third Golden Palm is therefore unlikely for Haneke.

The path to fame is steep and rocky this year at Cannes, especially for Greek director Giorgos Lanthimos. His latest movie, "The Killing of a Sacred Deer," was met with skepticism as well as some booing. The British-Irish co-production features a star-studded cast including Nicole Kidman and Colin Farrell.

The international competition, which culminates in the presentation of the Palm d'Or, gets a lot of attention, but there is much more to see in Cannes than what is featured in the official program. Many prominent directors show their latest work in out-of-competition side sections. Legendary filmmaker Claude Lanzmann, for example, showed his film "Napalm."

Jean-Luc Godard is a film legend. But the 86-year-old French director, who rose to global fame in 1960 with "Breathless," did not directly feature inCannes this year. Instead, director Michel Hazanavicius made Godard the main protagonist in his film "Le Redoutable." Godard is played by Louis Garrel, with Stacy Martin playing his partner Anne Wiazemsky.

Fellow director Agnès Varda (third from left) is two years older than Godard. Born in 1928, Varda, the best known Nouvelle Vague director, presented her latest film in Cannes. "Visages Villages" is a documentary about the filmmaker's friendship with French photographer and street artist JR (second from left). The film ran outside of the competition.

At the start of the festival, there was some conflict surrounding two in-competition films produced by Netflix. Both have since been premiered and the second, "The Meyerowitz Stories" by director Noah Baumbach, received a positive response. It features a conspicuously unspectacular family story and a strong cast including Ben Stiller, Adam Sandler and Emma Thompson.

Swedish director Ruben Ostlund presented his movie "The Square" in competition for the Palme d'Or. It is a satire about the art world, centered on the part of a successful art curator who second-guesses himself and his motivation to be part of this industry. "The Square" has received some positive reviews.

Moroccan-born scriptwriter Robin Campillo made his debut as a director with his film "120 battements par minute," which explores the spreading of AIDS. The movie was well received at the festival in Cannes - but without the kind of enthusiasm that favorites would enjoy.

With over half the festival over, there is no true favorite for the Palme d'Or. Of all the movies shown so far this year, Russian director Andrey Zvyagintsev (second left) garnered the most attention and best reviews with his latest movie, "Nelyubov." Zvyagintsev, who received an award as best scriptwriter in Cannes in 2014, looks at the collapse of civil society in Russia in his latest film.

Among the movies that many had looked forward to but which disappointed viewers and the press alike is "Wonderstruck" by US director Todd Haynes. The flim deals with the experiences of two deaf teenagers. Despite negative reviews, the main actors in the movie like Julianne Moore (left) and Michelle Williams (center) managed to enjoy their red carpet appearances.

From red carpet events to press conferences, from evening galas to premiere parties on yachts on the Cote d'Azur, there's a lot more to the annual festival than just what the reviews say. Not to mention the celebrities from around the world that descend on Cannes for the event - like Italian silver screen diva Monica Bellucci, who is seen here.

French actress Marion Cotillard was also among those photographed on the red carpet. Her newest movie "Les fantomes d'Ismael" celebrated its first night just a few days ago - with some negative reviews. That shouldn't faze Cotillard, however, as she remains one of the most popular and in-demand actresses.

American actress Uma Thurman was also seen in Cannes. But the 47-year-old actress, known for playing strong female characters in Quentin Tarantino films, didn't glam up for a movie premiere: Thurman switched roles this year, heading a special jury of the Cannes Film Festival entitled "Un Certain Regard." This might be her first 9 to 5 job in years.

The audience and the Gold Palm jury alike are waiting for better films to be premiered during the second half of the festival following the initial lack of enthusiasm in the first half. But until there's a clear frontrunner, audiences will have to keep talking about expensive gowns on red carpets, like the one worn here by Chinese actress Wang Luodan.