Les Femme d'Un Certain Age

Emmanuelle Riva, star of the Palme d'Or film Amour.

The Cannes Film Festival has rolled up its soggy red carpet -- lots and lots of rain -- until next year. But before we say au revoir, I thought it might be fun to take one last look at the beautiful women of a certain age who added absolute glamour to the scene.

Emmanuelle Riva.

Look at that face above. Isn't she lovely? The 85-year-old actress is the star of the film, Amour, which won this year's Palme d'Or. Her co-star is 81-year-old Jean-Louis Trintignant whom we have not seen for many years except on the stage in Paris.

Reviewers who like to look beyond one award to the next are predicting the film, by Austrian director Michael Haneke, will win the Academy Award for best foreign language film. They called the love story "heartbreakingly honest."

Isabelle Huppert co-stars with Jean-Louis Trintignant and Riva in Amour.

I think it is thrilling to see, even if rarely, roles for actresses of a certain age and beyond. It is somehow comforting to realize some directors (and producers who take the gamble) believe that there is an audience out here for touching, heartwarming stories that make age irrelevant. A life well-lived is not reserved only for the very young. Au contraire.

Here then is a parade of beauties who prove life does begin at 40 -- and then continues for the duration. It's a decision for each of us to make.

Naomi Watts.

Julianna Margulies.

Sandrine Bonnaire, hand-in-hand with actress Alexandra Lamy wife of Jean Dujardin, winner of the Academy Award for best actor in the film, The Artist.

Andie MacDowell and her daughter, Sarah.

Jane Fonda times three. (Maybe she could be the model for a sort of Barbie of a certain age. What do you think? The decision would probably need a serious potential market investigation.)

Emanuelle Devos.

Tilda Swinton.

Carole Bouquet.

A demain my darling amis.