Hannah Einbinder and Vin Diesel rev up a Cannes light on Hollywood glamour

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CANNES, France — On the second night of the Cannes Film Festival, director Thierry Frémaux introduced a gala presentation of a film he hailed as an example of “le cinema universal” and “un classique.” It was a 25th anniversary screening of “The Fast and Furious.” In the summer of 2001, that modest hit about hot cars and cold Coronas did not premiere at Cannes.Back then, anyone suggesting it should or would someday play the Grand Auditorium Louis Lumière might be accused of sucking nitrous oxide from a tailpipe.

Yet, it was no hallucination to see Vin Diesel strutting the red carpet in a custom blazer with rhinestones spelling out “Fast Forever,” the 11th and final installment, scheduled to be released in 2028.“I’m only here once in my whole life,” Diesel said when he finally made it inside the theater after taking selfies with an army of fans.

Technically, Diesel has been here twice.Back in 1995, Cannes screened Diesel’s debut short “Multi-Facial,” which he wrote, directed, starred in and produced for roughly the cost of his spangled jacket.

That short led Steven Spielberg to cast Diesel in “Saving Private Ryan,” which led to everything else, so arguably, the road to the $7 billion “Fast” series really did start in the south of France.Awards Film critic Amy Nicholson and film editor Joshua Rothkopf discuss the festival’s muted American presence, the likeliest awards contenders and more in their Cannes preview.I’m old enough to remember when “The Fast and the Furious” was merely marvelous summer trash, a tacky racing flick crammed with techno beats, booty shots and clumsy dialogue about tuna sandwiches.

Yet, from the literal heights of the Grand Palais’ top balcony, it did feel like a classic — a throwback to an era when movie theaters were full of mid-budget crowd-pleasers shot on location in Los Angeles.Plus, when you’...