Full Monty star Robert Carlyle is the latest British actor to hit the Cannes Film Festival as he promotes his new movie.

His latest role sees him appear in a spoof British Western called Once Upon a Time in the Midlands.

Despite appearing in such box office successes as Trainspotting and James Bond film The World is Not Enough, Carlyle wanted to get back to doing a low-budget film.

"We went out on a limb every day and that is brilliant for an actor," said Carlyle.

The movie, directed by Shane Meadows, has received a warm welcome during Directors Fortnight at the festival.

Carlyle has had a varied career, starting out in television before moving onto the big screen.

Rhys Ifans is a Cannes regular

His big break came playing Begbie in Danny Boyle's Trainspotting, which was quickly followed by his lead role in The Full Monty, for which won a Bafta.

This moved him into the big league where he was chosen to be the villain in the last James Bond movie.

"After doing the Bond film, I think he wanted to get his hands dirty again," he said.

"It took me back to the reasons why I wanted to do it in the first place. It's such a cliche, but it was a breath of fresh air for me to work with a guy like Shane."

Rogue

Once Upon A Time in the Midlands is the story of a loveable rogue, Jimmy, who runs out on his family.

But he is determined to win back his wife after seeing her new lover propose marriage on a live television programme.

The movie also features Rhys Ifans, Kathy Burke, Ricky Tomlinson and Vanessa Feltz.

Notting Hill star Ifans is another of the actors happy to be involved in a low-budget film.

"I think that what Shane does is to shine a warm light through the cracks in all his characters. He has a wonderful emotional arc for every character however small," the Welsh actor said.