Venice Film Festival awards
Ang Lee's Lust, Caution, which I was respectful of (if not entirely over the moon about) after seeing it Friday, was handed the Venice Film Festival's Golden Lion trophy two or three hours ago. Rodrigo Prieto's cinematography for Lee's film also won a festival award. The festival's Silver Lion for Best Director went to Brian De Palma for Redacted (hey, Chris Willman...any reactions?). A special jury prize went to Todd Haynes' I'm Not There and Abdellatif Kechiche's La Graine et le mulet. Cate Blanchett was named Best Actress for her role in Haynes' I'm Not There (for playing Blonde on Blonde-era Bob Dylan), and Brad Pitt was named Best Actor in Andrew Dominik's The Assassination of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford.
Posted by Jeffrey Wells on September 8, 2007 at 12:46 PM
comment #1
James Leer
says ...
I'm glad. "Lust, Caution" is spellbinding, and I don't want it to be crippled by that early Variety pan.
Posted by James Leer
at September 8, 2007 5:53 PM
comment #2
Chris Willman
says ...
My reaction is that if you (a) believe any passionately rendered anti-Iraq war agitprop is good agitprop, no matter how ridiculously dramatized, or (b) are such a pop-auteurist that you're still convinced DePalma was robbed of the Palmes d'Or for "Raising Cain," then you may be able to convince yourself that "Redacted" is a good movie. Apparently there are seven judges who fit into one or both camps.
Posted by Chris Willman
at September 8, 2007 6:16 PM
comment #3
bagelfilm
says ...
Remember, they gave the acting award last year to Ben Afleck.
Posted by bagelfilm
at September 8, 2007 10:55 PM
comment #4
BurmaShave
says ...
And he deserved it. Affleck was the bomb in HOLLYWOODLAND, yo.
Posted by BurmaShave
at September 9, 2007 4:26 AM
comment #5
D.Z.
says ...
Burma: I liked him in Chasing Amy.
Posted by D.Z.
at September 9, 2007 5:12 AM
comment #6
cheaplog
says ...
It's no secret that the jury at Cannes last year had a rough time choosing between Babel and Volver and gave the Golden Palm to The Wind That Shakes the Barley instead. It's much more obvious, by the "special" prize to La Graine et le Mulet and I'm Not There, that the same thing happened in Venice yesterday. That award to Brad Pitt has got to be one of the most booed decisions in the festival's history though.
Posted by cheaplog
at September 9, 2007 7:15 AM
comment #7
lazarus
says ...
I'd say Casey Affleck's chances at a lead nom just went up in smoke. They're pretty much obligated to push Pitt hard now. Though I will say, from what I've read in the past, that Pitt probably doesn't care too much, and I think had Casey received the award, he would have graciously moved out of the way.
Posted by lazarus
at September 9, 2007 8:43 AM
comment #8
jimjonesiii
says ...
D.Z., if you think Chasing Amy is a good film, you said it all.
Posted by jimjonesiii
at September 9, 2007 3:53 PM