Lost in Translation – 21 Grams – A Talking Picture – The Return – Twentynine Palms – Raja – Goodbye, Dragon Inn

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Jurors: Mario Monicelli (president), Stefano Accorsi, Michael Ballhaus, Ann Hui, Pierre Jolivet, Monty Montgomery, Assumpta Serna
 

 
Golden Lion:The Return, Russia, dir. Andrei Zvyagintsev
Special Jury Prize:The Kite, Lebanon/France, dir. Randa Chahal Sabag
Best Director:Zatôichi: The Blind Swordsman, Japan, dir. Takeshi Kitano
Best Actress:Rosenstrasse, Katja Riemann
Best Actor:21 Grams, Sean Penn
Marcello Mastroianni Award:Raja, Najat Benssallem
Individual Contribution:Good Morning, Night, Marco Bellocchio (screenplay)
FIPRESCI Prize:Goodbye, Dragon Inn, Taiwan, dir. Tsai Ming-liang
SIGNIS Award:The Return, Russia, dir. Andrei Zvyagintsev
A Talking Picture, Portugal, dir. Manoel de Oliveira
Future Film Festival Digital Award:Zatôichi: The Blind Swordsman, Japan, dir. Takeshi Kitano


Competition Films I Have Seen:
Ranked in order of preference
 
My Golden Lion:
Code 46 (UK, dir. Michael Winterbottom) - Erratic sound mix and multiple story threads could be tidied, but it's a stunning, economical, hugely risky vision of a hybrid future

The Return (Russia, dir. Andrei Zvyagintsev) - Powerful access to POV of embittered child, aided no end by phenomenal turn from Dobronravov; simplified style yields huge, potent impact

Twentynine Palms (France, dir. Bruno Dumont) - Minus helmer's taut, portentous eye, would fall apart into lewd orgasms, usual dolor, histrionic finale; still a toss-up, but edge to Dumont (full review)

21 Grams (USA/Mexico, dir. Alejandro González Iñárritu) - Despite buzz, fractured editing seems fine for a while. But cumulative effect is handicapping. Penn, Del Toro, Leo fine; Watts, writing not.

Zatôichi: The Blind Swordsman (Japan, dir. Takeshi Kitano) - I just saw garish, poorly-sewn pastiche; never caught the wave. But reader, I admit that I drifted.



Competition Films I'm Curious to See:
Ranked in order of interest; more on this year's lineup here (opens in a new window)
 
Goodbye, Dragon Inn, Taiwan, dir. Tsai Ming-liang
A Talking Picture, Portugal, dir. Manoel de Oliveira
Good Morning, Night, Italy, dir. Marco Bellocchio
Raja, France, dir. Jacques Doillon
Rosenstrasse, Germany, dir. Margarethe von Trotta
The Kite, Lebanon/France, dir. Randa Chahal Sabag
Imagining Argentina, UK, dir. Christopher Hampton
A Good Lawyer's Wife, South Korea, dir. Im Sang-soo



Sidebar Films:
 
Full info not readily available about non-competition screenings. If you've got the scoop, let me know!


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