FAHRENHEIT 9/11 Wins Palme D'Or at CANNES! OLDBOY Picks Up Prize Too! (AICN on the awards)

Ain't It Cool News.com ^ | Saturday, May 22, 2004 | Harry Knowles

[weegee]

Hey folks, Harry here... the word from Cannes has just come in... a jubilant ecstatic phone call from a geek in Cannes ran down the winners and it seems that Michael Moore just accepted the Palme D'Or for FAHRENHEIT 9/11!!!

Perhaps a political no-brainer... but my inner and outer Liberal screams "YESSSSS!," while the cautionary side worries about a jury headed by Quentin bestowing the top prize to any film that Harvey Weinstein is a producer of... BUT - at the same time I have no doubt that FAHRENHEIT 9/11 is the sort of emotional film that brands its message into the sympathetic viewers' hearts and minds and makes them an advocate for not only the film, but the message as well, and by giving Michael's film the award... they've guaranteed that throughout history, the film will be noted as being important. I can not wait to see this one for myself.

In yet another reason for me to be happy, Chan Wook-Park's OLDBOY picked up the Grand Prix at Cannes! This tickles me greatly... it is my prayer, that by receiving the Grand Prix, that we now have a glimmer of hope that OLDBOY will be distributed in the United States, and that perhaps SYMPATHY FOR MR VENGEANCE and JSA will now also be seen in this country - which has to date, ignored Chan's brilliance, but I think we'll find it hard to ignore with a Grand Prix in his clutches!

The Best Actor went to Yagura Yuuyi - a 14 year old Japanese Actor for his performance in NOBODY KNOWS, which finds him as one of 4 children struggling to survive after they were abandoned by their parents in an apartment that systematically runs out of food, electricity, water and so on. Apparently the performance is absolutely riveting from what I hear.

Best Actress went to the goddess Maggie Cheung for a performance as a widow attempting to kick a drug habit in Oliver Assayas's CLEAN, a French film. Now - Quentin is a long time fan of Maggie Cheung... as would any big time movie geek should be considering her wondrous work in HEROIC TRIO or POLICE STORY 2 or HERO... But also on the Festival Jury was Tsui Hark, who directed Maggie in the wonderful film GREEN SNAKE. It is so great to see Maggie honored!

The Directing honor went to Tony Gatlif for his film EXILES, and the Screenplay award went to LOOK AT ME, which had picked up quite a bit of critical acclaim out of Cannes!

The Thai film, TROPICAL MALADY garnered a third prize for it's "Walkabout-like" journey of a man in the jungle alone with no dialogue.

Irma P. Hall garnered a jury prize for her role in the Coen's THE LADYKILLERS!

MOOLAADE picked up the top prize in the secondary CANNES competition called "Un Certain Regard"! At one point in Cannes, Ebert declared this the best movie he had seen in the festival, it tells a story concerning the examination of female circumcision... which sounds like it would make me pass out.

[weegee]

Was the fix in?

Perhaps a political no-brainer... but my inner and outer Liberal screams "YESSSSS!," while the cautionary side worries about a jury headed by Quentin bestowing the top prize to any film that Harvey Weinstein is a producer of...

Again I ask, was the fix in?

Best Actress went to the goddess Maggie Cheung for a performance as a widow attempting to kick a drug habit in Oliver Assayas's CLEAN, a French film. Now - Quentin is a long time fan of Maggie Cheung... as would any big time movie geek should be considering her wondrous work in HEROIC TRIO or POLICE STORY 2 or HERO... But also on the Festival Jury was Tsui Hark, who directed Maggie in the wonderful film GREEN SNAKE. It is so great to see Maggie honored!

[NYCVirago]

and by giving Michael's film the award... they've guaranteed that throughout history, the film will be noted as being important

Yeah, right. Can anybody except film geeks like Knowles name one past winner of the Palme D'Or? Heck, I doubt most people can even remember what last year's Best Picture at the Oscars was!

[The Scourge of Yazid]

Cineastes on the march!

Warning! Warning!

Film dork alert!

Filmen Dorkus Maximus.

Is it just me, or do you guys get the impression that the guy who authored the above passage is one of those acne-ridden, bespectacled, spazzes that routinely frequents art house-type movie theaters like The Asian Film Anthology?

You know, the ones trolling for however much Asian tail they can get their hands on, which is usually none.

[weegee]

Harry Knowles PING:

[The Scourge of Yazid]

Something tells me these two won't be gracing the cover of People Magazine's, "50 most beautiful people on the planet" issue anytime in the near future.

[weegee]

Harry is a fan-boy. It can lead to irrational behavior. He LOVED Charlies Angels II. Not as a movie with a story but as a series of sexual fantasy vignettes (a different costume every scene).

Roger Ebert is a fan boy too although he tries to downplay it. He's rated many a movie positively (like Daryl Hannah's Summer Lovers) because it made him hard (and yes I think he made that direct admission in one of his writings on that film).

Take this into consideration when you hear a review from these people and remember that you can completely ignore any political comment from Harry or Rog.

Harry's website has a discussion thread under all of his articles. The socialist left there think it is ungodly for conservatives to be allowed to post there. Harry acknowledges that he has conservative readers; he baits them but doesn't trash them (although his other staffers DO). He loved The Passion though and had Mel Gibson show it last year at this birthday (along with a Q&A with Mel).

I posted this piece from Harry because it seems to indicate that these films were more swayed by the personal whims of Quentin Tarantino (a friend of Harry Knowles) and the various financial ties/friendships that the judges hold with the films/persons who won Cannes awards this year.

[The Scourge of Yazid]

I guess that could be true.

I never really liked Roger Ebert's critiques, personally.

I tried to give him a chance after he heaped praise upon that film which documented the atrocities committed at Waco-I've actually watched that documentary, and have to say, it's one of the best pieces of film-making out there-but gave up on him soon thereafter.

Without Gene Siskel as his permanent foil, the man is lost. He's so completely oblivious that I'm just waiting for him to finally give a "thumbs up" to the next Adam Sandler vehicle-probably having something to do with a meatpacking executive forced to live two weeks with 'downer' cow per a court injunction issued by a madcap jurist played by Malcolm Macdowell.

Here are a few of my favorite film critics in no particular order:

James Bowman

Michael Medved

Jeffrey Lyons

Leah Rosen

David Denby

V.A. Musseto

John Simon

David Gerlernter-Okay, he's more of a cultural critic, but I still like his work.

and:

Rex Reed.