Cannes '08: Un Certain Regard winners: 'Tulpan,' 'Tokyo Sonata,' 'Wolke 9,' 'Tyson' and 'Johnny Mad Dog'

Although the Un Certain Regard jury normally gives just three prizes annually, it gave an extra two prizes this year to films in the Festival de Cannes' Un Certain Regard selection because of the "quality of offerings."

“Our mission was to attribute three prizes for Un Certain Regard, but considering the quality and richness of the offerings, and as a testimony of our great enthusiasm, the jury requested of the festival permission to recognize two more films with honors,” explained Faith Akin, Un Certain Regard Jury president.

"Tulpan," a film about a young Naval officer who returns to life on the Kazakh steppe to a nomadic sheep herding life, won the top prize in the Festival de Cannes' Un Certain Regard selection.

Other standouts in the Un Certain Regard selection include director Kurosawa Kiyoshi's "Tokyo Sonata," which claimed the Jury Prize. Andreas Dresen's "Cloud 9," which one wag described as "The Bucket List" meets "Short Bus," won the Heart Throb prize, no doubt for its ample sex scenes starring a 60-something cast.

A specially named "Knockout" prize was awarded to "Tyson," James Toback's intimate portrait of Mike Tyson told in the boxer's own words.

Lastly, a Prize of Hope was given to Jean-Stephane Sauvaire's "Johnny Mad Dog," about a child-soldier armed to the teeth in Africa and a young refugee trying to protect her disabled father and little brother from the same teenage soldiers.

-- Sheigh Crabtree

See the complete list of winners:

Cannes '08: In praise of Toni Servillo, star of 'Il Divo,' 'Gomorra'

If there is a breakout actor in the films selected for the 61st edition of Festival de Cannes his name is Toni Servillo. The veteran Italian actor stars in not one but two of the most critically praised films in competition: "Il Divo" and "Gomorra."

In "Il Divo," which thanks to director Paolo Sorrentino must have the most stylistic gestalt of any film in competition, Servillo plays Giulio Andreotti, a fixture in Italian government since 1947 who was embroiled in corruption investigations in the 1990s. Servillo plays Andreotti as a physically small but politically unstoppable Machiavelli in a large pair of glasses, exaggerated ears (pinned or prosthetic) and constricted shoulders. It's a physicality that perfectly suits the many nicknames Andreotti goes by -- the Hunchback, the Black Pope, the Man of Darkness and the Fox. 

As counterpoint to his depiction of Andreotti is Servillo's portrayal of Comorra crime boss Franco in "Gomorra," one of five main characters depicted in Matteo Garrone's violent but fabulous expose on the Neapolitan crime clique. As Franco, Servillo plays a brazen and cocksure crime leader in white linen who is physically robust and prone to muscular and threatening gestures.

While the strength of the two Italian films in competition may be more "luck of the draw" than any sign of an Italian film renaissance, there is no question that Toni Servillo's commanding performances are not a fluke. Here are other reviews of Servillo's recent work:

"Il Divo" :

Jay Weissberg, Variety
Not merely chronicling the career of seven-time Italian Prime Minister Giulio Andreotti but also zooming in on the enigmatic politico's character, pic features an astonishing degree of craftsmanship and a towering performance by Toni Servillo.

Mary Corliss, Time.com
As incarnated by Tony Servillo ... Andreotti has the stiff posture of Richard Nixon, but a more imperial menace.

Charles Ealy, Austin 360 Movie Blog
In playing Andreotti, Servillo is reminiscent of Peter Sellers. He’s pitch-perfect in imitation, but also brings an aura of heft.

Wire report, AFP
Shot in Italy's luxury palaces of power, fast-paced "Il Divo" portrays Andreotti as a sometimes comic, sometimes sinister modern-day Machiavelli.

"Gomorrah" :

Wendy Ide, Times Online
The excellent Tony Servillo stars, and, since he also takes the lead in Paolo Sorrentino’s film Il Divo in the festival, looks like a contender for a prize.

Jason Solomons, guardian.co.uk
...the linen-clad fixer (Toni Servillo) organising disposal of toxic waste in a huge quarry, a metaphor for the poisons seeping deep into the earth, the culture.

Lee Marshall, Screen Daily
... Franco (Servillo) is a smooth-talking suited businessman but his business is the illegal 'processing' of toxic waste, an activity that becomes increasingly repellent to his principled young assistant Roberto (Paternoster).

-- Sheigh Crabtree

Photo: Toni Servillo at the Cannes photocall for "Il Divo." WireImage

Cannes '08: Pete Hammond on the fest's star power -- Angelina Jolie, Madonna, Steven Spielberg, Sharon Stone, Robert De Niro, etc.

The Envelope's Notes On a Season columnist Pete Hammond on the Cannes Film Festival's star power, which this year successfully combined art and mart and managed to cater to both tabuzine readers and subscribers of Cahiers du Cinema.

-- Sheigh Crabtree

Cannes '08: Pete Hammond's Notes on a Season -- Eastwood's 'Changeling' channels 1934 Oscar show

In Clint Eastwood's well-received Cannes competition entry, "Changeling," the four-time Oscar winner is out to prove the Academy Awards were just as big a deal in 1935 as they are now.

In the final minutes of the film we see a graphic on screen that says Feb. 27, 1935. A few years have passed since the kidnapping of Christine Collins' (Angelina Jolie) son. Trying to help her get her life back together, a group of female co-workers invites Christine to come to the "movie awards" listening party, but she begs off.

Then yet another male co-worker pops in to ask her if she'd like to come to his place and listen to "that academy show." First she says no, he leaves, but then she chases after him down the hall saying she has her money on "It Happened One Night" while some are betting on "Cleopatra." Either way, she's sticking with her choice.

Sign that woman up for the The Envelope's Buzzmeter!

The whole scene, while offering a bright note, is kind of superfluous to the dark tone of the rest of the film, but could super savvy Clint's homage to Oscars long ago strike a chord with today's academy members?

We'll have to wait until November when the film opens to find the answer.

-- Pete Hammond

Photo: Could Angelina Jolie win The Envelope's Buzzmeter? Courtesy WB.

Cannes '08: 'Che' and the Palme d'Or

As the Festival de Cannes enters its final days, only two thoughts occupy the minds of exhausted moviegoers: Can I survive until my plane/train/automobile gets me out of here,  and which film will win the Palme d'Or?     

Unlike the Oscar voters, who have a lengthy track record of actions, film festival juries are by definition one-off groups whose choices are thus almost impossible to predict. Not that that stops people from trying to read the tea leaves and guessing at results.

Complicating things, as often happens at Cannes, is the late arrival of a contender, "The Class," by France's Laurent Contet, best known for 2001's "Time Out." But would this powerfully and unexpectedly emotional examination of a middle school class in a tough Parisian neighborhood pass muster with a jury chaired by Sean Penn, who announced at the festival's start that he was looking for works in which "the filmmaker is very aware of the times in which he lives."

That political sentiment leads some people to think that Steven Soderbergh's hefty "Che" has a chance. A two-part examination of the life of the guerrilla leader that clocks in at an ungainly 4 hours and 28 minutes, "Che" is as problematic a film as the festival has produced. It's hard to argue with Benecio del Toro in the leading role or even with Soderbergh's direction from moment to moment. But the film's length and its determination to be as anti-dramatic as possible are perplexing, to say the least. It's rare to say a film would be improved if it was cut in half, but this may be just such a case.       

Gaining more traction as a dark-horse candidate is the Israeli animated documentary, "Waltzing With Bashir," which deals with Israel's 1982 invasion of Lebanon in an often surreal way. It's aesthetically adventurous and politically committed, which may be the combination this jury is looking for. Or maybe not.

-- Kenneth Turan

(Photo courtesy Bickford/Morena Films Production)

Cannes '08: Pete Hammond's Notes on a Season: Charlie Kaufman brings his quirky act to Palais

If Charlie Kaufman was hoping reaction the Cannes premiere of his new comedy/drama and directorial debut, "Synecdoche, New York" would cinch a distribution deal, the applause meter let him down at Friday night's Grand Lumiere screening.

Sorry, Charlie.

Clocked at about three minutes, it was one of the shortest ovations of the week, although a big reason could be Kaufman himself. He was noticeably nervous and fidgety walking the red carpet with his cast including Philip Seymour Hoffman, Catherine Keener, Emily Watson, Michelle Williams and Tom Noonan.

After the movie the lights went up, instead of standing and milking the applause as most directors do at Cannes, he just sat in his seat staring straight ahead like he was waiting for the next feature to begin.

Finally, still seated, Kaufman gestured to his cast but didn't stand until they all did in unison and then  didn't really try to encourage the crowd. The applause died fairly quickly by Cannes standards. Charlie is Charlie. Ya gotta love him. He's clearly not here to stroke his own ego, at least not in front of the crowd.

In fact, the biggest ovation came when the camera paused on Philip Seymour Hoffman, who is remarkable as a struggling 40-year-old local theater director whose life turns into a Kafka-like dream when he stages a life-play in an abandoned warehouse.

Should "Synecdoche" find decent distribution, and then the kind of audience Kaufman's previous scripts have, including his Oscar-winning "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" and nominated "Being John Malkovich" and "Adaptation," Hoffman could garner serious awards attention. It's a full-tilt, powerful turn by an actor in his prime.

Though some will be quick to dismiss the movie because they just don't "get it," the film is everything, and more, you might expect from a Kaufman-directed film of a Kaufman script -- a weird fascinating fever dream of a meditation on death and love and knowing your lines.

Kaufman is an acquired taste for many Americans, so imagine how difficult it must be to translate his cinematic language around the world. A friend who speaks French (and loved the film) says the French subtitles on tonight's print didn't really do a good job of translating what was happening on screen.

An insider connected to the film said today they are hoping word is good enough coming out of the screening to convince gun-shy distributors to give it a chance. With a cast and writer/director of this pedigree it would seem a no-brainer, unless producer Sidney Kimmel Entertainment is asking too hefty a fee.

With multiple Oscar nominations and wins for almost all his previous films as a writer, Kaufman has become a brand name for offbeat meditations on life. His work seems inspired less by other movies than by his own weird dreams. "Synecdoche, New York" fits right in with his previous efforts and with TLC should certainly find the kind of audience who will appreciate it and talk about it.

It will be interesting to see how Charlie Kaufman's Cannes moment, one that looked like it was clearly surreal to him, plays out in his future. At the very least it could give him inspiration for his next script.

How about a movie about an out-of-body experience taking place entirely on a foreign red carpet?

-- Pete Hammond

Photos: WireImage

Cannes '08: Pete Hammond on Cannes films with Oscar potential

The Envelope's Notes On a Season columnist Pete Hammond sizes up the films that premiered in Cannes and thinks a few have strong Oscar futures. Look for Clint Eastwood, Angelina Jolie and Penelope Cruz at the Kodak Theater for Oscars 2009 come February.

-- Sheigh Crabtree

Cannes '08: Natalie Portman's 'Cannes do' spirit

Natalie Portman is nothing if not resilient.

As a jury member for this year's Cannes Film Festival, not only does Portman have to attend all of the often long and difficult films in selection, she also has to look fabulous on the red carpet for evening premieres. Then still her work isn't done. Late into the evening Portman has been making appearances at premiere after-parties and gala benefits.

Last night, for example, Portman and fellow juror Alexandra Maria Lara  attended AmfAR's Cinema Against AIDS gala (full coverage by The Envelope's Pete Hammond here) where the two were implored by host Harvey Weinstein to vote for Steven Soderbergh's "Che." Jury president Sean Penn later turned up for the AmfAR after-party where he was probably subject to similar campaigning.

So how will Natalie Portman, Sean Penn, Alexandra Maria Lara and the rest of the Cannes jury vote?

There is an unending amount of speculation about which film will win the Palme d'Or this year. One camp argues that, given jury president Sean Penn's great interest in Latin America, marked particularly by his public support of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, "Che" is a shoo-in to win. Yet another camp insists that Ari Folman's animated Israeli quasi-doc "Waltz With Bashir" is in it to win it based on the film's innovative story-telling style, powerful antiwar message, and unique personal point of view. Still others will tell you that this is finally the year that Clint Eastwood will win Cannes, after a handful of tries, with "Changeling" his adroit period thriller about a single mother's battle (Angelina Jolie) against corrupt Los Angeles civic leaders in the late-1920s.

The list of contenders and the arguments go on. We won't know until Sunday when the Cannes jury reveals their picks. Until then, here are photos from Cannes, including coverage from last night's big AmfAR's Cinema Against AIDS gala, in addition to a few red carpet fashion photos from the Palais.

-- Sheigh Crabtree

Cannes '08 video: Kenneth Turan reviews 'O' Horten'

Los Angeles Times film critic Kenneth Turan: “At this point in time at Cannes, anything that puts a smile on your face is really something to be cherished.” Watch the video below for more of Turan’s thoughts on Bent Hamer’s “O’Horten’.”



Related: Cannes '08: Kenneth Turan talks to 'O' Horten' director Bent Hamer

-- Sheigh Crabtree

Cannes '08: Kenneth Turan talks to 'O' Horten' director Bent Hamer

As the 2008 Festival de Cannes grinds toward its conclusion, there is a consensus on one point: There haven't been a lot of happy stories on the screen, with one conspicuous exception: Bent Hamer's small wonder, the luminous and deliciously funny "O'Horten." As the director says, "You have to give the audience a good time now and then."

Those who remember an earlier Hamer creation, the knockout "Kitchen Stories," know exactly the kind of good time "O'Horten" delivers. His combination of humor and melancholy, the Norwegian director notes, is a mixture that can be recognized in many Nordic films.

The Horten of the story is a stolid, pipe-smoking Norwegian train engineer (played by the veteran Bard Owe, whose career goes all the way back to Carl Theodor Dryer's classic "Gertrude"). His first name is Odd, which, the director says, is "a very common name in Norway. I know the meaning of the word in English, and that doesn't hurt."

Forced to retire at 67, Odd enters into a series of inimitable, serendipitous adventures that show him the necessity as well as the absurdity of embracing life in all its quirky grandeur. "If you think the thought, it is possible to do anything," Hamer says. "It's never too late."

--Kenneth Turan

Photo: Patricia Williams