Festival jury president Quentin Tarantino announced that Sofia Coppola’s “Somewhere” was the unanimous choice for Venice’s top honor.
The full list of festival winners (with commentary to follow later):
Golden Lion (Best Film): “Somewhere” (review)
Silver Lion (Best Director): Alex de la Iglesia, “A Sad Trumpet Ballad” (review)
Special Jury Prize: “Essential Killing” (review)
Coppa Volpi (Best Actor): Vincent Gallo, “Essential Killing” (review)
Coppa Volpi (Best Actress): Ariane Labed, “Attenberg” (review)
Osella (Best Screenplay): “A Sad Trumpet Ballad” (review)
Marcella Mastroianni Award (Best Young Actor): Mila Kunis, “Black Swan” (review) (Telluride review)
Osella (Best Cinematography): “Silent Souls” (review)
Special Lion for Overall Work: Monte Hellman
FIPRESCI Award: “Silent Souls” (review)
European Cinema Award: “The Clink of the Ice”
Leoncino d’Oro (Golden Lion Cub) Prize: “Barney’s Version” (review)
Queer Lion (Best Gay Film): “In the Future”
Brian Award: “The Kisses Never Given”
UNICEF Award: “Miral” (review)
Luigi de Laurentiis Award (Best Debut Film): “Majority”
Persol 3-D Award: (tie) “Avatar” and “How to Train Your Dragon”
Orizzonti Prize: “Verano de Goliat”
Special Orizzonti Jury Prize: “The Forgotten Space”
Special Mention: “Jean Gentil”
Controcampo Italian Prize: “20 Cigarettes”
[Photo: Associated Press]
Comments
28 responses to “VENICE: Sofia Coppola’s ‘Somewhere’ wins Golden Lion”
Wow, congratulations Miss Coppola!
A Sad Trumpet Ballad? Well, fuck…
HOORAY! I know Tarantino loved Lost in Translation, so it makes sense.
From your reviews and the winners I gather the prizes are not to your taste but I’d love to know your thoughts on Copolla’s triumph.
Though I must say I found it a bit odd that the jury thought the best written and directed film of the festival was not also the best film.
Random. QT and pals are batshit crazy. I do kinda want to see A Sad Trumpet Ballad just b/c Guy (and plenty of other critics) blasted the film to smithereens and here it wins 2 big awards at the festival haha.
Can’t wait for your reaction to the wins Guy, especially the somewhat left field win for Somewhere.
Queer Lion? Really?
Forgive me for laughing that there’s an award called the “Queer Lion”.
Certainly bolsters Coppola’s chances for further awards.
Very interesting, and surprising considering the (U.S.) critics didn’t seem wild about Somewhere.
Maybe the most fascinating thing of all is the fact that Mila Kunis won an award. The girl who played the airhead on That 70s Show is now a prize winner at the Venice Film Festival! Good for her.
Mila KJunis getting attention for Black Swan seems significant. Should be interesting to see how that develops and if she steals any thunder from Natalie once the film goes wide.
Well, I’m happy that Coppola won this award but I don’t think it will help her film in any way – that’s just my feeling. The strange thing is that the Venice regulations, generally speaking, don’t allow a film to get more than one award – Tarantino must have convinced the festival director that “Essential Killing” and “A Sad Ballad” were so good that they deserved the exception.
I’m actually quite surprised that Mila Kunis won the young actor award over Elle Fanning…based on the reviews of both films, it seems that Mila Kunis’ role is a lot less substantial than Fanning’s (and many of the “Black Swan” reviews don’t even mention Kunis, whereas nearly all of the “Somewhere” reviews have singled out Fanning).
Lots of these choices surprise me…although I don’t find the “Somewhere” win as shocking as some. Tarantino is a fan of Coppola, and while US critics have been “meh” on her latest, a lot of European critics have been much more enthusiastic. Will be very interested to see if this changes its Oscar chances (and I’m also interested to see if Portman’s loss here affects her Oscar run…Best Actress is a strong category this year, and I feel like she needs to start getting the hardware NOW to stand out from the pack…her loss makes me think her “shoo-in nomination” might not be written in stone, as Kris had stated in a previous post).
Well, Tarantino didn’t pick ‘Somewhere’ alone but it’s a little… curious that a film with mixed reviews won that was directed by one of Tarantinos best show-biz friends who – if I’m not mistaken – happens to be his ex-girlfriend. But I’m sure he’s professional enough to put that aside and the film is probably just very good. I sure as hell hope so. Guy’s review was great, too.
Anyways. I looove Lost in Translation and still liked Marie Antoinette very much. Same goes for TVS. I’m happy for Sofia, despite not having seen the film.
And Mila Kunis winning a price at Venice? Wow!
This is very exciting! Congrats to Ms. Coppola!
I’m soo thankful to the jury for giving the Best Actor Price to such a powerful performance given by Mr. Vincent Cassel in Essential Killing!
But what i can’t understand is the Coppa Volpi for Best Actress! She has won and Natalie Portman who has studied 12 Month for her role as a ballerina in Black Swan in wich she give such a powerhouse performance or to the legendary french actress Mrs. Catherine Deneuve in Potiche! They both LOST!!! I can not understand it! But this festival has given 7 years ago the Coppa Volpi for Best Actress to Katja Riemann in Rosenstraße and Naomi Watts who has given one of the best performances in Movie History in 21 Grams Lost! She LOST! So…
And not to forget: CONGRATULATIONS to MRS. SOFIA COPPOLA!!!
I think A Single Man won the Queer Lion last year…
Glad to know “Somewhere” will be nowhere when nominations are announced.
Suggestions that Coppola won this because of some kind Tarantino connection conspiracy theory is kind of silly. He may be the head of the jury, but unless that position gives you a veto or as many votes as the rest of the jury combined, why even entertain the notion?
Didn’t Coppola and Tarantino have a thing?
[…] […]
Sorry guys, I just got from the airport and I’m beat. Thoughts tomorrow.
Wait, there’s a Queer Lion? And did Miral win the UNICEF award by default or what?
In any case, the Americans really dominate Venice these years.
“He may be the head of the jury, but unless that position gives you a veto or as many votes as the rest of the jury combined, why even entertain the notion?”
He probably didn’t have a veto power and there probably must have been an agreement among the voters of some sort but it’s hard to deny that Heads of Jury don’t have a certain amount of influence over the other jurors.
It is kind of sickening to see Gallo win Best Actor though.
The Queer Lion was introduced in 2008 I believe. At least they got rid of the ridiculous 3D award.
Yes, Tarantino and Coppola once dated, but the verdict was UNANIMOUS (and I’m assuming Coppola hasn’t had a thing with all the jurors) and Tarantino respects cinema enough to not just give the prize to an ex.
Aspect Ratio, Rose Byrne and Ben Affleck also have Volpi Cups on their mantle (“Goddess of 1967” and “Hollywoodland” respectively).
Simon Warrasch, studying an art form does not immediately make your performance better than someone else’s.
Glenn: They didn’t get rid of the 3D award — it went jointly to Avatar and How to Train Your Dragon. It’s scarcely worth mentioning.
Oh.
That’s really stupid.
A Sad Trumpet Ballad have great reviews in Spain and other europeans countries. Is a tale about the history of Spain, but is incomprehensible for the american market.
http://www.saidauto.com/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=1797653