HBO: THE SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP

FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

HOPE DAVIS and DENNIS QUAID, starring as HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON and BILL CLINTON in a new HBO film, have a civilized difference of opinion about a Monica Lewinsky driven quarrel that was edited out.

DENNIS QUAID thought that the clash should have remained in THE SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP, which focuses on BILL CLINTON and then British Prime Minister TONY BLAIR.

HOPE DAVIS is relieved it was cut from the movie that debuts this weekend.

“We shot a really good scene but I’m happy it was left out,” said HOPE, who uses a wig, pantsuits and an accent to convincingly evoke HILLARY RODHAM.

In a preview copy of the film, BILL CLINTON is shown confessing to his wife that he lied about his dalliance with White House intern Lewinsky. HOPE’S HILLARY listens stoically and the scene ends without the ensuing row that was filmed.

“It puts them in such a vulnerable place. I don’t want to see them – I don’t want to see her – in that position. We know all we need to know,” HOPE commented.

Ultimately, she thinks the filmmakers and HBO wanted to be sure the film stood up to scrutiny and avoided allegations of inaccuracy or treating the president and his wife disrespectfully.

HBO said the shots that were trimmed weren’t germane to the movie that is primarily about BILL CLINTON and TONY BLAIR.

DENNIS, who once spent a weekend at the Clinton White House and golfed with the president, believes the confrontation was fair game and of dramatic value.

“I think it captured the spirit of the relationship and that’s the most important thing. People are fascinated by Peter Morgan’s work because we get to be a fly on the wall behind closed doors.”

DENNIS almost said no to the project because “I didn’t want to do an homage and I didn’t want to do an indictment of the guy. It was really the writing that convinced me to do it.”

In the film, he dons makeup and hits BILL CLINTON’S raspy Southern drawl dead on. But he was careful, the actor said, to avoid mimicking him a la the well known SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE impersonation.

PETER MORGAN is in familiar territory when it comes to TONY BLAIR. He wrote the OSCAR nominated script for THE QUEEN, about TONY BLAIR and Queen Elizabeth (HELEN MIRREN, who won an ACADEMY AWARD for the role) and also penned THE DEAL, about Blair and his Labour Party rival Gordon Brown, who recently resigned as prime minister.

MICHAEL SHEEN takes his third run at the famously charming politician, with Helen McCrory as his wife, Cherie Booth, whom she portrayed in THE QUEEN. Richard Loncraine is the director.

The title of the film, which will be released theatrically outside the United States, refers to WINSTON CHURCHILL’S characterization of the cultural and historical U.S./Britain ties as a special relationship.

The drama focuses on political spectrum soulmates Clinton and Blair in the mid to late 90s and how the Lewinsky scandal and the Kosovo crisis divided them. It ends with news footage of Blair striking up a new partnership with incoming President Bush.

Blair’s subsequent backing of America’s Iraq policy eroded his support at home, where some labeled him Bush’s poodle for backing the war that was unpopular in Britain.

MICHAEL SHEEN said he was able to approach the man anew because the film looks at TONY BLAIR and his career “from a completely different point of view.”

Would he be willing to tackle a film about Blair during the Bush years? No, MICHAEL said, because THE SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP thoroughly explores Blair’s desire to influence U.S. foreign policy and his stalwart confidence in himself and knowing “the right thing to do.”

“All you’re going to see is a downward curve. All the choices have all ready been made. It’s like the note has been struck and all you’re going to hear is the note echoing.”

ON THE NET:

HBO.COM

MOVIES AS A THEATRICAL EXPERIENCE: THE WAY THEY WERE

This article is authored by ELLEN STERLING at THE HUFFINGTON POST

In the May 18 edition of THE NEW YORK OBSERVER, LEE SIEGEL wrote an article titled CIAO TO THE CINEPLEX: I MISS MASS CULTURE!

He noted that “The Federal Communications Commission has just decided to allow The Motion Picture Association Of America to send recently released films directly to your television or computer before they are released on DVD or Bluray” and went on to explain the potential impact this will have on moviegoing.

Since I, personally, prefer seeing a film in a theatre as a member of an audience this is sad news indeed. And, equally sadly, it’s already begun to change.

Remember what it used to be like when you went to the movies?

Did you ever tell your children what it was like when there were no commercials – only coming attractions – in the theatre? Have you ever waxed nostalgic for the days when an film advertised to begin at 8 pm actually did begin at 8 or, perhaps, a few minutes later, after the trailers?

Well, my dear, those days are gone and are probably never going to be seen again.

Now, I’m not talking about the 20 minutes of commercials for various products (lots of soft drinks) and TV shows shown before the advertised movie start time. We’re pretty used to this by now and know that if we get to the theatre early we’ll be subjected to this.

No, what I am talking about is totally different.

First, let me explain that here in Las Vegas, movies open weeks – sometimes months – after they open in New York City or Los Angeles. This is true of many large cities – Miami and Seattle among them. For example, CRAZY HEART was released in New York and LA on December 16 and in Las Vegas on February 5. After a while you get used to that.

Foreign films are often difficult to find in Las Vegas. Fortunately, the two theatres closest to my home, THE REGAL VILLAGE SQUARE and THE CENTURY THEATER in The Suncoast Hotel & Casino (Yes! But that’s another story…) are the only two here that regularly play foreign, independent and small films.

It’s nice to know that even if they arrive months after they play on a coast, they will play here. Eventually.

So, that is the overall filmgoing picture here in Las Vegas. And that is what we expected when we went to THE REGAL VILLAGE SQUARE Friday night to catch CITY ISLAND before it leaves on Thursday.

The showing was advertised as beginning at 6:30. We took our seats about 10 minutes before the show and got what we expected, the last 10 minutes of the series of commercials called Regal First Look.

(Most likely it is so called in an attempt to make the audience stuck watching it believe it’s a special privilege to get a first look.)

You know the drill: the 20 minutes of business, a couple of quick commercials (Fandango/Fathom Events) then the trailers for 10 minutes or so and, finally, the film you came to see. That’s what we know and that’s what we expect.

Right? Wrong.

When we went to buy the tickets we saw that the price had gone up 50¢. That might be understandable in a bad year for movie attendance but, when I reported on ShoWest, the annual convention of film exhibitors this year, I noted they said that, despite “the number of US produced films being down 12 percent, attendance was up 11 percent and the box office worldwide totalled a staggering $300 billion.”

But, if Regal needed to raise its prices, I guess 50¢ isn’t too bad.

So we paid and went in. The usual First Look ended and then we were treated to 26(!) minutes or so of more commercials for TV shows and products no one really needs to know about. There were even two ads for the same TV series on two different stations. Couldn’t both stations be listed in one ad?

This ad marathon ended and there were about five minutes of previews. This included one for PRINCESS KAIULANI. It ended with the words Coming Soon written in large white against a black screen. The only thing is, the film was showing in the theatre already.

In the end, we had to pay 50¢ more to have our time wasted.

(And, by the way, we also paid for the privilege of sitting next to a man who loudly munched popcorn out of a huge trough and, that finished, started equally loudly on candy. But that’s another story…)

We really enjoyed CITY ISLAND and I wrote a very positive review for it. But that wasn’t the point.

On the way out we asked the manager, who turned out to be a thoroughly dyspeptic, nasty woman, about the length and abundance of the ads. She explained as if she was talking to recalcitrant four year olds, that we were wrong.

“It’s always been like this. There are 15 minutes of ads and 15 minutes of coming attractions.”

No, I responded. There are always a couple of minutes of ads after the First Look stuff, then the trailers for a few minutes and, finally, the film.

She was insistent (and very rude).

“It has always been like this. And blame CineMedia, not us. They place the ads,” she said, raising her voice. She then turned her back, walked into the box office from whence she’d come and slammed the door.

It was charming.

In researching the issue, I found a terrific website called CaptiveAudience. Browsing it I found Regal is apparently the worst offender. Some theatres do post actual film start times but they’re very difficult to find.

I learned that a class action lawsuit had been filed in 2003 against LOEW’S CINEPLEX ENTERTAINMENT GROUP for showing ads. It was dismissed. The site quotes RAYMOND W. SYUFY, CEO of CENTURY THEATERS.

“If we start showing commercials and go that route, then we are blurring the line between the 500 cable channels at home and the experience we want people to have when they leave their homes.”

Hooray for Mr. Syufy!

So, with more and more time devoted to advertisements in movie theatres, what can we, the people who don’t want to witness the demise of the movie theatre culture, do about it? Maybe we should sign the on line petitions to end this practice and hope it works.

If it doesn’t, I guess I’ll learn to love watching movies at home.

A MONUMENTAL SEASON

Summer’s beginning. It’s been a rapturous decade thus far.

Mmmmmm. I am the queen of all I survey…

Take our Friday musical highlight: SOUTHERN RAIN by THE COWBOY JUNKIES.

It features one of the best (direct, simple, truthful…) verses in the history of modern music.

Now he sips his morning coffee
Says: ‘Have you finished with the funnies?
Looks like a storm is coming, honey.
Guess we’ll have to stay in bed today.’

Well, one excuse is as good as another.

This is the time of year to find your niche. Get creative. Let the intrigue smolder a bit. Go where the day takes you.

So I may be here again before the weekend comes to its inevitable close. But be sure to make the most of your time out and about.

It goes by very, very rapidly…

NEW ARTS & ARCHITECTURE MUSEUM OPENS IN ROME

FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

A huge museum for contemporary arts and architecture opens in Rome this weekend in a bid to draw avant garde art lovers to a city defined by its ancient monuments and Baroque fountains.

The MAXXI museum designed by Iraqi born architect ZAHA HADID is the latest and most ambitious project to try to refresh the Italian capital’s image of a decadent city bent on its glorious past.

“My work just really stems from the fact that we can make new juxtapositions with the old,” Ms. Hadid told The Associated Press during Thursday’s preview opening.

“The idea of connecting between the old and new is very critical.”

The museum marks its opening with a three day extravaganza that included the unveiling Thursday of inaugural exhibits a party Friday night for 5,000 artists, fashionistas, aristocrats and other VIPs and an admission free day for a fortunate few thousand ticket holders.

On Sunday, MAXXI will open to the public.

The $223 million MAXXI is made of white curving cement walls, intricate black stairways that connect halls and pathways and floor to ceiling windows that give the museum natural light and visitors a look out onto the neighbourhood.

From the outside, the museums looks like a wide structure that expands horizontally rather than vertically. Built on the grounds of a former military barracks — of which a facade is still recognizable — MAXXI is located in a residential neighbourhood outside the city’s historic centre.

Officials unveiling the opening exhibit Thursday stressed the link between old and new, their belief that a city and nation that have been on the avant garde of art and architecture for centuries should be promoting contemporary arts.

For ZAHA HADID, who became the first woman to win the prestigious PRITZKER ARCHITECTURE PRIZE in 2004, the challenge was to work with the layers of Rome’s artistic past and bring a new space for art in the city. She recalled visiting Rome in the 1960s and posing in front of the Trevi Fountain, a masterpiece of Baroque art.

“Rome has fantastic light. The idea of this project is about layering and bringing in light to the space so that you have a naturally lit space — and to give the curators tremendous freedom in the way they can organize exhibits.”

Rome is visited by some 12 million people each year, mostly attracted to the artistic glories of its past — the ancient ruins, the Colosseum, the fountains designed by Bernini or Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel.

In recent years, officials have tried to expand Rome’s culture offerings with some cutting edge works, but these efforts have met mixed responses. Romans have been hostile to some new buildings, apparently not convinced that a modern structure can successfully stand beside the marvels of the past.

For example, the structure by Richard Meier that houses the 2,000 year old altar Ara Pacis has drawn widespread criticism, including from the current city mayor.

Renzo Piano’s Auditorium, which opened in 2002, has been more widely appreciated, giving Rome its first major league concert hall and becoming a hip spot and the venue of the new movie festival in the Italian capital.

The Culture Ministry awarded the project for the MAXXI to Ms. Hadid after an international competition in 1998.

The inaugural shows’ highlight is SPACE, an exhibit that takes visitors along a route of art works by Anish Kapoor, Sol Lewitt and others, combined with installations by architecture studios. Mixing art and architecture, the show represents MAXXI’S dual soul.

Among others, works on display are ANDY WARHOL’S FATE PRESTO, in which he reproduces the front page of an Italian newspaper in the wake of an earthquake; FRANCESCO VEZZOLI’S DEMOCRAZY, a video installation featuring two hypothetical candidates for the U.S. presidency played by SHARON STONE and BERNARD HENRY LEVY; WILLIAM KENTRIDGE’S NORTH POLE MAP tapestry in which dark figures are set against an ancient geographic map.

Other inaugural shows feature a retrospective on Gino De Dominicis, an eclectic and controversial Italian artist whose 80 foot plaster skeleton lies just outside the main entrance, a reflection on the relations between East and West through eight video works by young Turkish artist Kutlug Ataman and photographs, models and drawings by Italian architect Luigi Moretti, whose projects included the Watergate complex.

MAXXI, officially called THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE XXI CENTURY ARTS, also houses an auditorium, libraries, workshops and spaces for live events and commercial activities.

The museum had a limited weekend opening in November.

ON THE NET:

MAXXI

IMAN: PERENNIAL STYLE ICON

On JUNE 7, glamorous supermodel IMAN will be given the FASHION ICON AWARD by the CFDA (aka THE AMERICAN COUNCIL OF FASHION DESIGNERS). Past recipients include KATE MOSS and NICOLE KIDMAN.

IMAN recently talked to WWD about her upcoming honour.

She remarked, “I’d rather have that than be Us Weekly’s best dressed. You know what I mean? No disrespect to Us Weekly.”

IMAN also discussed meeting AUDREY HEPBURN, who was her ultimate style icon and inspiration.

“She was young and gracious. The reason she looked like that is because she was innately gracious. So I gravitate towards that [look]. But more sexy.”

PHOTOS OF SCARLETT JOHANSSON IN NYC

Here are some pictures of SCARLETT at the 61st Annual New Dramatist’s Benefit Luncheon, which was held on the east coast last week.

There are also a couple of shots with her and director JULIE TAYMOR.

TINA FEY WINS THE MARK TWAIN HUMOR PRIZE

Ecstatic congratulations go out to TINA…

The woman known for her impression of Sarah Palin on SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE will win the nation’s top humor prize this year from THE KENNEDY CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS.

TINA FEY joins the ranks of STEVE MARTIN, LILY TOMLIN, WHOOPI GOLDBERG, BOB NEWHART, LORNE MICHAELS, RICHARD PRYOR, GEORGE CARLIN and others who have won the MARK TWAIN PRIZE FOR AMERICAN HUMOR, the center announced today.

TINA will be the youngest recipient in the award’s history.

“I am truly thrilled to receive this honour,” TINA said in a written statement. “I assume Betty White was disqualified for steroid use.”

TINA returned to SNL earlier this month when BETTY WHITE drew rave reviews as host of the legendary late night program.

Some of the biggest names in comedy will honour TINA when the prize is awarded NOVEMBER 9 in Washington, D.C. The show will be taped for television broadcast later.

TINA got her start with Chicago’s Second City improv group and became the first woman to be head writer on SNL during nine seasons as a cast member and coanchor of WEEKEND UPDATE.

Those years set her apart and changed the show, commented Mark Krantz, an executive producer of the Mark Twain prize.

“It’s that job as a head writer on a show that’s been a traditionally male oriented show.” He also remarked that TINA’S work “kind of broke the ceiling for many, many women in comedy, let alone that particular show.”

She created NBC’s EMMY winning comedy series 30 ROCK. TINA has also appeared in several hit movies, including MEAN GIRLS (which she also wrote). Her film DATE NIGHT (with STEVE CARELL) is currently playing in theatres.

TINA is currently working on her first book, a humorous memoir due out next year. She lives in New York with her husband JEFF RICHMOND and their daughter.

This isn’t the first recognition of her work. TINA was voted THE ASSOCIATED PRESS’ ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR in 2008 by newspaper editors and broadcasters across the country after her Palin impression during the presidential campaign.

Ms. Fey has more EMMYS, GOLDEN GLOBES and SCREEN ACTORS GUILD AWARDS than she can hold in two arms. And she’s been one of PEOPLE magazine’s MOST BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE – not once but four times.

“She’s politically conscious. She’s a writer. She’s a filmmaker. She’s a producer. She’s a performer,” Mark Krantz stated.

“Her body of work is as inclusive and far reaching as anyone else’s…and she’s just funny.”

It’s too soon to know who will perform in TINA’S honour. The producers will likely invite many familiar faces, including people she has worked with, those who influenced her work and those she has influenced.

The prize honours people who have made an impact on society similar to Mark Twain, who was a satirist, commentator and storyteller. This is the 13th year it’s been awarded.

THE KENNEDY CENTER board chooses the winner with recommendations from former Twain honorees, the show’s producers and others.

ON THE NET:

THE JOHN F. KENNEDY CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS

PHOTOS FROM THE DRAMA DESK AWARDS

THE DRAMA DESK AWARDS were held last night at Lincoln Center.

CATHERINE ZETA JONES (A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC) tied with MONTEGO GLOVER (MEMPHIS) for BEST ACTRESS – MUSICAL.

LIEV SCHREIBER (A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE) took home BEST ACTOR – PLAY.

VIOLA DAVIS (FENCES) was awarded the SUPPORTING ACTRESS – PLAY prize.

KRISTEN JOHNSTON was also in attendance.

THE COUGAR TREND: IT’S DONE

This article is authored by JOHN MITCHELL at POPEATER

I know that this was just discussed a few days ago. But now that the cat is out of the bag, so to speak…

Some points genuinely need some serious reinforcement.

Like so many pop cultural fads, the cougar trend burned bright and fast.

A few years back, everyone was very happy to learn that – gasp! – women over the age of 40 could still be gorgeous and sexy. Suddenly, there was a preponderance of evidence (from MICHELLE PFEIFFER to DEMI MOORE to HALLE BERRY) and it was so shocking and exciting and new that everybody wanted a piece of the trend.

But now, it appears to be waning.

The craze may well have breathed its last breath last week when KIM CATTRALL revealed she was denied a magazine cover when she refused to pose with a real live cougar.

She declined to name the publication.

Having Ms. Cattrall – a five time EMMY nominee and GOLDEN GLOBE winner who is about a week away from starring in what will likely be one of the year’s biggest films – pose with an animal as some sort of elaborate metaphor for how she is on the prowl is rather offensive and arguably downright sexist.

That she stood her ground and refused to allow some magazine to make a buck by presenting her as some sort of ludicrous caricature because she is single, over 40 and still glamorous and alluring is commendable.

SALON’S REBECCA TRAISTER laments that while celebrating older women is a good thing, the term itself is a massive step in the wrong direction.

“How sad and backward that we have to give it a nickname, animalize it as if it’s outside the boundaries of civilized human behaviour, make it a trend, pretend that Demi Moore invented it. That’s not progress and it’s not a step forward for women.”

Before the cougar craze took off, she noted: “When Cher used to date Rob Camilletti, I think they called him a boy toy and they called her Cher.”

(Though we find it equally insulting to refer to a full grown man as a powerful woman’s plaything. Just sayin.)

Indeed, exceptional looking women of all ages have long taken offense to the term.

Last year, while promoting her film CHERI, in which she played a courtesan who has a relationship with a much younger man, MICHELLE PFEIFFER told IN STYLE: “I so hate that term! Colette wrote these novels so long ago. But even today they’re ahead of their time in the way we perceive women’s power and sexuality.”

We knew the trend’s days were officially numbered when beloved national grandmother BETTY WHITE joked about being a cougar.

While we certainly don’t begrudge BETTY getting her kicks while she can and still laugh when she jokes that ROBERT REDFORD is the only thing she has left to do in Hollywood, by the time she reached it, the joke itself was too stale to be saved.

Even by the always hilarious Ms. White.

(And it certainly says something – in and of itself – that the term was already a past its prime parody when she used it to promote her hosting gig on SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE.)

So now it appears as if we’re going to have to look at MICHELLE PFEIFFER, KIM CATTRALL and other over 40 female actors for what they really are: confident successful women whose talent has kept them in the spotlight beyond an arbitrary media determined sell by date.

Rather than agree to hide behind some sort of cartoon send up of what an attractive older female is, these women are redefining how we see life as it has been perceived by the media.

Good for them. After all, it is a new century…

CANNES 2010: THE WINNERS

FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

The hypnotic Thai film UNCLE BOONMEE WHO CAN RECALL HIS PAST LIVES won the top prize at the CANNES FILM FESTIVAL today.

ACADEMY AWARD winners JAVIER BARDEM and JULIETTE BINOCHE earned acting honours.

Uncle Boonmee, directed by Apichatpong Weerasethakul, traces the dreamlike final days of a man dying of kidney failure as the ghost of his dead wife returns to tend him and his long lost son comes home in the form of a furry jungle spirit.

JULIETTE BINOCHE, an OSCAR winner for THE ENGLISH PATIENT, won BEST ACTRESS for the cryptic love story CERTIFIED COPY which was directed by past PALME D’OR winner ABBAS KIAROMSTAMI.

During her speech, Ms. Binoche pleaded for the release of a native of Mr. Kiarostami’s homeland, detained Iranian filmmaker JAFAR PANAHI — who had been asked to be on this year’s nine member jury.

“I hope he will be here himself next year,” the actor said, as she clutched a nameplate emblazoned with the director’s name.

“It’s hard to be an artist and an intellectual…and the country needs you.”

JAVIER BARDEM, an OSCAR winner for NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, shared the CANNES BEST ACTOR prize, earning his honour for Mexican director ALEJANDRO GONZALEZ INARRITU’S BIUTIFUL, a grim portrait of a dying father supporting his family with a variety of criminal rackets in Barcelona.

Also playing a father in crisis, ELIO GERMANO shared the BEST ACTOR award for Italian filmmaker DANIELE LUCHETI’S OUR LIFE, a drama about a widower with three sons.

“I’m very happy that we are sharing the Best Actor award,” JAVIER said at a news conference alongside Mr. Germano.

He stated that it should happen more often “so less people lose. It’s very hard for people to lose in the sense of, in a festival. You can’t really say what’s best. I mean, it’s nine people’s opinions and I’ve been on the jury here and I can assure you that it’s very, very difficult to put nine people in agreement to like anything.”

The second place GRAND PRIZE went to French director XAVIER BEAUVOIS’ solemn drama OF GODS & MEN, based on the true story of seven French monks who were beheaded during Algeria’s civil war in 1996.

Chadian director MAHAMET SALEH HAROUN’S stark film A SCREAMING MAN received the third place JURY PRIZE. The film chronicles the tragic consequences for a father after he loses his cherished job as a swimming pool attendant to his son amidst his country’s civil war.

French actor filmmaker Mathieu Amalric won the directing award for On Tour, in which he plays the manager of a troupe of American burlesque strippers performing around France.

The SCREENPLAY honour was presented to South Korean director LEE CHANG DONG for POETRY, his gentle portrait of a grandmother (YUN JUNGHEE) struggling to write a poem as she copes with the onset of Alzheimers and her troublesome grandson.

The festival’s CAMERA D’OR award for a first time filmmaker went to MICHAEL ROWE’S LEAP YEAR, a romance that plays out in Mexico City.

South Korean filmmaker HONG SANGSOO’S HA HA HA, a drama of alternating memories shared by two friends over drinks, won a secondary competition called UN CERTAIN REGARD.

Films from two British past PALME D’OR winners — MIKE LEIGH’S ANOTHER YEAR and KEN LOACH’S ROUTE IRISH — were shut out for prizes.

Also coming away empty handed was the lone American film among the 19 contenders, DOUG LIMAN’S FAIR GAME, a drama about former CIA operative VALERIE PLAME that stars NAOMI WATTS and SEAN PENN.

Mike Leigh’s film received some of the festival’s best reviews. Its shutout came as a surprise.

“Each and every one of us has some favourites that didn’t make it,” said Alice In Wonderland director Tim Burton, who headed the nine member jury that chose the winners.

“We tried to invent more prizes,” joked jury member Kate Beckinsale.

Critics generally were unimpressed with the lineup CANNES presented at the 12 day festival along the French Riviera. A handful of films stirred some buzz but most of the entries premiered to lukewarm receptions.

That contrasted with last year’s powerhouse slate, which had included films from QUENTIN TARANTINO, PEDRO ALMODOVAR and JANE CAMPION.

This year’s festival also was lighter on star power, with a few non competition films such as ROBIN HOOD and WALL STREET 2: MONEY NEVER SLEEPS providing the main celebrity sightings, including RUSSELL CROWE and MICHAEL DOUGLAS.

After the awards ceremony, the festival closed with the premiere of French director Julie Bertuccelli’s mother/daughter drama The Tree. It stars CHARLOTTE GAINSBOURG, who won the BEST ACTRESS prize at CANNES last year for LARS VON TRIER’S ANTICHRIST.

LIST OF WINNERS

PALME D’OR
UNCLE BOONMEEWHO CAN RECALL HIS PAST LIVES

GRAND PRIX
OF GODS & MEN

JURY PRIZE
A SCREAMING MAN

CAMERA D’OR
LEAP YEAR

BEST ACTOR (TIE)
JAVIER BARDEM – BIUTIFUL
ELIO GERMANO – OUR LIFE

BEST ACTRESS
JULIETTE BINOCHE – CERTIFIED COPY

DIRECTOR
MATHIEU AMALRIC – ON TOUR

SCREENPLAY
LEE CHANG DONG – POETRY

ON THE NET:

FESTIVAL CANNES