The winner of the "big prize" at Venice Film Festival was announced today...and the Golden Lion winner is Somewhere. The film about the actor who's 11-year old daughter surprises him for a visit stars Stephen Dorff and Elle Fanning. It is directed by Sophia Coppola.In addition to having one of the most unique movie posters of the season (pictured right), this film seems like one of those award season wild cards, and the Venice win doesn't necessarily clarify it's position in the award calender.
Over the past 10 years a Golden Lion winner have had heavy award exposure by the time the Academy Awards came around, or in other cases no exposure or Oscar-love at all.
Here's the Oscar tally's from the past 10 years:
• 2009 - Lebanon (לבנון) - No Oscar Nominations/Wins
• 2008 - The Wrestler - 2 Oscar Nominations (Actor, Supporting Actress), No Wins
• 2007 - Lust, Caution (Sè, Jiè) - No Oscar Nomations/Wins
• 2006 - Still Life (Sānxiá hǎorén) - No Oscar Nominations/Wins
• 2005 - Brokeback Mountain - 8 Oscar Nominations (including Best Picture), 3 Wins (Directing, Original Score, Adapted Screenplay)
• 2004 - Vera Drake - 3 Nominations (Actress, Director, Original Screenplay), No wins
• 2003 - The Return (Возвращение, Vozvrashcheniye) - No Oscar Nominations/Wins
• 2002 - The Magdalene Sisters - No Oscar Nominations/Wins
• 2001 - Monsoon Wedding - No Oscar Nominations/Wins
• 2000 - The Circle (Dayereh) - No Oscar Nominations/Wins
I do notice that when the Golden Lion winning film is an English language winner, then the chance of the film succeeding through the award season increases pretty significantly.
But this award certainly isn't a strong "precursor" but rather it's own unique award.
So from here we'll have to see if Somewhere shows up other places throughout the award season.
2 comments:
Yeah Venice gold lion film is quite different from Oscar winning ones in terms of style. It seems like for Oscar the winning film is more mainstream, whereas Venice, because of the wide range of cultural backgrounds the candidates films are, general viewers may not be giving much attention.
Yet I personally acknowledge these two different awards very highly, so I will see of 'Somewhere' is going to be shown in NZ.
The Magdalene Sisters won the Lion? I love that movie! Anyway, I've never understood why Cannes and Venice are ever grouped with the precursor or buzz festivals. They always seem to march by the beat of their own drum, and even though Cannes *does* give a strong lead to actors (Lesley Manville, Christoph Waltz)...Uncle Boonmee? Wind That Shakes the Barley? 4 Weeks, 3 Months, 2 Days? Come on!
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