Despite being described as understated, familiar, enjoyable, but perhaps too low-key to be much of an awards darling by critics who have already seen the film, Sofia Coppola’s “Somewhere” won the Golden Lion Best Picture prize at the Venice Film Festival today.
The jury’s president Quentin Tarantino, who once dated Coppola back in the late ’90s and obviously has no hard feelings said the decision was unanimous among the tribunal. “This was a film that enchanted us from our first screening,” Tarantino said during the award ceremony, according to The San Francisco Chronicle via Indiewire. “Yet from that first enchanting screening, it grew and grew and grew in both our hearts, in our analysis, in our minds, and in our affections.” Vincent Gallo won the Best Actor for his lead turn in Jerzy Skolimowsky’s Taliban drama “Essential Killing” (his second feature after an 18 year absence from behind the camera) and the picture itself won the Special Jury Prize. Believe it or not, Mila Kunis from “Black Swan” won an acting award for Best Young Actress. She’s come a long way from “That ’70s Show.” Natalie Portman’s lead role in that film was expected to be the winner of the Best Actress prize, but instead it went to Ariane Labed for “Attenberg.” “Black Swan” was otherwise shut out; Darren Aronofksy’s “The Wrestler” took the top award in 2008.
The complete winner list below the jump
GOLDEN LION for Best Film:
“Somewhere” by Sofia Coppola
SILVER LION for Best Director to:
Alex de la Iglesia for “Balada triste de trompeta”
SPECIAL JURY PRIZE to:
“Essential Killing” by Jerzy Skolimowsky
COPPA VOLPI for Best Actor:
Vincent Gallo for “Essential Killing”
COPPA VOLPI for Best Actress:
Ariane Labed for “Attenberg”
OSELLA for Best Screenplay to:
Alex de la Iglesia for “Balada triste de trompeta”
MARCELLO MASTROIANNI AWARD for Best Young Actor or Actress:
Mila Kunis for “Black Swan”
OSELLA for Best Cinematography to:
Mikhail Krichman for “Silent Souls”
SPECIAL LION FOR AN OVERALL WORK to:
Monte Hellman
EUROPEAN CINEMA AWARD to:
“The Clink of the Ice”
LEONCINO D’ORO (GOLDEN LION CUB) PRIZE to:
“Barney’s Version”
QUEER LION for Best Gay Film:
“In the Future”