BERLIN -- U.S. and German talent dominated the top awards at the 50th Berlin Intl. Film Festival, which closed Sunday after 10 days of filmic feast and famine.
The nine-member competition jury headed by Chinese actress Gong Li gave the Golden Bear to "Magnolia." In the past 10 years, the Berlinale's top prize has gone six times to English-language pics with U.S. production coin.
Two Berlin favorites went home with gongs. Milos Forman copped the best director award for "Man on the Moon," and Denzel Washington got a second Silver Bear to add to his mantelpiece, taking best actor in "The Hurricane." Washington was previously prized back in 1993 for his perf in "Malcolm X," and Forman's "The People vs. Larry Flint" won the Golden Bear in '97.
For a second year in a row, German talent was conspicuously rewarded.
'Rita' rules
Political-terrorist drama "The Legends of Rita," veteran director Volker Schlondorff's first German-lingo feature in almost two decades, garnered Silver Bears for lead actresses Bibiana Beglau and Nadja Uhl, and the director himself took the Blue Angel Award for best European film.
In addition, the entire cast of local arthouse fave Rudolf Thome's "Paradiso" shared a Silver Bear for outstanding achievement.
In the only controversial award, booed at the prizes press conference, Wim Wenders' "The Million Dollar Hotel" nabbed the Jury Prize. Pic was reckoned a dull opener and went on to poor B.O. on first week of release.
A popular winner was Zhang Yimou's finely tuned Chinese meller "The Road Home," which won the Jury Grand Prix. Another Asian pic, the Japanese "Boy's Choir," copped the Alfred Bauer Prize for best first feature.
The festival's final days saw few surprises. Oliver Stone's "Any Given Sunday," with Stone and Jamie Foxx attending, went down well in a Euro version that's 12 minutes shorter. Rio-set romantic comedy "Bossa Nova," starring Amy Irving and distribbed Stateside by Sony Pictures Classics, was reckoned a painless, entertaining closer.
Controversial vid fare
Among foreign-lingo fare, Claude Miller's dramedy "Of Women and Magic," shot on video, was well liked by some while others felt it undeserving of inclusion in Competition. Film got the Fipresci (international critics') top award.
Final verdict on the Berlinale's golden anni was that, apart from a handful of notable pics, the competition lineup generally failed to live up to the hoopla surrounding the fest's move to brand-new premises in the city's new center. Other sections of the fest were more solid. Other winners:
Best Short Film: Golden Bear, "Tribute to Alfred Lepetit" (France); Silver Bear, "Media" (Czech Republic).
German Art House Cinemas Prize: "The Hurricane."
Berliner Morgenpost Prize: "Magnolia."
C.I.C.A.E. (Intl. art house assn.) Prize: Panorama, "Saltwater" (Ireland); Forum, "The Four Seasons of the Law" (Greece).
Panorama Audience Prize: "National 7" (France).
Kinderfilmfest Jury Prize: "The Man of Steel" (Belgium).
Peace Film Prize: "Long Night's Journey into Day" (U.S.).
Wolfgang Staudte Award: Vinko Bresan for "Marshal Tito's Spirit" (Croatia).
Caligari Film Prize: "The Four Seasons of the Law."
Teddy (gay and lesbian awards): Best Feature, "Water Drops on Burning Rocks" (France); Best Documentary, "Paragraph 175;" Recognition for films about H.I.V. and AIDS, "Funny Felix" (France) and "Chrissy" (Australia).
NETPAC Prize (Asian cinema):"The Lady of the Horse" (India).
Contact Ed Meza at
ed.meza@mannaa.de