Father Geek aqui to post another Tuesday edition of our regular weekly Latin-AICN Column for all you confirmed CineLocos out there. This week I'm going to turn you over to Coffin Joe, Jr. down in Sao Paulo, who in turn will turn you over to our cuate en Spain "I Was A Teenage Filmmaker"... pero first I have this bit you may be interested in...
Pedro Almodovar's eagerly anticipated new film Talk To Her
(Hable Con Ella) will not receive its world premiere at one
of this years top film festivals as might be expected. Instead
promotion will focus initially on a release in just three key Eu-
ropean territories so that the director can get back to work on
his next project, the long-gestating Bad Education (La Mala
Educacion). More info is available Right Here
Father Geek back for a split second... Now,take it away guys...
Hello there everyone, Coffin Joe Jr. for a brief appearance, I suspect Lobo is back in full swing this week or next, so I slacked a bit, my report is kinda short, it ain´t even mine really, it´s something I found while cleaning my e-mail box this week. I didn´t see this before, it´s a pretty comprehensive account of the recent Goya awards in Spain.
Sooooo... without further ado, here´s the very oddly named spy, I was a teenaged filmmaker (!?) with his take on the award show. Enjoy his report:
"I was a teenage filmmaker and I am here with the results of this year's Goyas! 2001 has been kind of weird for the spanish cinema... "The Others" grew up to be a smash hit worldwide, "Torrente 2" broke box office records (only to see The Others beat them four months later!), Javier Bardem got a nod at the Oscars, people like Nicole Kidman, John Malkovich, Anna Paquin and Lena Olin came to work in spanish movies... but also... After a huge hate campaign by Mad Love / Juana la Loca (Spain's submission for the Oscar) director Vicente Aranda against Nicole Kidman's nomination and The Others (it is an American film for him) and a huge scandal for the pre-nomination of Sin Noticias de Dios (which wasn't already realeased and was only seen by a few members of the Academy) for the Oscar race, the Goyas went very ugly. The result? A certain feeling of shame.
The host, Rosa MarÃa Sardá (All about my mother), was amazing. as everything she does.
Best Picture... "Los Otros" Directed by Alejandro Amenábar
Other Nominees: "Juana La Loca" Directed by Vicente Aranda, "LucÃa Y El Sexo" Directed by Julio Médem , "Sin Noticias De Dios" Directed by AgustÃn DÃaz Yanes
Yessss! 8 Goyas for the best of the nominees. despite my feelings that the Best Picture of the Year was The Devil's Backbone / El Espinazo del Diablo, by Guillermo del Toro, clearly snubbed.
Best Lead Actor... Eduard Fernández, Fausto 5.0
Other Nominees: Eusebio Poncela, "Intacto", Sergi López, "Sólo MÃa", Tristán Ulloa, "LucÃa Y El Sexo"
Shocker! Fenandez was expected to win at the supporting cathegory, leaving this award to either López or Poncela (a veteran and great actor who never won, as long as I can recall). I won't say it is undeserved, but a Poncela's win would have been perfect.
Best Lead Actress... Pilar López de Ayala, "Juana La Loca"
Other Nominees: Nicole Kidman, "Los Otros", Paz Vega, "Sólo Mîa", Victoria Abril, "Sin Noticias De Dios"
As expected. Nicole Kidman had ZERO chance of winning, in order to the feeling of spanish actors that SHE IS A FOREIGNER. hypocrital statement, because nothing was said of previous winners and nominees like Cecilia Roth, Federico Luppi, Miroslav Taborsky or this year winner for New Actor Sbaraglia. others argued that she was dubbed, as the original recording was in english. but that didn't stop the Academy when they nominated Antonio Banderas for Two Much, another spanish film in English or Javier Bardem for Perdita Durango. It is a deserved award, but Kidman was equally deserving. The funny thing is that if Sony or Miramax had picked Juana la Loca / Mad Love, Pilar López de Ayala could have been racing for the Oscar! And worse of it all is, that next year it could happen again with Anna Paquin and Lena Olin's performances in Jaume Balaguero's "Darkness"!!!! Just hear me sigh!
Best Supporting Actor... Emilio Gutiérrez Caba, "El Cielo Abierto"
Other Nominees: Antonio Dechent, "Intacto", Eduard Fernández, "Son De Mar", Gael GarcÃa Bernal, "Sin Noticias De Dios"
Big Shocker. Mr. Caba won last year and was the only nominee that didn't attend this ceremony. Eduard Fernández had two nods this year and was the favourite. Also a bigger possibility was to reward Dechent, a veteran supporting actor almost forgotten.
Best Supporting Actress... Rosa MarÃa Sardá, "Sin Vergüenza"
Other Nominees: Elena Anaya, "LucÃa Y El Sexo", Nawja Nimri, "LucÃa Y El Sexo", Rosana Pastor, "Juana La Loca"
The host of the ceremony WON!!! The always perfect Sardá won her second Goya, but the favourite was Anaya. I only can suppose that there was a split vote between the two LucÃa y el sexo candidates. Anyway, it is always a great pleasure to see Mrs. Sardá pick a prize.
Best Director... Alejandro Amenábar, "Los Otros"
Other Nominees: Vicente Aranda, "Juana La Loca", Julio Médem, "LucÃa Y El Sexo", AgustÃn DÃaz Yanes, "Sin Noticias De Dios"
Yeah! Amenábar won! Shame on you, Aranda! Did you know that the first filmmakers that "discovered" him called him "Orsoncito" (Little Orson).
Best Original Screenplay... "Los Otros"
Other Nominees: "LucÃa Y El Sexo", "Sin Noticias De Dios", "Sin Vergüenza"
Despite the hate campaign that said that it would be more accurate to push it into the Adapted Screenplay cathegory, this wonderful tale got its reward. It is Amenabar's second win in this cathegory (first was with Thesis).
Best Adapted Screenplay... "Salvajes"
Other Nominees: "Anita No Pierde El Tren", "La Isla Del Holandés", "Son De Mar"
A very tough cathegory, any of these four could have won.
Best Art Direction... "Los Otros"
Other Nominees: "Intacto", "Juana La Loca", "Sin Noticias De Dios"
A big surprise for me, as I expected another Mad Love win here (as in Costume or Make Up).
Best Cinematography... "Los Otros"
Other Nominees: "Intacto", "Juana La Loca", "LucÃa Y El Sexo"
Javier Aguirresarobe's work in The Others was the frontrunner (I really can't understand why nobody picked his work in this movie in this years award season in America). Deserved prize. it should have been a lock for the Oscar nominations.
Best Costume Design... 'Juana La Loca"
Other Nominees: "El Espinazo Del Diablo", "Desafinado", "Los Otros"
Not a real surprise. only The Others were a real competitor.
Best Editing... "Los Otros"
Other Nominees: "Juana La Loca", "LucÃa Y El Sexo", "Sin Noticias De Dios"
Yessss. A perfect editing gets its reward!
Best Make-Up / Hair... "Juana La Loca"
Other Nominees: "Buñuel Y La Mesa Del Rey Salomón", "Los Otros", "Sin Noticias De Dios"
The biggest competition came from Buñuel. and it is not a well liked film, so, as expected, Mad Love got another award.
Best Production Design... Los Otros
Other Nominees: Intacto, Juana La Loca, Sin Noticias De Dios
No surprise. A well deserved award.
Best Original Score... "LucÃa Y El Sexo"
Other Nominees: "Juana La Loca", "Los Otros", "Sin Noticias De Dios"
Alberto Iglesias picked another Goya. Not a surprise.
Best Original Song... Tu Bosque Animado, "El Bosque Animado"
Other Nominees: Again, "El Cielo Abierto", Semos Diferentes, "Torrente II: Misión En Marbella", Sólo MÃa, "Sólo MÃa"
Frontrunner: the Torrente II song, because it was written by music legend Joaquin Sabina, that almost died this year (a brain failure). Winner: another one, by another music legend, Luz Casal.
Best Sound... "Los Otros"
Other Nominees: "Juana La Loca", "LucÃa Y El Sexo", "Sin Noticias De Dios"
The obvious choice. It should also be in the Oscar race!
Best Special Effects... "Buñuel Y La Mesa Del Rey Salomón"
Other Nominees: "El Espinazo Del Diablo", "Intacto", "Los Otros"
Althought not really a surprise, I would have preferred a Devil's Backbone win. The FX are nearly perfect and the movie is my favourite of 2002 worldwide.
Best Documentary Film... "En construcción"
Other Nominees: "Asesinato En Febrero" , "Extranjeros De Sà Mismos", "Los Niños De Rusia"
A tough cathegory, but the expected winner. Many voices claimed that it should had been nominated for Best Picture and Best Director.
Best Animated Film... "El Bosque Animado"
Other Nominees: "La Leyenda Del Unicornio", "Manuelita" , "Un Perro Llamado Dolor"
Interesting cathegory. El Bosque Animado had horrible reviews, but it is the first CGI film made in Spain (even in Europe, if my memories don't betray me); La Leyenda del Unicornio is a Musical in the Disney style; Manuelita is an Argentinian film which broke records in that country and did some good box office here. and Un Perro llamado Dolor is, maybe, the spanish "Waking Life", made by (drawings and music) singer Luis Eduardo Aute, a living legend of spanish music. The win by El Bosque Animado which was a small box-office hit can only be explained as a push for CGI in Spain (most of the audience ended HATING this movie). My pick would have been Un perro Llamado Dolor, but I really didn't care for any of these picks.
Best European Film... "Amélie"
Other Nominees: "Billy Elliot" , "Chocolat", "El Diario de Bridget Jones"
As expected. Nothing else to say here.
Best Foreign Film In Spanish Language... "La Fuga"
Other Nominees: "Miel Para Oshum", "Perfume De Violetas", "Taxi Para Tres"
No surprise. But what if "La Ciénaga" or "Y tu mamá tambien" made the cut?
Best New Director... Juan Carlos Fresnadillo for "Intacto"
Other Nominees: VÃctor GarcÃa León for "Más Pena Que Gloria", Carlos Molinero for "Salvajes", Javier Balaguer for "Solo MÃa"
YES, former Oscar nominee Fresnadillo (Short Film, 1997) made a wonderful film, and deserved this award! A great movie (not perfect, for sure, but fascinating).
Best New Actor... Leonardo Sbaraglia for "Intacto"
Other Nominees: Biel Durán for "Más Pena Que Gloria", James Bentley for "Los Otros" , Rubén Ochandiano for "Silencio Roto"
No real surprise here, Argentinian Sbaraglia was the frontrunner in this cathegory. And I really loved Intacto, which I miss in the Best Picture race, as I do with The Devil's Backbone (a shame that no child in Devil's. has been nominated for this award).
Best New Actress... Paz Vega for "LucÃa Y El Sexo"
Other Nominees: Alakina Mamn for "Los Otros", Malena Alterio for "El Palo", MarÃa Isasi for "Salvajes"
As happened at last year's Oscars, it would have been a real shocker that Vega didn't won. Only Alakina Mann (a delight in The Others, far better than Flannagan) or MarÃa Isasi (daughter of Marisa Paredes and director Antonio Isasi Isasmendi) had a shot. I am happy, as I really think she deserves it, not only for this movie.
Best Short... "Desaliñada"
Other Nominees: "Bamboleho", "La mirada obliqua" , "La Primera Vez", "V.O."
A really original and funny short won (directed by another actor turned to director. Antonia San Juan was another possibility.)
Best Short Animated... "Pollo"
Other Nominees: "El Aparecido", "La colección", "W.C."
My favourite was "El Aparecido", but I'm not very surprised.
Goya de Honor (Lifetime Achievement Award)... Juan Antonio Bardem
I really can't understand how the Academy has waited to 2002 to give Mr. Bardem his well deserved Lifetime Achievement Award. Really. It is along with Buñuel, Berlanga, Saura and Almodovar the biggest spanish director of all time. Standing ovation, of course (by the way, it should be interesting if the American Academy gave him an honorary Oscar. or to Luis Garcia Berlanga, for example). The best moment of the night came here, when Mr. Bardem asked for a producer for two projects he has in mind. and hurried them up, because. "I don't have much time". Great. So, that's all folks!
You can call me, I was a teenage filmmaker."
