Hey folks, Harry here... the word from Cannes has just come in... a jubilant ecstatic phone call from a geek in Cannes ran down the winners and it seems that Michael Moore just accepted the Palme D'Or for FAHRENHEIT 9/11!!! Perhaps a political no-brainer... but my inner and outer Liberal screams "YESSSSS!," while the cautionary side worries about a jury headed by Quentin bestowing the top prize to any film that Harvey Weinstein is a producer of... BUT - at the same time I have no doubt that FAHRENHEIT 9/11 is the sort of emotional film that brands its message into the sympathetic viewers' hearts and minds and makes them an advocate for not only the film, but the message as well, and by giving Michael's film the award... they've guaranteed that throughout history, the film will be noted as being important. I can not wait to see this one for myself.
In yet another reason for me to be happy, Chan Wook-Park's OLDBOY picked up the Grand Prix at Cannes! This tickles me greatly... it is my prayer, that by receiving the Grand Prix, that we now have a glimmer of hope that OLDBOY will be distributed in the United States, and that perhaps SYMPATHY FOR MR VENGEANCE and JSA will now also be seen in this country - which has to date, ignored Chan's brilliance, but I think we'll find it hard to ignore with a Grand Prix in his clutches!
The Best Actor went to Yagura Yuuyi - a 14 year old Japanese Actor for his performance in NOBODY KNOWS, which finds him as one of 4 children struggling to survive after they were abandoned by their parents in an apartment that systematically runs out of food, electricity, water and so on. Apparently the performance is absolutely riveting from what I hear.
