In what was a surprise to many, Terrence Malick’s The Tree Of Life has picked up the Palm d’Or at Cannes. The reason that it’s a surprise is that while films such as We Need To Talk About Kevin seemed to get a positive reaction from most who saw them, Tree Of Life was far more polarising. While some saw it as a brilliant meditation and some of Malick’s strongest work, others were just as convinced it was a dull pile of pretentious tedium. However the Cannes jury – this year headed by Robert De Niro – is known for its unexpected choices, and this win will certainly boost the movie’s cachet.
The jury did seem to have a bit of an American bias (or at least a bias towards things that play more easily to Americans), awarding Best Director to Nicolas Winding Refn for Drive, and handing the Best Actress award to Kirsten Dunst for Melancholia. While the latter film has gotten caught up in a furore over Lars Von Trier’s silly press conference, this marks the third time someone has picked up Best Actress at Cannes for appearing in a Von Trier movie, following Bjork for Dancer in the Dark and Charlotte Gainsbourg for Antichrist. It also impressive considering that Dunst has, well, not exactly been putting in particularly impressive performances recently, so this marks a big step up for her.
Best Actor went to Jean Dujardin for his work as a struggling silent film star in The Artist. Like We Need To Talk About Kevin, The Artist was thought to be a stronger Palm d’Or contender than The Tree Of Life, so it’s good to see it picked up something, even if it wasn’t the main prize.
Here are all the prizes awarded by this year’s Cannes Jury in the Official Competition:
Palme dOr: The Tree Of Life (dir: Terrence Malick)
Grand Prix (Runner-up to main award): (tie) Kid With A Bike (dir: Dardenne brothers), Once Upon A Time In Anatolia (Nuri Bilge Ceylan)
Best Actor: Jean Dujardin (The Artist)
Best Actress: Kirsten Dunst (Melancholia)
Mise en Scene (Best Director): Nicolas Winding Refn (Drive)
Prix du Scenario (Screenplay): Joseph Cedar, Footnote (Israel)
Prix Du Jury: Poliss (dir: Maiwenn)
Also:
Palme dOr Court Metrage: Cross Country (dir: Maryna Vroda)
Camera dOr (Best First Film): Las Acacias (dir: Pablo Giorgelli)