Cannes Jury Members Give Their Love to Haneke.
Sunday, May 27, 2012 at 2:50PM 
Jose here. In a truly unprecedented turn of events, Austrian auteur Michael Haneke has won his second Palme D'or at the Cannes Film Festival. Haneke now joins the ranks of the Dardenne brothers, Bille August and Francis Ford Coppola, among others, as some of the few filmmakers who have been able to achieve this feat. What's more surprising is that Haneke achieved it with two consecutive films and within the span of three years, his previous film The White Ribbon, won the Palme in 2009.
His winning movie Amour moved audiences and critics alike when it was shown in competition last week. People were surprised about the way in which his typical iciness shaded new light on the complex subject of mortality in a movie that deals with how a stroke shatters the stability of an older married couple. Some were pleased to realize Haneke had finally found his "heart" and the only thing that seemed to stand between him and his second Palme was none other than jury president Nanni Moretti...
The lovely jury members. Gotta love Jean Paul Gautier's skirt.
In 1997 when Haneke's Funny Games was screened in competition, then jury member Moretti threatened to beat up whoever voted for the controversial film. His dislike for the Austrian director's work made some think he would carry this grudge for almost two decades and boycott his chances of winning. After all, jury presidents seem to exert particular influence over other members (remember how Tarantino won Sofia Coppola a Golden Lion in Venice?) with that said, perhaps Moretti's major issue is that aesthetically and thematically his own work is almost the direct opposite of Haneke's. It would've been awesome to eavesdrop on those long jury discussions, no?
Here is a complete list of this year's winners:
Palme d’Or:
Amour
Grand Prix:
Reality
This is the second runner-up award for Matteo Garrone after his thrilling Gomorrah won in 2008.
According to highly unscientific Cannes law, his next movie in competition will finally snag him the big one.
Prix de la Mise en Scene (best director):
Carlos Reygadas, Post Tenebras Lux
Prix du Scenario (best screenplay):
Beyond The Hills
Camera d’Or (best first feature):
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Prix du Jury (jury prize):
The Angel's Share
Prix d’interpretation feminine (best actress):
Cosmina Stratan and Christina Flutor, Beyond The Hills
Prix d’interpretation masculine (best actor):
Mads Mikkelsen (pictured left), The Hunt
Conspicuously absent from the big awards were Rust and Bone, Cosmopolis and the highly talked about Holy Motors which many were sure had the Palme in the bag.
Before we go, let's take one last look at the fashion queen of Cannes 2012.
Isn't she lovely?
Were you pleased with the results? Did any of you attend the festival this year? Let us know what you think and what movies from this year's edition you're dying to see.
Reader Comments (8)
Happy with all the winners, specially Reygadas winning best director....but....i was hoping Holly Motors wining some award, and Kidman deserved the best actress yes or yes.
Admission: never finished a Haneke film. Started Cache & White Ribbon. Found them intolerable.
Despite not having seen her films I was hoping Isabelle Huppert would win best actress again. But I'm sure the winners were great.
I have no ill feelings towards Diane Kruger but she recedes into the background along with all mere mortals any time Emmannuelle Devos graces a frame.
Also I'm happy for Haneke, I have no doubt Amour will be fabulous, but I was kinda hoping a Palme d'or for Holy Motors might ensure I get to see the movie within the next 12 months. Palme d'or or no Palme d'or, the Haneke was bound to play at my local festival and be released by the end of the year all the same.
haneke's film is a masterpiece so I am very happy with that decision. I loved "holy motors" as well, especially since it brought a little craziness and silliness to this year's competition. But it came nowhere near the brilliance of "amour" - and i never thought that it would appeal to a jury under the guidance of a rather conservative filmmaker like moretti.
mikkelsen's win is also much deserved as is the camera d'or (even though it has nothing to do with the main competition). the real surprise is "reality" since that was by far the biggest disappointment this year and not at all prizeworthy.
Murtada: I really wound up enjoying the exact brand of chilliness and plot drip Cache dished out. However, I didn't really like The White Ribbon at all. Everything that really happened in The White Ribbon happened off-screen. Which is DULL.
Gomorrah is thrilling? Maybe, if you can stop the raging headache caused by the opening.
Both Murtada and Volvagia need to take a film appreciation class. Haneke is a genius, and his talents are brilliantly diverse.