by Nathaniel R
Ang Lee and Andy Lau cheering on the winners
The Golden Horse Awards had a truly spread the wealth kind of year with no film dominating - all five of the Best Film nominees won multiple times. Though it didn't win the most statues, the four hour drama Elephant Sitting Still took Best Picture. Zhang Yimou took Best Director for Shadow (reviewed) and the film won three other technical prizes, leading the win tally. It probably helped that Yimou had his long time former muse, the goddess Gong Li, presiding over the jury but you can excuse those Huppert judging Haneke at Cannes style situations when it comes to the greatest director/muse pairings and Gong Li and Zhang Yimou are certainly on the all-time list. If you're unfamiliar with their work together watch any of their eight collaborations -- I'm most partial to Ju Dou or Raise the Red Lantern personally -- and be floored.
Best Actress Gowns!
The winners, a few gifs, and red carpet fashions are after the jump...
Best Film An Elephant Sitting Still (Chu Yanhua, Hu Yongzhen)
Best Director Zhang Yimou for Shadow
Best Actress Hsieh Ying-xuan for Dear Ex
Best Actor Xu Zheng for Dying to Survive
Zhang Yimou presenting Best New Director (he won the normal Best Director prize)
Remarkably Zhang Yimou had somehow never won Best Director before this despite being one of the most important Chinese cinema directors of the past century.
Of the 10 lead acting nominees only Zhao Tao in Ash is Purest White had made real waves abroad on the international festival circuit but she lost. We expected as much since the film had no other major nominations.
Best Supporting Actress Ding Ning for Cities of Last Things
Best Supporting Actor Ben Yuen for Tracey
I share the Best Supporting Actress gif above because it's a fun reminder that whatever country's awards you get a peek at they nearly all share the same visual language even if you don't understand the actual language. About languages, the man congratulating Ding Ning above is her husband but he must not speak Mandarin because she switched to English in her acceptance speech when she got to the thank yous to him. (I'm so frustrated that I skipped Cities of Last Things at Toronto because it was on my original schedule. Argh.)
Best New Performer Si Pangoyod, Long Time No Sea
This little dude was so excited to win he was having Anna Paquin winning for The Piano levels of hyperventilation fidgeting.
Best New Director Wen Muye for Dying to Survive
Best Original Screenplay Dying to Survive
Best Adapted Screenplay An Elephant Sitting Still
An Elephant Sitting Still won three big prizes (Picture, Adapted Screenplay, Audience Award) but the director had killed himself last year at just 29 years of age after making his feature film. He was nominated posthumously but did not win for "Best New Director".
The jury clearly also really liked Dying to Survive, a dramedy about a man cornering the market on a cheap medicinal drug, which won Best Actor along with New Director and Original Screenplay.
Best Cinematography Long Day's Journey Into Night
Best Visual Effects Shadow
Best Art Direction Shadow
Best Makeup and Costume Design Shadow
Best Editing Dear Ex
Shadow didn't dominate at all, despite winning Best Director. It didn't do a clean sweep of the techs, which it might have in some years, splitting them with Long Day's Journey Into Night (reviewed) mostly.
More Gowns! I found the pictures here if you want to see more.
Best Sound Effects Long Day's Journey Into Night
Best Action Choreography Hidden Man
Best Original Score Long Day's Journey Into Night
Best Original Song "Bali Song" from Dear Ex
Outstanding Taiwanese Filmmaker of the Year Sabuo Liu
Audience Choice Award An Elephant Sitting Still
Fipresci Prize The Looming Storm
Special Contribution Award Liao Ching-sung
Best Documentary Our Youth in Taiwan (Fu Yue, 7th Day Film)
Best Animated Feature On Happiness Road (Sung Hsin-yin)
Best Live Action Short A Final Reunion (Da Peng)
Best Animated Short Where Am I Going? (Huang Yun sian, Tsai Yi Chin)
On Happiness Road is eligible for this year's Oscar for Best Animated Feature and it's clearly well liked because it's also nominated at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards.
THAT'S A WRAP
If you'd like to watch the whole ceremony you can do that here though it's not subtitled and it's four plus hours long. Take that Oscar with your stupid "we need to be shorter!" business.
But I leave you with this adorable shot of Chang Chen and Roy Chiu smiling at each other.
