17/01/2006

Hany Abu-Assad’s Paradise Now [+see also:
trailer
film profile] was voted the Best Foreign Language Film at yesterday’s Golden Globe Awards in Hollywood, making the Dutch/French/German co-production one of two ‘European’ winners of last evening’s awards ceremony with Rachel Weisz receiving the Best Actress in a Supporting Role Award for her performance in Fernando Meirelles’ The Constant Gardener [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile].

The Golden Globe Award from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association to Paradise Now places it among the favourites for the upcoming Academy Awards on 5 March where the film is also running for Best Foreign Language film wrapped in the Palestinian flag. Last night, director Hany Abu-Assad told the Beverly Hilton audience that he saw the award not only as recognition of the film, its cast and crew, ``but also as a recognition that the Palestinians deserve their liberty and equality unconditionally.'' Paradise Now produced by the Dutch Bero Beyer has had a full year of success with critics and audiences around the world as over 50 territories (including Warner Bros for the US and UK) have acquired the film from Paris-based Celluloid Dreams.

The Golden Globe Award to Rachel Weisz was certainly a wonderful surprise for the 35-year old UK actress who gave a stunning 30 minutes performance in The Constant Gardener, but it was the only award for the UK film also nominated for Best Film and Best Director, and the only UK award in spite of a strong representation from UK productions or co-productions such as Woody Allen’s Match Point, Stephen Frear’s Mrs Henderson Presents or Joe Wright’s Pride And Prejudice [+see also:
trailer
film profile].
The biggest winners this year were Ang Lee’s gay cowboy drama Brokeback Mountain which took four awards including Best Film-Drama, Best Director and Best Screenplay, and 20th Century Fox’s Walk The Line by James Mangold, the story of the romance between singers Johnny Cash and June Carter which won Best Film, Best Actor (Joachim Phoenix) and Best Actress (Reese Witherspoon) in a Musical or Comedy.

Golden Globes 2006: The winners

Best motion picture - Drama
Brokeback Mountain

Best performance by an actress in a motion picture - Drama
Felicity Huffman - Transamerica

Best performance by an actor in a motion picture - Drama
Philip Seymour Hoffman - Capote

Best motion picture - Musical Or Comedy
Walk the Line

Best performance by an actress in a motion picture - Musical or Comedy
Reese Witherspoon - Walk the Line

Best performance by an actor in a motion picture - Musical Or Comedy
Joaquin Phoenix - Walk the Line

Best performance by an actress in a supporting role in a motion picture
Rachel Weisz - The Constant Gardener

Best performance by an actor in a supporting role in a motion picture
George Clooney - Syriana

Best director - Motion Picture
Ang Lee - Brokeback Mountain

Best foreign language film
Paradise Now (Palestine)

Best Screenplay - Motion Picture
Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana - Brokeback Mountain

Best original song - Motion Picture
A Love that will Never Grow Old - Brokeback Mountain

Best original score - Motion Picture
John Williams - Memoirs of a Geisha

Cecil B DeMille award
Sir Anthony Hopkins