Marion Cotillard
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Showing posts with label Marion Cotillard. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Marion Cotillard. Show all posts
Thursday, October 21, 2010
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Marion Cotillard
Eva Longoria
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Halle Berry
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Friday, July 10, 2009
Depp channels inner outlaw in 'Public Enemies'
http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/Movies/06/30/johnny.depp.public.enemies/Depp channels inner outlaw in 'Public Enemies'
Story Highlights
Johnny Depp plays charismatic bank robber John Dillinger in "Public Enemies"
Depression-era tale of first Public Enemy No. 1, idolized as modern-day Robin Hood
Dillinger's gang killed 10 men, wounded seven during a spree of less than one year
Depp on Dillinger: "I always kind of admired him, oddly"
6-30-9
By Mairi Mackay
LONDON, England (CNN) -- He's been a homicidal singing barber in "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street," and an drunken swashbuckler in "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End."
Now, Hollywood shape-shifter Johnny Depp is back as another unexpectedly charismatic outlaw: Depression-era bank robber, John Dillinger, a character he says he's been drawn to since he was a boy.
"I sort of had a fascination with John Dillinger when I was about 10, 11 years old, for some reason," Depp told CNN. "I always kind of admired him, oddly."
Oddly, perhaps, because for a short but intense period between September 1933 and July 1934 Dillinger and his gang rampaged through the American Midwest, staging jail breaks, robbing banks and killing 10 men and wounding seven along the way.
Dillinger's violent spree is the focus of gangster drama "Public Enemies," the latest offering from director Michael Mann, and also starring Christian Bale and Marion Cotillard.
Mann is known for his sympathetic portrayal of criminals and Dillinger, whose antics on the wrong side of the law led him to become one of America's first celebrities, is the quintessential good hood.
In the 1930s, the United States was in the grips of the worst financial disaster in history -- a time when many Americans watched their life savings disappear and became jobless and hungry.
Members of the public blamed banks for losing their money and politicians for failing to stop them. For many, Dillinger's exploits represented sticking it to the fat cats, and he was idolized as a modern-day Robin Hood.
J. Edgar Hoover, FBI director at the time, may have made Dillinger America's first Public Enemy No. 1, but the bandit was careful not to alienate the public.
There is a memorable moment where he drapes a coat over a female bank hostage during a raid to keep her warm. Also, it's said he never swore in front of women.
He was always courteous even as he tried to meet his target of robbing banks in under two minutes. Crucially, he never robbed the average guy, telling him to put his money away during robberies.
It is this Dillinger that Depp captures: a captivating revolutionary with the gift of gab who lit the public's imagination, causing people to flock to cinemas to watch his exploits in weekly newsreels. Review: Depp is great in 'Public Enemies'
Of course, the dark, violent side of Dillinger's psyche is unavoidable. Depp plumbed the depths of his own character to come up with those murkier elements.
That was something that took courage, according to Mann: "He had Dillinger in him; that's something I sensed. Deep in the core of Johnny there's a toughness."
Depp gained recognition throughout the 1990s for immersing himself in characters. He shook off an early reputation as a teen pin-up in movies like Tim Burton's 1991 Gothic tale "Edward Scissorhands."
He went on to cement his reputation for unusual film choices and quirky performances in films like "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" (2005) and "Finding Neverland" (2004).
The 46-year-old actor says he felt a close affinity to Dillinger: "I related to John Dillinger like he was a relative. I felt he was of the same blood. He reminded me of my stepdad and very much of my grandfather.
"He seemed to be one of those guys with absolutely no bull whatsoever, who lived at a time when a man was a man."
"Public Enemies" was adapted by Mann from a nonfiction book of the same name by Bryan Burrough.Is it sozzled Captain. Jack Sparrow or smooth Donnie Brasco? Tell us your favorite Johnny Depp character in the SoundOff box below.
The "Last of the Mohicans" director is known for fastidious research and attention to detail, which in this case included collaborating closely with the FBI to check facts -- although Mann subsequently chose to gloss over some elements for the sake of the story.
Mann filmed in many of the locations where Dillinger's story took place almost 80 years ago, including the Biograph Theater on Lincoln Avenue in Chicago, where the bandit was finally shot dead by FBI agents as he came out of a Clark Gable movie.
They also shot at Little Bohemia Lodge in Manitowish Waters in the far north of Wisconsin, the site of one of Dillinger's most famous showdowns with the FBI.
Dillinger was hiding out there after a botched robbery. When the feds finally caught up with him, two men were killed in the vicious gunfight.
"We were able to shoot not just in the actual place where this happened, but in his actual room," says Mann.
"There's a certain kind of magic for Johnny Depp to be lying in the bed that John Dillinger was actually in."
A lot of Dillinger's success was down to superior guns and getaway cars. Depp, who has experience shooting guns from previous productions, had to learn a completely different technique for the heavy guns of the time.
Depp says shooting the 90-pound Thompson submachine gun was one of the highlights of the production: "When you've got a beast like that strapped to you and you're emptying magazines, a 50-round drum, it's a good feeling."
The ride may have been thrilling for Depp but he also recognizes that the Depression-era setting has some extra significance these tight-belted times.
"You know," says Depp, "We're in the middle of a recession, teetering on a depression. It's time to view the banks and grown-ups for what they are."
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
'9/11 attacks made up,' says French Oscar-winner
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/showbiz/showbiznews.html
'9/11 attacks made up,' says French best actress Oscar-winner
By PETER ALLEN
2nd March 2008
Oscar-winner Marion Cotillard has accused America of fabricating the 9/11 attacks
Actress Marion Cotillard sparked a political row yesterday after accusing America of fabricating the 9/11 attacks.
The 32-year-old French actress, who received an Oscar last month for her performance as singer Edith Piaf in La Vie En Rose, openly questioned the truth behind the terrorist atrocity in an interview broadcast on a French website.
"I think we're lied to about a number of things," Cotillard said, singling out the 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center as an example of the US making up horror stories for political ends.
Referring to the two passenger jets being flown into the Twin Towers, Cotillard said:
"We see other towers of the same kind being hit by planes. Are they burned? They [sic] was a tower, I believe it was in Spain, which burnt for 24 hours. It never collapsed. None of these towers collapsed. And there [in New York], in a few minutes, the whole thing collapsed."
She added that the towers, planned in the early Sixties, were an outdated "money-sucker" that would have cost more to modernise than to rebuild altogether, which is why they were destroyed.
She said: "It was a money-sucker because they were finished, it seems to me, by 1973, and to re-cable all that, to bring up-to-date all the technology and everything, it was a lot more expensive, that work, than destroying them."
Cotillard's stardom and increased earning power looked assured following her Oscar win.
But after her outburst, in which she also queried the 1969 Moon landings, a successful future in Hollywood appears to be in jeopardy.
She said: "Did a man really walk on the Moon? I saw plenty of documentaries on it, and I really wondered. And in any case I don't believe all they tell me, that's for sure."
Cotillard, who was born and brought up in Paris, made the comments on Paris Première - Paris Dernière, a programme broadcast a year ago.
At the time her remarks were largely ignored, but their appearance yesterday on the French magazine website Marianne2 comes at a time when Cotillard's profile is sky-high.
She is shortly due to fly to Chicago to star alongside Johnny Depp in Public Enemies, a gangster movie expected to be her first big money-spinner.
Cotillard's film career began in Luc Besson's 1998 film Taxi - a huge hit in France but less so around the world.
She is slowly becoming a household name in France, in a list most recently topped by her close friend Audrey Tautou and previously by women such as Catherine Deneuve and Brigitte Bardot.
But Cotillard, who lives with actor and director Guillaume Canet, frequently tells interviewers she has no interest in money or prestige.
Denying that she had any kind of "Anglo-Saxon ambition", she said she prefers to "choose roles which suit me".
Despite her low-key image, Cotillard is an environmental activist who once worked as a spokesman for Greenpeace.
News of her anti-Americanism comes as Franco-American relations appear to be thawing, following Paris's refusal to show support for the invasion of Iraq.
President Nicolas Sarkozy insists he is pro-American, even supporting so-called "Anglo-Saxon" economic reforms.
'9/11 attacks made up,' says French best actress Oscar-winner
By PETER ALLEN
2nd March 2008
Oscar-winner Marion Cotillard has accused America of fabricating the 9/11 attacks
Actress Marion Cotillard sparked a political row yesterday after accusing America of fabricating the 9/11 attacks.
The 32-year-old French actress, who received an Oscar last month for her performance as singer Edith Piaf in La Vie En Rose, openly questioned the truth behind the terrorist atrocity in an interview broadcast on a French website.
"I think we're lied to about a number of things," Cotillard said, singling out the 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center as an example of the US making up horror stories for political ends.
Referring to the two passenger jets being flown into the Twin Towers, Cotillard said:
"We see other towers of the same kind being hit by planes. Are they burned? They [sic] was a tower, I believe it was in Spain, which burnt for 24 hours. It never collapsed. None of these towers collapsed. And there [in New York], in a few minutes, the whole thing collapsed."
She added that the towers, planned in the early Sixties, were an outdated "money-sucker" that would have cost more to modernise than to rebuild altogether, which is why they were destroyed.
She said: "It was a money-sucker because they were finished, it seems to me, by 1973, and to re-cable all that, to bring up-to-date all the technology and everything, it was a lot more expensive, that work, than destroying them."
Cotillard's stardom and increased earning power looked assured following her Oscar win.
But after her outburst, in which she also queried the 1969 Moon landings, a successful future in Hollywood appears to be in jeopardy.
She said: "Did a man really walk on the Moon? I saw plenty of documentaries on it, and I really wondered. And in any case I don't believe all they tell me, that's for sure."
Cotillard, who was born and brought up in Paris, made the comments on Paris Première - Paris Dernière, a programme broadcast a year ago.
At the time her remarks were largely ignored, but their appearance yesterday on the French magazine website Marianne2 comes at a time when Cotillard's profile is sky-high.
She is shortly due to fly to Chicago to star alongside Johnny Depp in Public Enemies, a gangster movie expected to be her first big money-spinner.
Cotillard's film career began in Luc Besson's 1998 film Taxi - a huge hit in France but less so around the world.
She is slowly becoming a household name in France, in a list most recently topped by her close friend Audrey Tautou and previously by women such as Catherine Deneuve and Brigitte Bardot.
But Cotillard, who lives with actor and director Guillaume Canet, frequently tells interviewers she has no interest in money or prestige.
Denying that she had any kind of "Anglo-Saxon ambition", she said she prefers to "choose roles which suit me".
Despite her low-key image, Cotillard is an environmental activist who once worked as a spokesman for Greenpeace.
News of her anti-Americanism comes as Franco-American relations appear to be thawing, following Paris's refusal to show support for the invasion of Iraq.
President Nicolas Sarkozy insists he is pro-American, even supporting so-called "Anglo-Saxon" economic reforms.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Complete list of winners at the Academy Awards
http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080224/OSCARS/996396657
Complete list of winners at the 80th annual Academy Awards, presented Sunday night at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles:
Best Motion Picture: "No Country for Old Men."
Lead Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis, "There Will Be Blood."
Lead Actress: Marion Cotillard, "La Vie en Rose."
Supporting Actor: Javier Bardem, "No Country for Old Men."
Supporting Actress: Tilda Swinton, "Michael Clayton."
Director: Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, "No Country for Old Men."
Foreign Language Film: "The Counterfeiters," Austria.
Adapted Screenplay: Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, "No Country for Old Men."
Original Screenplay: Diablo Cody, "Juno."
Animated Feature Film: "Ratatouille."
Art Direction: "Sweeney Todd the Demon Barber of Fleet Street."
Cinematography: "There Will Be Blood."
Sound Mixing: "The Bourne Ultimatum."
Sound Editing: "The Bourne Ultimatum."
Original Score: "Atonement," Dario Marianelli.
Original Song: "Falling Slowly" from "Once," Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova.
Costume: "Elizabeth: The Golden Age."
Documentary Feature: "Taxi to the Dark Side."
Documentary Short Subject: "Freeheld."
Film Editing: "The Bourne Ultimatum."
Makeup: "La Vie en Rose."
Animated Short Film: "Peter & the Wolf."
Live Action Short Film: "Le Mozart des Pickpockets (‘The Mozart of Pickpockets’)."
Visual Effects: "The Golden Compass."
Complete list of winners at the 80th annual Academy Awards, presented Sunday night at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles:
Best Motion Picture: "No Country for Old Men."
Lead Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis, "There Will Be Blood."
Lead Actress: Marion Cotillard, "La Vie en Rose."
Supporting Actor: Javier Bardem, "No Country for Old Men."
Supporting Actress: Tilda Swinton, "Michael Clayton."
Director: Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, "No Country for Old Men."
Foreign Language Film: "The Counterfeiters," Austria.
Adapted Screenplay: Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, "No Country for Old Men."
Original Screenplay: Diablo Cody, "Juno."
Animated Feature Film: "Ratatouille."
Art Direction: "Sweeney Todd the Demon Barber of Fleet Street."
Cinematography: "There Will Be Blood."
Sound Mixing: "The Bourne Ultimatum."
Sound Editing: "The Bourne Ultimatum."
Original Score: "Atonement," Dario Marianelli.
Original Song: "Falling Slowly" from "Once," Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova.
Costume: "Elizabeth: The Golden Age."
Documentary Feature: "Taxi to the Dark Side."
Documentary Short Subject: "Freeheld."
Film Editing: "The Bourne Ultimatum."
Makeup: "La Vie en Rose."
Animated Short Film: "Peter & the Wolf."
Live Action Short Film: "Le Mozart des Pickpockets (‘The Mozart of Pickpockets’)."
Visual Effects: "The Golden Compass."
Grand Oscar night for 'No Country'
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/env-oscarpbp,1,4585549.story
Grand Oscar night for 'No Country'
The iconoclastic filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen won three Academy Awards, including best picture.
By Susan King, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
It was a golden night for the Coen brothers.
The iconoclastic filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen won three Academy Awards -- and made history Sunday evening -- with their wins for best picture, director and adapted screenplay for their gritty contemporary Western, "No Country for Old Men."
It also won an Oscar for supporting actor for Javier Bardem, who plays the merciless paid assassin at the center of the film.
Though "No Country for Old Men" is a quintessentially American movie -- and based upon the novel by Cormac McCarthy -- the 80th annual Academy Awards had a distinctly international flavor: All four acting winners were from Europe.
As predicted, Brit Daniel Day-Lewis won an Oscar for his gripping performance as a greedy oilman in "There Will Be Blood." The actor had won practically every major accolade this awards season for his audacious turn.
Frenchwoman Marion Cotillard was something of an upset, winning lead actress for her transcendent performance as France's tragic Little Sparrow -- chanteuse Edith Piaf -- in "La Vie En Rose." Going into the evening, the betting money was on veteran British actress Julie Christie for "Away From Her." Cotillard -- who transforms throughout the film from a gorgeous young girl to a frail, ailing woman -- also made history of sorts. She's the first actress to win this award for a performance in a foreign-language film since Sophia Loren did it for 1961's "Two Women."
Cotillard was clearly overwhelmed as she held the statuette aloft: "You rocked my life, you truly rocked my life," she said as she thanked the film's director. "Well, I'm speechless now. Thank you, life; thank you, love. It is true there are some angels in this city. Thank you so much."
Until Cotillard, the show's biggest surprise was Tilda Swinton upsetting favorites Amy Ryan and Ruby Dee for supporting actress for "Michael Clayton."
The shock was clear on Swinton's face: "Oh, no," she said. Looking down at the Oscar, celebrating its 80th anniversary, she added, "Happy birthday, man."
The British actress said she would be giving her Academy Award to her American agent, who is the "spitting image" of the Oscar.
Bardem's was one of the evening's first major awards. "This is pretty amazing," the Spaniard exclaimed, adding that he wouldn't hold it against the Coens for putting "one of the most horrible haircuts in history on my head."
He then broke into rapid-fire Spanish to thank, among others, his mother, who was also his date.
Diablo Cody could do no wrong this awards season.
The 29-year-old former-stripper-turned-screenwriter capped off her fairy-tale awards season by winning the Oscar for original screenplay for her bittersweet coming-of-age comedy, "Juno."
It was almost a fait accompli after she won a slew of other awards this season, including the Writers Guild of America and the Film Independent Spirit Award.
"What is happening?" asked Cody, who strode onstage in a billowy animal print dress with a thigh-high slit that she had to hold closed as she walked up to the stage. (But to be fair, it did showcase nicely that tattoo of a girl in a bikini on her right shoulder.) "This is for the writers," she said.
It was also an enchanted evening for the little Irish drama-with-music "Once," which took home the Oscar for original song for "Falling Slowly."
The song was written and performed by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, who star in the film about two lonely souls who meet by chance on the streets of Dublin and quite literally make beautiful music together.
It was the evening's little tune that could: It was pitted in this category against three songs from the Disney hit film "Enchanted" as well as a song from "August Rush."
"What are we doing here?" Hansard asked as he and Irglova accepted the award, noting that the film cost about $100,000 to make and was shot in three weeks. "It's been an amazing thing; thank you for taking this film seriously."
"Atonement," the sweeping romantic drama, had seven nominations, but it has received one Oscar: original score for Dario Marianelli.
"There Will Be Blood," an epic about greed, ambition and oil, went into the evening with eight nominations. It was passed over except for Robert Elswit, who won for cinematography, and Day-Lewis.
"The Bourne Ultimatum" also had a big night: The spy thriller won three Oscars. Granted, they came in technical categories of editing, sound mixing and sound editing. But still. Three Oscars.
Presenter Tom Hanks had help introducing the nominees in the documentary short category from members of the nation's armed forces in Iraq. Soldiers read out the names of the nominees and the winner, "Freeheld," about a dying police detective who is trying to get her benefits for her life partner. The statuette for feature documentary went to "Taxi to the Dark Side," about torture practices of the U.S. overseas.
Past Oscar winner Nicole Kidman presented veteran production designer Robert Boyle, 98, an honorary Academy Award for contributions to cinema, which include "North By Northwest," "Marnie" and "Mame."
Austria's Holocaust drama "The Counterfeiters" won in the foreign-language film category. It was that country's first film to win such an honor.
Earlier in the evening, the bloody musical "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" was honored with an Oscar for art direction. Italian production designer Dante Ferretti and his wife, set designer Francesca Lo Schiavo, shared the honor.
"The Golden Compass" also led to an Oscar for visual effects.
"Thank you!" whooped the winners, including Michael Fink, Bill Westenhofer, Ben Morris and Trevor Wood.
Moments earlier, a rat named Remy scurried off with the Oscar for animated feature.
Writer-director Brad Bird won his second Oscar in this category for the Disney-Pixar blockbuster "Ratatouille," about a French rodent who dreamed of becoming a Parisian chef.
The French theme continued into the evening as "Le Mozart des Pickpockets" won for live action short film, and the makeup award went to Didier Lavergne and Jan Archibald won for "La Vie En Rose."
The Oscar for animated short film went to "Peter & the Wolf."
That gave way to Amy Adams, who starred in the Disney hit "Enchanted," performing one of the film's three Oscar-nominated tunes, "Happy Working Song." Without the birds, rats and other critters whirling around her as they were in the movie, her performance seemed rather flat.
The 80th Annual Academy Awards got underway beneath gray skies and drizzles at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood with a montage homage to Hollywood. There were scenes from such films as "North by Northwest," "Aliens," "Lawrence of Arabia" and "The Terminator."
The first Oscar of the evening went to Alexandra Byrne for costume design for the historical epic "Elizabeth: The Golden Age."
"These past 3 1/2 months were very rough," host Jon Stewart began, referring to the bitter work stoppage caused by the Writers Guild strike. "The fight is over. So tonight, welcome to the makeup sex."
He then took aim at the slate of "psychopathic killer movies" nominated for Oscars, among them "No Country for Old Men," "Sweeney Todd" and "There Will Be Blood," and asked: "Does this town need a hug?"
"Thank God for teen pregnancy," he quipped, referring to "Juno."
Academy Awards ceremonies may have been postponed, but the show has gone on despite wars, assassinations and the fickleness of Mother Nature. This year, the writers strike threatened to cancel the show, but a settlement was reached and the show went on as scheduled.
susan.king@latimes.com
Grand Oscar night for 'No Country'
The iconoclastic filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen won three Academy Awards, including best picture.
By Susan King, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
It was a golden night for the Coen brothers.
The iconoclastic filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen won three Academy Awards -- and made history Sunday evening -- with their wins for best picture, director and adapted screenplay for their gritty contemporary Western, "No Country for Old Men."
It also won an Oscar for supporting actor for Javier Bardem, who plays the merciless paid assassin at the center of the film.
Though "No Country for Old Men" is a quintessentially American movie -- and based upon the novel by Cormac McCarthy -- the 80th annual Academy Awards had a distinctly international flavor: All four acting winners were from Europe.
As predicted, Brit Daniel Day-Lewis won an Oscar for his gripping performance as a greedy oilman in "There Will Be Blood." The actor had won practically every major accolade this awards season for his audacious turn.
Frenchwoman Marion Cotillard was something of an upset, winning lead actress for her transcendent performance as France's tragic Little Sparrow -- chanteuse Edith Piaf -- in "La Vie En Rose." Going into the evening, the betting money was on veteran British actress Julie Christie for "Away From Her." Cotillard -- who transforms throughout the film from a gorgeous young girl to a frail, ailing woman -- also made history of sorts. She's the first actress to win this award for a performance in a foreign-language film since Sophia Loren did it for 1961's "Two Women."
Cotillard was clearly overwhelmed as she held the statuette aloft: "You rocked my life, you truly rocked my life," she said as she thanked the film's director. "Well, I'm speechless now. Thank you, life; thank you, love. It is true there are some angels in this city. Thank you so much."
Until Cotillard, the show's biggest surprise was Tilda Swinton upsetting favorites Amy Ryan and Ruby Dee for supporting actress for "Michael Clayton."
The shock was clear on Swinton's face: "Oh, no," she said. Looking down at the Oscar, celebrating its 80th anniversary, she added, "Happy birthday, man."
The British actress said she would be giving her Academy Award to her American agent, who is the "spitting image" of the Oscar.
Bardem's was one of the evening's first major awards. "This is pretty amazing," the Spaniard exclaimed, adding that he wouldn't hold it against the Coens for putting "one of the most horrible haircuts in history on my head."
He then broke into rapid-fire Spanish to thank, among others, his mother, who was also his date.
Diablo Cody could do no wrong this awards season.
The 29-year-old former-stripper-turned-screenwriter capped off her fairy-tale awards season by winning the Oscar for original screenplay for her bittersweet coming-of-age comedy, "Juno."
It was almost a fait accompli after she won a slew of other awards this season, including the Writers Guild of America and the Film Independent Spirit Award.
"What is happening?" asked Cody, who strode onstage in a billowy animal print dress with a thigh-high slit that she had to hold closed as she walked up to the stage. (But to be fair, it did showcase nicely that tattoo of a girl in a bikini on her right shoulder.) "This is for the writers," she said.
It was also an enchanted evening for the little Irish drama-with-music "Once," which took home the Oscar for original song for "Falling Slowly."
The song was written and performed by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, who star in the film about two lonely souls who meet by chance on the streets of Dublin and quite literally make beautiful music together.
It was the evening's little tune that could: It was pitted in this category against three songs from the Disney hit film "Enchanted" as well as a song from "August Rush."
"What are we doing here?" Hansard asked as he and Irglova accepted the award, noting that the film cost about $100,000 to make and was shot in three weeks. "It's been an amazing thing; thank you for taking this film seriously."
"Atonement," the sweeping romantic drama, had seven nominations, but it has received one Oscar: original score for Dario Marianelli.
"There Will Be Blood," an epic about greed, ambition and oil, went into the evening with eight nominations. It was passed over except for Robert Elswit, who won for cinematography, and Day-Lewis.
"The Bourne Ultimatum" also had a big night: The spy thriller won three Oscars. Granted, they came in technical categories of editing, sound mixing and sound editing. But still. Three Oscars.
Presenter Tom Hanks had help introducing the nominees in the documentary short category from members of the nation's armed forces in Iraq. Soldiers read out the names of the nominees and the winner, "Freeheld," about a dying police detective who is trying to get her benefits for her life partner. The statuette for feature documentary went to "Taxi to the Dark Side," about torture practices of the U.S. overseas.
Past Oscar winner Nicole Kidman presented veteran production designer Robert Boyle, 98, an honorary Academy Award for contributions to cinema, which include "North By Northwest," "Marnie" and "Mame."
Austria's Holocaust drama "The Counterfeiters" won in the foreign-language film category. It was that country's first film to win such an honor.
Earlier in the evening, the bloody musical "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" was honored with an Oscar for art direction. Italian production designer Dante Ferretti and his wife, set designer Francesca Lo Schiavo, shared the honor.
"The Golden Compass" also led to an Oscar for visual effects.
"Thank you!" whooped the winners, including Michael Fink, Bill Westenhofer, Ben Morris and Trevor Wood.
Moments earlier, a rat named Remy scurried off with the Oscar for animated feature.
Writer-director Brad Bird won his second Oscar in this category for the Disney-Pixar blockbuster "Ratatouille," about a French rodent who dreamed of becoming a Parisian chef.
The French theme continued into the evening as "Le Mozart des Pickpockets" won for live action short film, and the makeup award went to Didier Lavergne and Jan Archibald won for "La Vie En Rose."
The Oscar for animated short film went to "Peter & the Wolf."
That gave way to Amy Adams, who starred in the Disney hit "Enchanted," performing one of the film's three Oscar-nominated tunes, "Happy Working Song." Without the birds, rats and other critters whirling around her as they were in the movie, her performance seemed rather flat.
The 80th Annual Academy Awards got underway beneath gray skies and drizzles at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood with a montage homage to Hollywood. There were scenes from such films as "North by Northwest," "Aliens," "Lawrence of Arabia" and "The Terminator."
The first Oscar of the evening went to Alexandra Byrne for costume design for the historical epic "Elizabeth: The Golden Age."
"These past 3 1/2 months were very rough," host Jon Stewart began, referring to the bitter work stoppage caused by the Writers Guild strike. "The fight is over. So tonight, welcome to the makeup sex."
He then took aim at the slate of "psychopathic killer movies" nominated for Oscars, among them "No Country for Old Men," "Sweeney Todd" and "There Will Be Blood," and asked: "Does this town need a hug?"
"Thank God for teen pregnancy," he quipped, referring to "Juno."
Academy Awards ceremonies may have been postponed, but the show has gone on despite wars, assassinations and the fickleness of Mother Nature. This year, the writers strike threatened to cancel the show, but a settlement was reached and the show went on as scheduled.
susan.king@latimes.com
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