Amour, Michael Haneke’s tearjerker about an elderly French couple spending the last stages of life, scooped the biggest award of the night, Palme d’Or (best picture), at the 65th Cannes Film Festival.
The Austrian auteur now becomes one of the few that has won the top honour for more than once. This marks his second win after he took home the prize with The White Ribbon in 2009.
The film’s victory also struck a chord with French cinemagoers, as it is a French-language film starring French respectable thespians Emmanuelle Riva and Jean-Louis Trintignant, who are both in their 80s.
“The names of Emmanuelle Riva and Jean-Louis Trintignant … will play in the public eye like a French victory,” wrote Le Parisien daily.
Hollywood did not fare as good, though. Despite having five entries in the main competition, only one American film, Benh Zeitlin’s Beasts of the Southern Wild, was awarded, winning Camera d’Or (Debut Film).
The Hollywood Reporter wrote: “None set the town on fire and clearly can’t count upon widespread critical support down the line.
“The feeling of letdown about these films running from vague to severe created the feeling of a mixed-bag festival.”
Here’s the full list of winners:
Palme d’Or (Best Film): Amour (Austria) by Michael Haneke
Grand Prix (Runner-up): Reality (Italy) by Matteo Garrone
Jury Prize (Third Prize): The Angels’ Share (Britain) by Ken Loach
Camera d’Or (Debut Film): Beasts of the Southern Wild (U.S.) by Benh Zeitlin
Best Director: Carlos Reygadas for Post Tenebras Lux (Mexico)
Best Screenplay: Beyond the Hills (Romania) by Cristian Mungiu
Best Actress: Cosmina Stratan and Cristina Flutur in Beyond the Hills
Best Actor: Mads Mikkelsen in The Hunt
-With Reuters input