Palme D Or

The Cannes Film Festival jury defied the oddsmakers on Sunday night, voting to give Apichatpong Weerasethakul's "Uncle Boonmee Recalls His Past Lives" its top prize of the Palme d'Or. A supernatural-laden drama about a dying man who takes a mystical journey, the film had won the hearts of many critics anf festival-goers when it screened last week, but most experts believed the prize would go to one of a group of Cannes veterans, including Alejandro Gonzales Inarritu, Abbas Kiarostami and Mike Leigh, all of whom had well-received films.

If any competitive spirit remains between directors Ang Lee and Steven Spielberg over their hard-fought contest this Oscar season, it will need to disappear quickly -- the two are about to spend a lot of time together. The “Life of Pi” helmer was one of eight film-world notables announced for Spielberg's Cannes competition jury next month, where the 2013 best director winner will join a number of past Academy Award winners and nominees. Spielberg's jury will include actors Nicole Kidman and Christoph Waltz (the latter another 2013 Oscar winner)

Today, right now, is Mike Leigh's moment, and "Secrets & Lies" is the reason why. Winner of the Palme d'Or at Cannes as well as the best actress award for star Brenda Blethyn, "Secrets & Lies" has created torrents of media attention (major articles in Time, Newsweek, the New Yorker, the New York Times and this newspaper) because it both sums up a career and takes it further.

The Los Angeles Film Critics Assn. named it best picture. Will academy members be in the mood for "Amour"? Time to check with the Oscar 8-Ball, that magical portal into the minds and hearts and, in the rare applicable instance, the souls of academy members and how they'll be voting this awards season. You may rely on it: Since winning the Palme d'Or at Cannes, Michael Haneke's latest, an unflinching, intimate portrait of an elderly man (Jean-Louis Trintignant) caring for his wife (Emmanuelle Riva)

It was a great night for a guy named Joe, as Apichatpong Weerasethakul's "Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives," a film as wonderfully eccentric as it sounds, won the Palme d'Or at the 63rd Festival des Cannes. Thai director Weerasethakul, who tells people to call him Joe because of the difficulty Westerners have pronouncing his name, has made a one-of-a-kind dreamy ghost story about a man who is on speaking terms with all manner of supernatural beings. "This is like another world for me. This is surreal," the director said on accepting the prize at the Palais des Festivals on Sunday night.

The new theater owners had high-minded ambitions when they upgraded a rundown multiplex in the resort town of Palm Desert into a seven-screen theater with a French cafe and named it the Palme d'Or, after the top award at the Cannes Film Festival: to create "the desert's premiere address for cinephiles," with a wide selection of top art house, specialty and foreign films that often played only in far-off Los Angeles. And the owners themselves had impressive show business credentials.

If any competitive spirit remains between directors Ang Lee and Steven Spielberg over their hard-fought contest this Oscar season, it will need to disappear quickly -- the two are about to spend a lot of time together. The “Life of Pi” helmer was one of eight film-world notables announced for Spielberg's Cannes competition jury next month, where the 2013 best director winner will join a number of past Academy Award winners and nominees. Spielberg's jury will include actors Nicole Kidman and Christoph Waltz (the latter another 2013 Oscar winner)

Edward Klosinski, 65, a Polish cinematographer best known for his work with Oscar-winning director Andrzej Wajda, died Jan. 5 of complications from lung cancer at his home in Milanowek, Poland. Klosinski worked on about 70 films and was a favorite cinematographer of Wajda. Their work together included "Man of Iron," which chronicled the development of the Solidarity trade union movement in Poland. The film won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 1981. Klosinski once said a "good movie is more important than beautiful cinematography" -- underlining his belief that his work should serve a film's atmosphere rather than show off his talents.

Spin the reels back for a look at some of the winners from this year's key festivals: SUNDANCE Grand Jury Prize, dramatic: "Like Crazy," directed by Drake Doremus Audience Award, U.S. dramatic: "Circumstance," directed by Maryam Keshavarz Audience Award, documentary: "Buck," directed by Cindy Meehl CANNES Palme d'Or: "Tree of Life," directed by Terrence Malick Grand Prix: "Once Upon a...

It's hard to imagine now, but the Palme d'Or awarded at Cannes to the Belgian brothers Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne for their 1999 movie "Rosetta" stirred considerable controversy. Bewildered that the festival's top prize could go to a rough-hewn indie about the mundane struggles of a sullen trailer-park teenager, some pundits faulted the jury, led by David Cronenberg, for willful obscurantism. In a matter of years, the "Rosetta" win would seem so obvious as to be a no-brainer. The Dardennes have become Cannes fixtures: they took home a second Palme d'Or for 2005's "L'Enfant" and received a runner-up prize last year for "The Kid With a Bike.

It's hard to imagine now, but the Palme d'Or awarded at Cannes to the Belgian brothers Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne for their 1999 movie "Rosetta" stirred considerable controversy. Bewildered that the festival's top prize could go to a rough-hewn indie about the mundane struggles of a sullen trailer-park teenager, some pundits faulted the jury, led by David Cronenberg, for willful obscurantism. In a matter of years, the "Rosetta" win would seem so obvious as to be a no-brainer. The Dardennes have become Cannes fixtures: they took home a second Palme d'Or for 2005's "L'Enfant" and received a runner-up prize last year for "The Kid With a Bike.

CANNES, France - Watching a film get an award is rarely as moving and emotional as watching the film itself, but that was the experience Sunday night at the Cannes Film Festival when Michael Haneke's"Amour" won the Palme d'Or. The applause for the Austrian Haneke, who also won the Palme in 2009 for"The White Ribbon,"increased as he called onto the stage his film's pair of veteran French stars, 81-year-old Jean Louis Trintignant and 85-year old Emmanuelle Riva. "It is their film," the director said.

Spin the reels back for a look at some of the winners from this year's key festivals: SUNDANCE Grand Jury Prize, dramatic: "Like Crazy," directed by Drake Doremus Audience Award, U.S. dramatic: "Circumstance," directed by Maryam Keshavarz Audience Award, documentary: "Buck," directed by Cindy Meehl CANNES Palme d'Or: "Tree of Life," directed by Terrence Malick Grand Prix: "Once Upon a...

The new theater owners had high-minded ambitions when they upgraded a rundown multiplex in the resort town of Palm Desert into a seven-screen theater with a French cafe and named it the Palme d'Or, after the top award at the Cannes Film Festival: to create "the desert's premiere address for cinephiles," with a wide selection of top art house, specialty and foreign films that often played only in far-off Los Angeles. And the owners themselves had impressive show business credentials.

A roundup of entertainment headlines for Monday: The Billboard Music Awards were back on the air after six years in mothballs. ( Los Angeles Times ) The end is coming this week! The end ... of Oprah. ( Huffington Post ) Oscar winner Joseph Brooks, who wrote the song "You Light Up My Life," apparently killed himself while awaiting trial on suspicion of rape. ( Los Angeles Times ) "Pirates of the Caribbean" plundered loot overseas, while Americans finally seem to be tiring of Captain Jack's shenanigans.

Here's a look at some of the winners at this year's festivals. SUNDANCE Grand Jury Prize, Dramatic: "Winter's Bone," directed by Debra Granik World Cinema Jury Prize, Dramatic: "Animal Kingdom," directed by David Michôd Audience Award, U.S. Dramatic: "HappyThankYouMorePlease," directed by Josh Radnor Audience Award, Documentary: "Waiting for 'Superman,'" directed by Davis Guggenheim World Cinema Audience...

Here's a look at some of the winners at this year's festivals. SUNDANCE Grand Jury Prize, Dramatic: "Winter's Bone," directed by Debra Granik World Cinema Jury Prize, Dramatic: "Animal Kingdom," directed by David Michôd Audience Award, U.S. Dramatic: "HappyThankYouMorePlease," directed by Josh Radnor Audience Award, Documentary: "Waiting for 'Superman,'" directed by Davis Guggenheim World Cinema Audience...

A roundup of entertainment headlines for Monday: The Billboard Music Awards were back on the air after six years in mothballs. ( Los Angeles Times ) The end is coming this week! The end ... of Oprah. ( Huffington Post ) Oscar winner Joseph Brooks, who wrote the song "You Light Up My Life," apparently killed himself while awaiting trial on suspicion of rape. ( Los Angeles Times ) "Pirates of the Caribbean" plundered loot overseas, while Americans finally seem to be tiring of Captain Jack's shenanigans.

What would a film festival be without some juicy controversy? According to this dispatch from the Hollywood Reporter, the Italian press has been in an uproar after it learned that some of the Venice Film Festival's biggest prizes went to filmmakers with longstanding ties to jury president Quentin Tarantino. Sofia Coppola, who is close with Tarantino (the Reporter piece describes her as his former girlfriend), won the Golden Lion, the festival's top prize, for her new film, "Somewhere. " The Silver Lion for best director went to Alex de la Iglesia, another close Tarantino pal, whose new film, "Balada Triste de Trompeta," debuted at the festival.

It was a great night for a guy named Joe, as Apichatpong Weerasethakul's "Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives," a film as wonderfully eccentric as it sounds, won the Palme d'Or at the 63rd Festival des Cannes. Thai director Weerasethakul, who tells people to call him Joe because of the difficulty Westerners have pronouncing his name, has made a one-of-a-kind dreamy ghost story about a man who is on speaking terms with all manner of supernatural beings. "This is like another world for me. This is surreal," the director said on accepting the prize at the Palais des Festivals on Sunday night.