Penélope Cruz tipped for an Oscar after European film triumph

 

By Louise Jury, Arts Correspondent

Published: 04 December 2006

 

After a string of so-so films as she fought to make her name in Hollywood, Penélope Cruz's reunion with the director Pedro Almodovar has been hailed as a dazzling return to form.

 

From success at the Cannes Film Festival in May, Volver (Go Back) has garnered the kind of adulation that prompts talk of possible Oscar glory. And as the awards charabanc gets into gear, Cruz began her acceptance speech training on Saturday when she was named actress of the year at the European Film Awards in Poland.

 

She won for a sexy, feisty performance - complete with plunging neckline and padded bottom - as Raimunda in a dark comedy including ghosts and a murder set in Almodovar's home territory of La Mancha.

 

Shimmering in a golden dress, Cruz, 32, spoke emotionally about working with Almodovar. "Pedro, I love you so much," she said, almost in tears. "Thank you for believing in me. You're changing not only my career, but a lot of things in my life."

 

They last worked together seven years ago on All About My Mother, in which Cruz played a nun, and before that in Live Flesh in 1997. But when the Spanish star followed Antonio Banderas to Hollywood, her career choices looked less assured. Vanilla Sky was panned by the critics and served principally to introduce her to Tom Cruise with whom she had a closely watched relationship.

 

Even European productions in English rather than her native Spanish failed to win her plaudits. Few fans of Captain Corelli's Mandolin seemed as satisfied with the film as with Louis de Bernières' book. But in the hands of a gay director back on home turf, Cruz has blossomed again and is now tipped for a best actress nomination at the Oscars where it is rare for a performance in a foreign-language movie to stand a chance.

 

She has paid repeated tribute to Almodovar's capacity to write good parts for women and to encourage equally great performances from his female stars. Indeed, while she was honoured alone on Saturday, the six-strong cast of women jointly received the best actress prize at Cannes

 

Almodovar himself won best director at the European awards as Volver trumped The Wind That Shakes the Barley by the British director Ken Loach to take four prizes altogether. "Going back to the little place I was from - La Mancha - that was a very important experience for me, not just a cinematic experience," he said at the ceremony. He dedicated the award to Cruz and her co-stars, including one of his early muses, Carmen Maura, whom he said represented "the incredible women that surrounded me when I was a child".

 

The cinematography prize was shared between Jose Luis Alcaine for Volver and Barry Ackroyd for The Wind That Shakes the Barley. Loach, 70, who won a special jury prize at the British Independent Film Awards in London last week, had been shortlisted for best director for his Irish civil-war saga which had received five nominations in all.

 

But Cillian Murphy, its star, lost best actor award to Ulrich Muehe in Das Leben der Anderen (The Lives of Others). The German film beat Neil Jordan's Breakfast on Pluto, The Wind That Shakes the Barley and Michael Winterbottom's The Road to Guantanamo to win movie of the year.

 

Other honours included a lifetime achievement award for Roman Polanski while the British producer Jeremy Thomas, whose works include The Last Emperor and Young Adam, received the European achievement in world cinema prize.

 

The full list of winners

 

* EUROPEAN FILM

 

Das Leben der Anderen (The Lives of Others), Germany, directed by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck

 

* EUROPEAN DIRECTOR

 

Pedro Almodóvar for Volver

 

* EUROPEAN ACTRESS

 

Penélope Cruz for Volver

 

* EUROPEAN ACTOR

 

Ulrich Mühe for Das Leben der Anderen

 

* EUROPEAN CINEMATOGRAPHER

 

Barry Ackroyd for The Wind that Shakes the Barley; José Luis Alcaine for Volver

 

* EUROPEAN SCREENWRITER

 

Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck for Das Leben der Anderen

 

* EUROPEAN COMPOSER

 

Alberto Iglesias for Volver

 

EUROPEAN FILM ACADEMY SHORT FILM 2006

 

Before Dawn, Bálint Kenyeres, Hungary

 

* LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

 

Roman Polanski

 

* PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARD :yahoo:

 

Volver, Pedro Amodóvar, Spain

 

 

So what are your tips for Oscar success at the Academy Awards next year???

Penelope Cruz should be a serious contender for Best Actress, as should Kate Winslett for her absolutely faultless performance in "Little Children".. It would be about time she actually won it, she's one of the best actresses out there...

 

Best Actor - I'd like to see Christian Bale finally get the recognition he deserves, his utterly convincing and genuinely disturbing performance in "Harsh Times" was every bit as good as De Niro at his peak, if not even better. Not many actors can actually generate audience sympathy for such thoroughly unpleasant, fukked-up characters, but Bale achieves just that... Matt Damon for his performance in "The Departed" is another contender..

 

Supporting Actor - Gotta be Jack Nicholson in "The Departed" - best acting performance of his since his 70s heyday without a doubt....

 

Director - Guillermo Del Toro (Pan's Labyrinth) or Martin Scorcese (The Departed). Almodovar is a pretty good outside bet as well (even though "Volver" is not really his best film...). But I've got a very bad feeling that the Academy will award Clint fukkin' Eastwood his THIRD fukkin' Oscar.... <_<

 

Film - The Departed, Pan's Labyrinth....

 

 

Actor- Hugh Jackman on the fountain, he was nearly flawless in that movie and it I was glad to see him actually act!

 

Film- I'd vote for the Fountain but I know the masses aren't going to like it :cry:

 

Director- Michel Gondry hands down with his Science of Sleep, come on how can u get better than that?

Science of Sleep was absolutely magical - and anything with Gael Garcia Bernal in is fine by me :wub:

Edited December 5, 200618 yr by russt68

I think (based on Oscar buzz so far) the nominees this year will include Penelope Cruz, Kate Winslet, Eddie Murphy, Jennifer Hudson, Peter O'Toole and Meryl Streep (even though the film is fluff).

Ray from X Factor deserves Best Male Actor hands down after his fake tear theatrics in X Factor last night :rolleyes:

Edited December 10, 200618 yr by Kimi Raikkonen

Helen Mirren will definently be nominated [if she isn't i'll be very very angry] and if there's any justice she'll win as well ... its about time this amazing actress got an Oscar!!

 

Love,

Kirsty xx