Cannes: Best Actress and Best Actor
Monday, May 23, 2011 at 4:00PM Hmmm. Not sure what to make of this. It's both awesome in that Kirsten Dunst is realizing she's part of history (why am I hearing a Drew Barrymore lispy childhood throwback in her voice? It's so cute) and troubling. You see, as we've discussed before the Melancholia press conference can't have been easy for her but my personal feeling is that she should defer the LvT questions -- say as little as posssible -- rather than join in the condemnation. He is, after all, her director of the performance that's bringing in the accolades and helping her win her first huge Best Actress prize as a star. She needs to separate herself but still be gracious about it. If her performance ends up being one of the best of the film year, hopefully she'll have the chance to perfect this tricky balance later on in Oscar season.
For the French speakers among you, to balance things out, here's Best Actor winner Jean DuJardin from The Artist.
Best Actress, Cannes, Jean Dujardin, Kirsten Dunst
Reader Comments (29)
As happy as I am with Dunst being awarded, I'm baffled and a bit heartbroken that Tilda didn't get it!! : (
I don't understand. What's the big issue? Her reiterating what her horrified facial expressions already let us know when Lars was actually saying the crazy Nazi thing? Or that she jokingly says she won't share the award, laughs, and thanks the interviewer before walking away?
I think the key here is that she said his comments were "stupid" and he's paying for them. She defends the film by separating Lars' persona from the feature which I think was a rather wise answer to the question about eligibility. I don't think Dunst is the type to mince words, either. Didn't she say she was sick of playing Mary Jane in the Spider-Man films because there was no challenge to them?
Wow, that's a little harsh of Dunst isn't it? The man got you your big award after all. Everybody is entitled to have their own opinion, right? As crazy as they may seem. It would be a boring world without some eccentric folks wouldn't it be?
On a side note. Why is Uma Thurman looking like a mega super movie star every day looking stunning in Cannes and she’s punishing us by not making a good movie since Kill Bill? We know she’s capable of amazing work. If I had the power I’d tell these lazy amazing actresses, That’s it, you’re going back to work! Chop chop, Pfeiffer, Fonda, Thurman!
TBH I find her lack of PR-rehearsed answers refreshing. She thanked him in her speech so it's not like she's been disrespectful since The Incident. Plus, I'm sure she said all this to LvT himself already. She knows what he did for her but also realizes that he may have screwed the big chance he let her have in the first place. And that can't feel fun. I say, as long as she doesn't cross any cruel boundaries, let her say what she thinks about the whole thing.
Her blunt honesty makes her more interesting, suddenly.
But if I was Kiki right now, I'd try to my hardest to make sure the film at least sees the light of day. Your first real shot and there's a chance it won't even open in US theatres because of something your director did? UGGGGGH.
john -- I agree! But apparently the jury really liked Sleeping Beauty so who knows if Tilda was even part of the argument in the end. And now that Oscilloscope Laboratories acquired Kevin, the film is gonna have to make a real splash because the campaign won't be huge. Her chances just got a bit smaller, sad to say. :(
Nathaniel, I'm so glad you share my opinion. She seems totally ungrateful of LvT, which really pisses me off, I gotta tell ya. I hope you're right that in the future she'll find a better balance between being angry and upset with LvT and being grateful and happy.- he is afterall the guy responsible for her winning the award.
LvT was stupid, yes, but he's not a nazi- I think most people know that by now- I really wish the media and the reporters would lay off with the questions about the stupid nazi thing- ask about the film, not all the bullshit surrounding it.
(By the way, in the danish media, she has said that she still loves and admire LvT as a filmmaker and friend, and that she would love to work with him again-
just not in a pornfilm!, like she said.)
She's two faced: In the international media she loves to jump on the I hate LvT band wagon, but when she talks to the danish media, which will reach LvT, she says she loves and admire him and would love to work with him- not very classy.
She's playing both sides-
maybe someone should inform her that LvT probably knows how to surf the net,
and that he, just as easy as you and me, will be able to find all the backstabbing things she's been saying.
I don't think what she says is overly harsh, she is saying the truth in saying that he acted idiotic and said some things he shouldn't have but I don't see it as condemning him overall - and she does note that his words aren't representative of his work. I think it's better than saying something she doesn't truly believe as we can see how uncomfortable she was when he was talking during the press conference, and yes she did still thank him. I still don't think Lars deserved to be banned, but at least she is someone who experienced it firsthand and is being honest about what she thinks about it.
Surely during the awards season if she has the occasion she will thank Von Trier again, but I wouldn't say that it's so scandalous if she doesn't defend him in this particular occasion. after all we are talking about an adult man that was probably aware of his stupid and awkward claims
Besides I think that Kiki expressed very well the matter of the fact!
I have no idea what DuJardin said but I sure liked watching him say it :)
I don't think the public at large will hold that against her because Lars is not such a popular guy or mainstream--she was very gracious in her acceptance speech anyway. BUT, I do think she was hurt by his actions...she's been mounting a comeback for awhile and his behavior could've really screwed that up if Cannes threw the film out of competition all together.
It's just so sad- up untill the now so infamous press conference debacle, she had nothing but nice things to say about LvT- about his gifts as a filmmaker but she also said she loved him as a friend.
Now all that's changed and that's incredibly sad to me.
Another actress, after Bjørk,that he has upset.
I just hope she can forgive him someday, and re-see the good
she saw in him in the first place.
Her reaction seems honest and appropriate to me. I've been in that situation before, and "He said something stupid, and now he's living with the consequences" is about right. It's the only way to maintain your sanity, let alone the friendship.
Maybe I'm the only person with friends who like to stir things up by saying ridiculous stupid things? At some point, you get tired of all the nonsense and wish they would grow up a little bit.
If the Scorsese/Trier five obstructions film falls through because of that stupid press conference, I'm gonna kill myself...
I hope scorsese is understanding and not so sensitive- he's not jewish is he?!
Since Barbra Hershey has two of these I won't put too much stock in her Academy future although anything is possible -- Monique, Kim Basinger, hell even Cher who won the prize for Mask -- although the prize was split that year.
My friends say idiotic things all the time. I tell them they say idiotic things. Doesn't make me any less of a friend. Lars was an idiot. End of story. I'm surprised she called him out like that, and her answer to the next question was vague and empty, but two-faced? Nah.
To an extent she's right, obviously, but it's still kind of unpleasant to watch and feels a bit like tossing him under the truck. Regardless of the controversy, I just got the feeling that she didn't feel like she owed very much to Von Trier, for the role he gave her, his direction ( she CAN be crap sometimes), the results of the movie. It just makes me think of Nicole Kidman at the Actress roundtable last year, and how much reverence and respect she had for directors and visionaries, and how much she felt indebted to them. It made me respect Kidman so much more to know that she didn't feel "I did it all on my own!" which is how Dunst comes off as a bit here, to be honest.
wow-- is he that fuckable in the movie???
It makes me sick to my stomach watching that clip-
show the man (LvT) some respect, woman!
You ungrateful bitch!
Excuse my language, but that clip really gets to me.
She got what she wanted, an award, now LvT can just fuck off, as far as she is concerned.
Yes, he fucked up big time, but don't jump on the collective "I hate lars band wagon".
Actors should always be loyal to their director (like soldiers are loyal to their general)
That's how I feel, anyway.
She did this before, throwing Brad pitt under the bus with her comments about Interview with the Vampire.
Really sad that she felt the need to take full credit, not give him any credit. If she feels his comments did not diminish the quality of the film, then how did he not contribute to her succes?
She may have joked, but there was a lot of "me me me" about it.
She's like rightwingers, thinking they amassed wealth all by themselves while forgetting that progressives got them their roads, clean air and water, voting rights, education and much, much, more. Narrowmindedness thine name is ReichWingers and thine spokeperson is Kirsten Dunst (also of German descent, btw)
I hate Kirsten now! What an ungrateful biatch!
CrashTestSmarty --whoa buddy.
stella -- but obviously she feels that to an extent or her filmography wouldn't have so many prestige directors in it, you know?
I'm not the biggest Kirsten Dunst fan in the world, but that clip actually made me like her a good bit more. I'm glad she said LvT's comments were idiotic, because they were, and it's annoyed me that the backlash against Cannes banning him has somehow made him some kind of free speech martyr for what was so clearly a crass, smirking attempt to drum up some controversy for himself on the back of some kind of "People are so touchy about Hitler for some dumb reason" sentiment. Tell it like it is, Kirsten!
Maybe she's just a better actress than we've all thought.
Could be that the sweet and down to earth girl that we've seen in interview-situations and at premieres, have been an act.
And that the true Kirsten Dunst....is a selfish bitch.
Nah.
Unbelievable! So now Kiki is the target? I think we are all overreacting
Maybe we should focus on Dujardin's hottness and chill out.
I don't really get all the hate for Kirsten Dunst over this clip...this is a complete damned if she did, damned if she didn't situation. She was very gracious when she was onstage accepting the award, but she has to acknowledge how stupid his comments are, it's impossible to get around in my opinion. If she was singing his praises over and over, someone would be bitching something absurd like, 'Kirsten Dunst = Nazi Sympathizer!'. I think this was a very honest response and puts him in his place without doing it to harshly. What he did was idiotic, perhaps not to the degree of being banned from the festival, but still a bad move that shouldn't reflect poorly on his actors and she has no choice, in my opinion, but to try and distance herself from him somewhat.
Well said Zach!
CRASHTESTSMARTY- yeah, a lot of "me me me" . and if you listen to the acceptance speech, she says "what a week it's been...for me"- Do you think the week's been any easier on the other actors, or on LvT for that matter? -
but it's been a hellavu week for you, we get it.: you spent the whole week distancing yourself from the crazy "nazi" cos you can't afford to piss off the jews in hollywood, am I right?
Well, that "nazi" gave you your first serious film award- you'd think you'd be more appreciative of him.
I agree, she is pretty horrible in that clip.
But I would recommend seeing:
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xiyhvd_kirsten-dunst-on-lars-i-was-embarrassed_people
In this clip she finds the right mix between, once again distancing herself from LvTs comments, while also acknowledging LvT as a great friend and a great filmmaker.