I watched the show live. I didn't understand a word but awards shows are universal. Full list of winners and what it might mean for Oscar (multiple Oscar submissions competed here) after the jump.
I watched the show live. I didn't understand a word but awards shows are universal.
Tsai Ming-Liang won Best Director for Stray Dogs at the 50th annual Golden Horse Awards but the wealth was spread at the anniversary show with two Oscar submissions The Grandmaster and Ilo Ilo also winning big. Tsai was tearful and kissed his regular actress Kuei-Mei Yang stage. She appears in almost all his films and brushes her hair for five minutes at the beginning of Stray Dogs because... why not? Memorable opening scenes are the way to go. I have yet to see it but the raves and prizes have piled up.
After a montage of all 49 previous Best Actress winners (lots of crying, soulful gazes, and Maggie Cheungness) the Immortal Goddess Maggie Cheung and superstar Andy Lau presented Best Actress with fashion posing and comic banter (I understood the fashion posing at least but I wish I knew the joke that went with it!).
After Maggie vocalized a drum roll, Andy announced that the winner was Zhang Ziyi. Remarkably this is her first win. She was very tearful and Tony Leung Chiu Wai (my favorite all time Asian movie star) cheered her on.
Tony lost his subsequent category Best Actor but his history with the Golden Horse more than makes up for it. The Best Actor montage included lots of tears, lots of cops, and so much Tony Leung that I lost track. Now I suddenly need to watch Happy Together, In the Mood for Love and Lust Caution again. At least.
The host of this particular event seemed... um... flamboyant... and was wearing a bird on his shoulder.
The Best Picture presentation was preceded by an extremely cool presentation of all the living Best Actor and Best Actress winners. Like a roll call with them all on stage. Our hearts would collectively break (from joy) if the Oscars did this sort of thing again to acknowledge their rich history.
Masters Ang Lee and Hsou Hsien announced best picture explaining that these (juried) awards went through 4 rounds of voting and 2.5 hours of discussion and the winner was a big shock: Singapore's Ilo Ilo.
Ming-Liang Tsai
List of Winners TBA
BEST PICTURE Anthony Chen's Ilo Ilo (Singapore's Oscar submission)
The first Best Picture win for Singapore and a debut from its 29 year old director. At this point I'd expect to see it in Oscar's Foreign Nomination List.
BEST DIRECTOR Tsai Ming-Liang, Stray Dogs
BEST ACTRESS Zhang Ziyi, The Grandmaster (Hong Kong's Oscar submission)
BEST ACTOR Lee Kang Sheng, Stray Dogs
NEW DIRECTOR: Anthony Chen, Ilo Ilo
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Ilo Ilo
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: So Young
SUPPORTING ACTOR: Li XueJian, Back to 1942 (China's Oscar submission)
SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Yeo Yann Yann, Ilo Ilo
NEW ACTOR / ACTRESS: Kuo Shu-Yao, Step Back to Glory
CINEMATOGRAPHY: The Grandmaster
COSTUMES: The Grandmaster
ART DIRECTOR: The Grandmaster
VISUALS: The Grandmaster
EDITING: A Touch of Sin
SCORE: A Touch of Sin
SOUND: Soul (Taiwan's Oscar submission)
CHOREOGRAPHY: Jackie Chan, CZ12
ORIGINAL SONG: "I Love You" from Rock Me to the Moon.