(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) Robert Downey Jr.
Stars and filmmakers turned out Saturday evening on a cold clear desert night to celebrate the Palm Springs Film Festival honorees and the unofficial launch of the awards season. Scheduled after the first round of Oscar ballots have gone out the ceremony at Palm Springs Convention Center recognises a cross-section of films in the awards conversation.
Though Robert Downey Jr. and Brad Pitt were presenters not honorees they helped add glamour to an evening packed full of warm anecdotes told by longtime collaborators. Benedict Cumberbatch Reese Witherspoon Julianne Moore Michael Keaton and Shirley MacLaine were among other big names at the awards ceremony which was again hosted by the eternally perky Mary Hart.
Festival chairman Harold Matzner pointed out that 10 of last year’s 11 honorees ended up with Oscar nominations a feat of advance prediction which can’t be easy considering how quickly the Oscar winds can change.
The respectful but playful stars were well-behaved and one of the lively moments came when Pitt encouraged the audience to sing and help the audience learn how to pronounce David Oyelowo.
Gone Girl supporting actresses Kim Dickens and Carrie Coon kicked off the evening giving the film’s star Rosamund Pike the Breakthrough Actress award. Wearing a striking black tent dress Pike talked about her early role in Die Another Day and said she was glad the Palm Springs Fest “has decided that I am good enough.”
After Pitt led the crowd in an “Oyelowo” singalong the Selma star and Breakthrough Actor award recipient said “You know you have broken through when Brad Pitt sings your name.” Oyelowo talked about the mob scene that ensues when his four children get together with Pitt’s six and thanked Pitt along with Oprah Winfrey and Ava DuVernay for getting the film made.
Jason Reitman presented the Spotlight award to Whiplash supporting actor J.K. Simmons who has appeared in most of Reitman’s films. Simmons’ speech remembered co-star Miles Teller for being “supremely slappable” and writer-director Damien Chazelle for providing him with a story “that leapt off the page.” Downey Jr. called his The Judge co-star Robert Duvall “an iron-jawed icon of American manhood” and joked “We gotta get through this my chopper’s idling on the roof.”
Accepting the Icon award Duvall thanked Warner Bros.’ marketing and distribution topper Sue Kroll for her support of the film and reminisced about his New York acting days with Dustin Hoffman.
Steve Carell continued Pitt’s shtick singing the name of his Crazy Stupid Love co-star Moore then launching into a lengthy and almost over-the-top explanation of her amazingness. “I know Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep and she makes them both look like a**holes” he said. Also “You can never see her acting.”
MacLaine perhaps the only star in attendance with clairvoyant powers appropriately presented her Bernie director Richard Linklater with the Visionary award for Boyhood. Explaining that Linklater’s laid-back approach to directing often results in him answering “I don’t know” to any questions about how to play a part she said he was nonetheless able to help her “discover my inner b**tch.” Linklater quipped back “At night we would have conversations in another realm.” He thanked the Boyhood cast and crew for carrying out a group vision of the film.
Moore reappeared in her orangey red ruffled dress to present the actor honour to The Theory of Everything’s Eddie Redmayne who appeared with her in Savage Grace. Redmayne lauded director James Marsh for giving him “the confidence to fail” while portraying Stephen Hawking.
Keaton was enthusiastically received as he appeared to give the director award to his Birdman boss Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu recalling that Mike Nichols had advised Inarritu not to make the film but he didn’t listen. The energetic charming director gave a poetic speech about his own Birdman-like doubts his empathy for his characters and his debt to Raymond Carver’s widow Tess Gallagher.
The Imitation Game director Morten Tyldum’s name isn’t yet well-known but Cumberbatch who was awarded the Ensemble Performance honour along with Allen Leech Matthew Goode and Alex Lawther explained Tyldum’s nickname on the set was “The honey monster” after a British cereal mascot.
The actors (Keira Knightley was absent as she “thought the awards were being held in Palm Beach” Cumberbatch joked) clowned around in winning British fashion before Cumberbatch gave a heartfelt speech about Alan Turing the subject of the film who was the father of modern computer science.
Finally Laura Dern presented her Wild co-star Reese Witherspoon with the Chairman’s Award for finding the book and “fiercely” making the movie.
“I want to be part of any party Reese Witherspoon is throwing” she said. Witherspoon said making the film is the “most important journey of my career thus far.” The night concluded with an after-party at the Parker Palm Springs hotel where Cumberbatch and Redmayne chatted while their photos were snapped and MacLaine Simmons and Reitman huddled in conversation.