Yohana Cobo, Penélope Cruz in Volver (top); Maribel Verdú, Ivana Baquero in Pan's Labyrinth (bottom)
The Spanish Academy's Goya Awards were presented on Jan. 28. Although best picture winner Volver seemed like an easy pick, it actually faced stiff competition from both Agustín Díaz-Yanes' adventure period piece Alatriste and Guillermo del Toro's dark fantasy Pan's Labyrinth.
Ultimately, Volver took home five Goyas: best film, best direction (Pedro Almodóvar), best actress (Penélope Cruz), best supporting actress (Carmen Maura), and best original score (Alberto Iglesias).
Almodóvar, however, failed to win the original screenplay award, which went to Guillermo del Toro. Del Toro's film, in fact, turned out to be the top Goya winner that evening: seven trophies in all. Among the other Pan's Labyrinth winners were Guillermo Navarro (best cinematography), Bernat Villaplana (best editing), and Ivana Baquero (best new actress).
Local box-office sensation Alatriste, which stars American actor Viggo Mortensen, finished the evening with only three awards: best art direction, best costume design, and best line/executive producer. (To this day, I haven't been able to figure out why the Goyas have this "producer" category — or how the Spanish Academy voters pick the best line/executive producer of the year since they haven't been involved in each production. Can they actually tell who's the best exec by watching what's on screen?)
Among the other winners were Stephen Frears' British comedy-drama The Queen, chosen the best European film, and Alejandro Doria's Argentinean drama Las Manos / The Hands, the director's first feature film in 16 years, which was picked as the best Spanish-language foreign film. (Curiously, the Spanish Academy lacks a "best foreign-language film" category.) Inspired by real-life events, Las Manos tells the story of a priest who effected miraculous cures using only his hands.
The best actor was veteran Juan Diego (above, left, with Juan Diego Botto) in Vete de mí / Go Away from Me. Earlier this year, Diego's performance in that film earned him the best actor award at the San Sebastián Film Festival.
Almodóvar was absent from the festivities — according to himself, out of sheer exhaustion; according to rumors, out of sheer tension. He'd had problems with the Spanish Academy in the past — he felt they snubbed his work — to the point that he and his brother, producer Agustín Almodóvar, had withdrawn their membership.
Not helping matters, the director was disappointed at Volver having just missed out on an Oscar nomination in the best foreign-language film category. Almodóvar candidly referred to the Hollywood Academy's snub as "a bucket of cold water." Adding insult to injury, Goya competitor Pan's Labyrinth was shortlisted in no less than six Oscar categories, including best foreign-language film, best original screenplay (del Toro), and best cinematography (Guillermo Navarro). (Volver only managed a best actress nod for Penélope Cruz.)
"If since September they say you're the favorite in every magazine," Agustín told the Spanish press, "there comes one day when you look at yourself in the mirror and says, 'You're the favorite.'"
At least with the Spanish Academy voters, Almodóvar indeed was.
Pedro Almodóvar quote from Estrella Digital
Agustín Almodóvar quote from Heraldo