Just Can’t Get Enough

Of what, you ask?

My, awards, of course. Just ask the Venice Film Festival, which just bestowed, over the weekend, what must be the first awards of the season.

The Chinese drama Still Life took home the 11-day festival’s top prize – the Golden Lion – while Ben Affleck pulled off one of the biggest surprises on the Lido when he was named Best Actor for his role as George Reeves (the star of the 1950s TV series The Adventures of Superman) in the noir thriller Hollywoodland.

In addition to being a surprise late entry into the 21-film-strong competition, Still Life was far from the critics' favorite at the start of the festival. In fact, that honor was split between The Queen, a film that takes a look at the days following Princess Diana's 1997 death, and Emilio Estevez's Bobby, an ensemble piece chronicling the run-up to Robert F. Kennedy's assassination.

Helen Mirren was named Best Actress for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II in the Stephen Frears-directed regal drama, which also won the award for Best Script. Spike Lee picked up the documentary prize for his Hurricane Katrina film, When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts.

Going back to Matt Damon’s BFF, he got off to a good start this awards season – following a tidal wave that included a notorious relationship and a string of box office duds that is now turning – effectively positioning himself as the “comeback kid,” which, as we all know, the industry just loves.

Hollywoodland, which I saw over the weekend (and liked for the most part), follows the troubled investigation into Reeves' mysterious death. It also stars Adrien Brody and Diane Lane, and while Affleck more than holds his own, I think he will be better served by pursuing Best Supporting Actor prizes in the future if he wants a shot at the big one.

Photo: Focus Features (Hollywoodland).