HOLLYWOOD

Marion best actress, 'No Country' leads Oscars

France's Marion Cotillard was crowned best actress at the 80th Academy Awards
here Sunday as violent thriller "No Country for Old Men" bagged two early
Oscars.Cotillard, 32, won for her astounding performance as tragic chanteuse
Edith Piaf in "La Vie En Rose," becoming the first Frenchwoman to win the best
actress Oscar since Simone Signoret in 1960.It was the only second time in
Oscars history that the best actress award had gone to a performance in a
non-English speaking role. Italian legend Sophia Loren was the other woman to
achieve the feat in 1962.Cotillard, who received the award from 2007 best actor
Forest Whitaker, paid tribute to her director before exclaiming: "Thank you
life, thank you love. It is true that there are some angels in this city. Thank
you so, so much."In other early honors, pre-Oscars favorite "No Country for Old
Men" took an early lead in the overall awards stakes by winning two statuettes
in the best supporting actor and adapted screenplay categories.Javier Bardem
became the first performer from Spain ever to win an acting Oscar for his
portrayal of a psychopathic hitman in the film."This is pretty amazing, it's a
great honor for me to have this," Bardem told guests in his acceptance
speech."Thank you to the Coens for being crazy enough to think that I could do
that and put one of the most horrible haircuts in history on my head," he added,
referring to the bizarre coiffure given to his character in the film.The film's
directors -- Joel and Ethan Coen -- later won the best adapted screenplay Oscar
for "No Country for Old Men."Britain's Tilda Swinton was crowned best supporting
actress for her performance as a scheming corporate legal chief in the drama
"Michael Clayton.""Oh, no. Happy birthday, man," Swinton said, clutching her
Oscar statuette. "I have an American agent who is the spitting image of this.
Really truly the same shape head and, it has to be said, the buttocks."In other
early awards, Disney-Pixar's "Ratatouille", about a Parisian rat who attempts to
become a master-chef, won the best animated feature Oscar.Earlier, dark clouds
and rain failed to put a dampener on the movie industry's biggest party of the
year as stars lit up the red carpet.Streets around the venue were cordoned off
as authorities draped a security blanket over the neighborhood where guests
arrived on a red carpet that has been shielded by a waterproof canopy.The Oscars
are expected to be carved up between several violent movies, with the
eight-times nominated "No Country for Old Men" heading the field and its
directors, the Coen brothers, eyeing a place in history.Oscar host Jon Stewart
quipped about the crop of "Oscar-nominated psychopathic killer movies" in his
opening monologue."Does this town need a hug? What happened? 'No Country For Old
Men?' 'Sweeney Todd?' 'There Will Be Blood?' All I can say is, thank God for
teen pregnancy. I think the country agrees," Stewart said in a nod to best
picture nominee "Juno."The Coens could set a new record if they sweep all four
categories they have been personally nominated in -- best picture as producers,
director, adapted screenplay and editing.It would be the first time ever that
anyone has won four Academy Awards for the same film in one year, although Walt
Disney scooped four Oscars for different projects in 1953.On paper, "No Country
for Old Men's" biggest rival is the eight-time nominated oil industry epic
"There Will Be Blood," which is joined in the best picture category by legal
thriller "Michael Clayton," historical drama "Atonement" and comedy
"Juno."Beyond the contests for best picture and best director clear
front-runners have emerged in most of the acting categories.Daniel Day-Lewis is
regarded as a shoo-in to win the second best actor statuette of his career for
playing an oil baron in "There Will Be Blood," ahead of George Clooney ("Michael
Clayton") and Tommy Lee Jones for "In the Valley of Elah."This year's Oscars are
taking place after months of uncertainty following the Hollywood screenwriters
strike that wreaked havoc with the entertainment industry's awards season.The
Golden Globes were canceled after stars vowed to boycott the event in support of
striking writers and fears of a similar no-show had plagued the Oscars until the
strike was called off earlier this month.