All over for another year as Cannes 2012 Winners announced.

Jean-Louis Trintignant and Emmanuella Riva convince in Amour.

Headed by the Italian director Nanni Moretti, the jury of the 65^th Cannes Film Festival made its deliberations this evening.  In a patchy official selection, the now always reliable Michael Haneke won for Amour, his unsparing depiction of old age and illness. The film had received much praise and nothing else within the selection ever threatened its position.

Other decisions were a little more surprising, Ken Loach was rewarded again with the Special Jury Prize (after The Wind That Shook the Barley took the main prize a number of years ago) for The Angel’s Share, due to open in Ireland in June.  Best director went to Mexican auteur Carlos Reygadas for Post Tenebras Lux while the Grand Prix (essentially the runner up prize) went to Matteo Garrone’s Reality which had a much more mixed reception than his earlier outing Gomorrah.

Acting prizes went to Mads Mikkelsen for his work in The Hunt from Danish director, Thomas Vinterberg.  Cristian Mungiu whose 4 months, 3 weeks and 2 days had made such an impression repeated the experience with Beyond the Hills, an extraordinary film about the fall out from an upbringing in an orphanage in Romania. The two actresses involved (Cosmina Stratan, Cristina Flutor) were justly honoured for their performances.

Finally the coveted Camera D’Or for best first film went to Beasts of the Southern Wild from US director Benh Zeitlin.

Though not a winner but proving big at the French box office was Jacques Audiard's very enjoyable Rust and Bone, his eagerly awaited follow up to A Prophet, with an excellent Marion Cotillard and Matthias Schoenaerts. Director Jeff Nicol's new film  Mud, was warmly received towards the end of the festival after some lacklustre showings in particular from David Cronenberg (Cosmopolis) and the Walter Salles directed On The Road, his interpretation of the iconic novel by Jack Kerouac.

If you want a different take on things, then try Peter Bradshaw's round up from The Guardian - click here.  I am afraid that I don't agree on his views on Lee Daniel's The Paperboy, a potboiler which verged on vulgar and Leos Carax's Holy Motors, lots of fun but for me lacked any real depth.

Maretta Dillon.