Fernanda Montenegro, the 69-year-old star of the foreign film "Central Station," accused Hollywood of favoritism in awarding the Oscar to Gwyneth Paltrow and said "Life is Beautiful" wasn't worthy of victory. In a televised interview in Rio De Janeiro, Montenegro described Paltrow, 26, as "this romantic figure, thin, pure, virginal. They don't have much of this type of actress in American cinema. It's an investment."

  • As for Roberto Benigni's "Life is Beautiful," which competed against "Central Station" for best foreign film, Montenegro said: "It didn't deserve to win. I think even Benigni recognized this. As a film it was weak ... I thought it was just him that won, not the film itself."