Award Season: The BAFTA's

The BAFTA Film Awards were on last Sunday (10th February) and what an interesting night it was. Filled with highs and lows, surprises and shocks the evening was presented from the Royal Albert Hall in London and hosted, for the second year in a row, by Joanna Lumley.




I'll give credit where it is due, I imagine hosting has a lot of expectations to uphold and exceed especially with a ceremony as prestigious as this one in the UK, but I think Joanna Lumley did a good job. There has been a lot of controversy over her opening speech, with many saying it was lack-lustre and not funny despite gags put in to appease the viewers and the audience. I still think Joanna Lumley did an excellent job, despite some setbacks from certain areas of the speech, and she looked beautiful and effervescent whilst presenting the night.

Taking home the most wins The Favourite certainly performed well at the BAFTA's taking home seven wins including: Outstanding British Film, Leading Actress, Supporting Actress, Costume Design, Make Up & Hair, Original Screenplay and Production Design. I think it is safe to say that Olivia Coleman exceeded in her performance of Queen Anne and was hilarious in her speech as well as outstanding in her acting in the film. I can understand why it was a close call between Coleman and Glenn Close in the Leading Actress category. Likewise Rachel Weisz and Emma Stone were nominated for Supporting Actress with Weisz taking the win. Her acceptance speech applauded the bond between the three ladies in the creation of this film and celebrated women in the film industry.

Women in the film industry received a lot of praise at the BAFTA's with most, if not all, winning females referring to their celebration and hard work and togetherness in a male-dominated environment. Seeing this particular celebration by Olivia Coleman and Rachel Weisz but also from Sandy Powell and a lot of the independent filmmakers that were recognised for their contribution to the film industry. It was inspiring to see that they were advocating for more female filmmakers throughout the industry and hopefully in the future we'll see a more diverse representation.

Following on from this Letitia Wright received the EE Rising Star Award, the only award at the BAFTA's which is voted for by the public. The Rising Star Award recognises talent that has been outstanding in the past year and has captured the attention of the public as well as the film industry. Wright has most famously starred as Shuri in Marvel's Black Panther, and what a brilliant performance in that role and an amazing film, among other television and films in the past which have equally displayed her ability to act and portray a wide array of characters. Letitia gave a beautiful speech about almost giving up and the perseverance to continue with the help from BAFTA finding potential in her, and how thankful she was to continue and grow as an actress starring in huge blockbuster films. I think she has a lot of prospect and will be amazing in future productions. Most importantly right now I'm looking forward to what her role in the Avenger's Universe will hold.

Despite The Favourite being the favourite (sorry had to be done), it was Roma who took home the most prestigious titles of the evening Best Film and Best Director. Roma follows the life of a live-in housekeeper of a middle-class family during 1970's Mexico. Although I have not yet seen this film I think Alfonso Cuarón is an exceptional writer and director creating previous works such as Gravity, Children of Men and Y Tu Mamá También and more than likely deserved it for his style of directing.

Although the BAFTA was a televised event, not all of the categories were presented live for viewers to see. Surprisingly enough Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse was not aired live when it won Animated Film, which I thought was odd considering the amount of recognition and hype the film received with not only Marvel fans but the animated industry too. Likewise I believe for a film award show they should present each category and win in the moment, allowing the viewers at home to hear about these people making documentaries (Free Solo) and films on a much smaller budget (73 Cows) and understanding their passion for film in a way that varies to the blockbuster nominations; and more importantly to inspire the next generation of filmmakers watching at home. I understand that with a televised event there are constraints to timing but hopefully this is something we can see admonished in the future.

Overall there were a lot of great wins and a lot of speculation over who should have won particular categories but I think most of them were well voted for, and maybe even a little predictable (The Favourite and Roma wins). For example I have to admit that Rami Malek's portrayal of Freddie Mercury was outstanding and he did deserve the award despite the controversy surrounding films like Bohemian Rhapsody and Green Book in film award nominations. But I think the BAFTA's was a very good watch this year and every one deserved the nominations they received. I have included the awards list down below.

Enjoy.

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BAFTA Awards:

Best Film:
BLACKkKLANSMAN
The Favourite
Green Book
Roma - WINNER
A Star Is Born

Outstanding British Film:
Beast
Bohemian Rhapsody
The Favourite - WINNER
McQueen
Stan & Ollie
You Were Never Really Here

Leading Actress:
Glenn Close - The Wife
Lady Gaga - A Star Is Born
Melissa McCarthy - Can You Ever Forgive Me?
Olivia Coleman - The Favourite - WINNER
Viola Davis - Widows

Leading Actor:
Bradley Cooper - A Star Is Born
Christian Bale - Vice
Rami Malek - Bohemian Rhapsody - WINNER
Steve Coogan - Stan & Ollie
Viggo Mortensen - Green Book

Supporting Actress:
Amy Adams - Vice
Claire Foy - First Man
Emma Stone - The Favourite
Margot Robbie - Mary Queen of Scots
Rachel Weisz - The Favourite - WINNER

Supporting Actor:
Adam Driver - BlacKkKlansman
Mahershala Ali - Green Book - WINNER
Richard E. Grant - Can You Ever Forgive Me?
Sam Rockwell - Vice
Timothee Chalamet - Beautiful Boy

Director:
Spike Lee - BlacKkKlansman
Pawel Pawlikowski - Cold War
Yorgos Lanthimos - The Favourite
Alfonso Cuaron - Roma - WINNER
Bradley Cooper - A Star Is Born

Costume Design:
Mary Zophres - The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
Julian Day - Bohemian Rhapsody
Sandy Powell - The Favourite - WINNER
Sandy Powell - Mary Poppins Returns
Alexandra Byrne - Mary Queen of Scots

Make Up & Hair:
Mark Coulier, Jan Sewell - Bohemian Rhapsody
Nadia Stacey - The Favourite - WINNER
Jenny Shircore - Mary Queen of Scots
Mark Coulier, Jeremy Woodhead, Josh Weston - Stan & Ollie
Kate Biscoe, Greg Cannom, Patricia DeHaney, Chris Gallaher - Vice

Original Music:
Terence Blanchard - BlacKkKlansman
Nicholas Britell - If Beale Street Could Talk
Alexandre Desplat - Isle of Dogs
Marc Shaiman - Mary Poppins Returns
Bradley Cooper, Lady Gaga, Lukas Nelson - A Star Is Born - WINNER

Outstanding Debut By A British Writer, Director or Producer:
Apostasy - Daniel Kokotajlo (Writer/Director)
Beast - Michael Pearce (Writer/Director), Lauren Dark (Producer) - WINNER
A Cambodian Spring - Chris Kelly (Writer/Director/Producer)
Pili - Leanne Welham (Writer/Director), Sophie Harman (Producer)
Ray & Liz - Richard Billingham (Writer/Director), Jacqui Davies (Producer)

Animated Film:
Incredibles 2
Isle of Dogs
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse - WINNER

Adapted Screenplay:
BlacKkKlansman - WINNER
Can You Ever Forgive Me?
First Man
If Beale Street Could Talk
A Star Is Born

British Short Animation:
I'm Ok
Marfa
Roughhouse - WINNER

British Short Film:
73 Cows - WINNER
Bachelor
The Blue Door
The Field
Wale

Cinematography:
Newton Thomas Sigel - Bohemian Rhapsody
Lukas Zal - Cold War
Robbie Ryan - The Favourite
Linus Sandgren - First Man
Alfonso Cuaron - Roma - WINNER

Documentary:
Free Solo - WINNER
McQueen
RBG
They Shall Not Grow Old
Three Identical Strangers

Editing:
John Ottman - Bohemian Rhapsody
Yorgos Mavropsaridis - The Favourite
Tom Cross - First Man
Alfonso Cuaron, Adam Gough - Roma
Hank Corwin - Vice - WINNER

Film Not In The English Language:
Capernaum
Cold War
Dogman
Roma - WINNER
Shoplifters

Original Screenplay:
Cold War
The Favourite - WINNER
Green Book
Roma
Vice

Production Design:
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
The Favourite - WINNER
First Man
Mary Poppins Returns
Roma

Sound:
Bohemian Rhapsody - WINNER
First Man
Mission: Impossible Fallout
A Quiet Place
A Star Is Born

Special Visual Effects:
Avengers: Infinity War
Black Panther - WINNER
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
First Man
Ready Player One

EE Rising Star:
Barry Keoghan
Cynthia Erivo
Jessie Buckley
Lakeith Stansfield
Letitia Wright - WINNER

Outstanding British Contribution to Film:
Stephen Woolley and Elizabeth Karlsen - WINNERS

Lifetime Achievement:
Thelma Schoonmaker - WINNER