The BAFTA Awards were presented on Sunday evening in London.
The Awards were hosted by everyone’s favourite atheist, Stephen Fry. As the Guardian reports, “Unusually for the Baftas, it was a lovely evening, weather wise, the red carpet bathed in a fading winter sunshine although, as host Stephen Fry joked, inside the Royal Opera House it was ‘simply pissing down with stars’.”
There were few surprises among the winners: Eddie Redmayne, Julianne Moore, Patricia Arquette and J.K. Simmons all went home with more hardware.
The British Academy recognised Richard Linklater as Best Director for Boyhood. The film was also chosen as Best Film.
Wes Anderson’s screenplay for The Grand Budapest Hotel and Anthony McCarten’s script for The Theory of Everything both won.
The only real surprise of the evening – considering it’s the British Academy – was the fact that The Imitation Game – the wartime drama about Bletchley Park- was shut out.
Likewise, while Emmanuel Lubetzki won for Best Cinematographer for Birdman, the film was otherwise shut out (in contrast to the film’s success at the American Guilds).
Wes Anderson’s visually gorgeous The Grand Budapest Hotel won for Costume, Production Design and Makeup.
Whiplash predictably won Best Sound and Best Editing.
Veteran Mike Leigh was awarded the Academy Fellowship.
Jack O’Connell was given the Rising Star Award.
David Livingstone (Pride) was awarded Best New Producer, and Stephen Beresford (Pride) was awarded Best New Writer.
The winners:
- Best Film: Boyhood
- Best Director: Richard Linklater: Boyhood
- Best Actor: Eddie Redmayne, The Theory of Everything
- Best Actress: Julianne Moore, Still Alice
- Best Supporting Actor: J.K. Simmons, Whiplash
- Best Supporting Actress: Patricia Arquette, Boyhood
- Best Original Screenplay: Wes Anderson, The Grand Budapest Hotel
- Best Adapted Screenplay: Anthony McCarten, The Theory of Everything
- Best British Film: The Theory of Everything
- Best Foreign Film: Ida
- Best Animated Film: The LEGO Movie
The Fluff Is Raging 
This awards season has been a little boring – particularly in the acting category with the Redmayne/ Moore/ Arquette/ Simmons gang. Or maybe it’s just because I’d like to see Michael Keaton getting some love….
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i’m not really expecting any surprises at the oscars … except for keaton; i have a feeling he’ll take it, as he’s well-liked by film crews, and even if the directors and other actors don’t vote for him, there are enough craftspeople who will. The so-called “steakeaters” of the Academy are the ones who ensured that Crash beat Brokeback Mountain
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He was interviewed by Edith Bowman on the red carpet last night and she asked some totally inane questions yet he was a total pro. Warm, funny and smart and not the slightest bit patronising. Although he really could have been.
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no idea who edith bowman is but i’m glad he was a pro. have you had a chance to see the film yet?
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Not yet, but soon I hope.
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Edith Bowman is a cheery Radio 1 DJ…..
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ah, like Smashy and Nicey?
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I think its a real shame for imitation game and Alan Turing. I feel it was a better film than the theory of everything. We owe a lot to Turing who didnt get any recognition in his lifetime. There should have been an award in there somewhere. Best British Film?
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i think that it’s almost as if critics/audiences can only take one genius boffin at a time. Turing is a fascinating figure, and i think he deserved a better film
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I was actually surprised that ‘Boyhood’ got best film. I also went right off Stephen Fry, who I used to like a lot. I didn’t get his ‘act’ at all.
Cheers Niall, Pete.
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i saw a clip of Fry on you tube but did not see the show. finally saw Boyhood (fantastic); so happy the bafta people liked it. cheers to mike leigh as well.
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