The Artist dominates at the BAFTAs

The Artist dominated this year’s BAFTAs with 7 awards including Best Film, Best Director for Michel Hazanavicius, Best Actor for Jean Dujardin and Best Original Screenplay.

Hugo, Senna, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and The Iron Lady all picked up 2 awards.

Collecting his Best Director Award, Hazanavicius said he was “thrilled, happy and touched” to be recognised by his peers and he joked that he was “so happy” that Brad Pitt, who presented his award, pronounced his name so well. The film also won for Best Music, Best Editing and Best Costume Design.

In a night of few surprises, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy was named Outstanding British Film. “It’s easy to be talented when you are surrounded by talented people,” said the film’s director Tomas Alfredson who collected the award with the film’s producer Tim Bevan from new Bond girls Naomie Harris and Berenice Marlohe.

Tinker Tailor also won the Best Adapted Screenplay Award for husband and wife writing team Peter Straughan and Bridget O’Connor. Straughan dedicted the award to his wife who tragically died before the film was made.

It was a good night for Working Title’s Eric Fellner and Tim Bevan, who produced Tinker Tailor and Senna, which picked up two awards - for Best Documentary (the first year the category has been included) and Best Editing.

In contrast, it wasn’t such a good night for My Week With Marilyn, War Horse, Drive and The Descendants, all of whom failed to convert their nominations into wins.

Entertainment Film Distribution racked up the most wins of any UK distributor, thanks to The Artist, whilst StudioCanal picked up three awards for Tinker Tailor and Tyrannosaur, and Universal also scored three for Senna and Beginners.

Jean Dujardin fended off Gary Oldman, Brad Pitt and George Clooney to be named Best Actor for his near-silent performance in The Artist. He said he was “very proud to receive the award from the country of Lawrence Olivier, William Webb Ellis and Benny Hill.”

Favourite Meryl Streep was named Best Actress for her performance in The Iron Lady. beating Tilda Swinton, Viola Davis, Michelle Williams and Berenice Bejo. The last and only time Streep has won a BAFTA was in 1981 for The French Leiutenant’s Woman. “The fate of the well known is to misunderstood.The ambition of this film was to look at the life of The Iron Lady from inside out and to locate something real and truthful. I’m very proud of the film,” said Streep, who lost her shoe on her way up onto the stage. Luckily, Colin Firth was on hand to gallanty rescue it.

Paddy Considine won the award for tbe Outstanding Debut by a British writer/director for his hard hitting drama Tyrannosaur. Considine, who prevoiusly won a BAFTA in 2008 for his short film Dog Altogether, thanked amongst others the lead actress Olivia Colman, who was not nominated for a BAFTA, despite winning a BIFA and the London Critics Circle Award.

Speaking after the ceremony, Considine said that he “could not help but be disappointed” that Colman hadn’t picked up a nomination.

The Best Supporting Actor Award, presented by Helena Bonham Carter, went to Christopher Plummer for Beginners, beating Kenneth Branagh, who was the other favourite contender. Plummer wasn’t at the ceremony.

Octavia Spencer won the award for Best Supporting Actress. She collected the award from Daniel Radcliffe, saying: “It has been said that The Help is an American movie about American problems, so I’m grateful to you for seeing past that,” she said.

The Film Not In The English Award went to Almodovar’s The Skin I Live In, beating Asghar Farhadi’s A Separation which was the favourite going into the night. It is Almodovar’s fifth BAFTA win.

The Orange Rising Star Award went to Anuvahood actor Adam Deacon who dedicated the award to “any young person who has a dream.” Christina Hendricks presented the award, which is the only prize voted for by the public. The British star beat off competition from Tom Hiddleston, Eddie Redmayne, Chris Hemsworth and Chris O’Dowd, proving the strength of his fanbase.

Cuba Gooding Jr, who presented the Best Special Visual Effects award to Harry Potter And The Deahtly Hallows Part 2, paid tribute to Whitney Houston who died yesterday.

John Hurt received a standing ovation when he collected his Outstanding Contribution to British Cinema Award. “By being given an award you know you’re going to get, you are supposed to have had the time to write a speech. Well I did, but I was getting up one day last week and my wife said to me, you remember you read out that speech you were going to give on Sunday, well don’t. What I would like to see you do is to stand of all those peers and simply say thank you. I have taken her advice.”

Billy Bob Thornton, who presented him with the award, described Hurt as “a guy who is ridiculously good.”

Martin Scorsese received the BAFTA highest accolade, the Fellowship Award. “For me, British cinema was something that was formative. The best British cimema has always been a source where you’re challenged and inspired,” said Scorsese.

Presenters at the ceremony included Hugh Jackman and Russell Crowe, who jointly handed out the Best Film Award, Best Actress BAFTA nominee Viola Davis, Brad Pitt, Mad Men actor Jon Hamm, Jessica Brown Findlay, Rising Star nominee Tom Hiddleston, Anil Kapoor and Hayley Atwell.

This year’s BAFTA ceremony, held at the Royal Opera House, opened with Welsh legend Tom Jones singing Thunderball, as a homage to fifty years of James Bond. Stephen Fry returned as host. He fronted the show from 2001 to 2006 before Jonathan Ross took over.

The ceremony was followed by a swanky sit down dinner at the Grosvenor House Hotel where A-listers mingled until the early hours.

WINNERS:

Best Film: The Artist

Best Director: Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist

Best Original Screenplay: The Artist, Michel Hazanavicius

Best Adapted Screenplay: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Best British Film: Tinker Tailor Solder Spy

Best Actress: Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady

Best Actor: Jean Dujardin, The Artist

Best Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer, Beginners

Best Supporting Actress: Octavia Spencer, The Help

Outstanding Debut by a British Writer/Director/Producer: Tyrannosaur, Paddy Considine

Film Not In The English Language: The Skin I Live In

Orange Rising Star Award (voted for by the public): Adam Deacon

Best Documentary: Senna

Best Production Design: Hugo

Best Animation: Rango, Gore Verbinski

Best Costume Design: The Artist, Mark Bridges

Best Makeup and Hair: The Iron Lady, Marese Langan

Best Cinematography: The Artist, Guillaume Schiffman

Best Sound: Hugo

Best Editing: Senna

Special Visual Effects: Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2

Original Music: The Artist, Ludovic Bource

Short Film: Pitch Black Heist

Short Animated Film: A Morning Stroll

Outstanding Contribution to British Cinema: John Hurt

The BAFTA Fellowship: Martin Scorsese