For your amusement, I present my reactions to the BAFTA Awards 2013. The show itself was very well done – Stephen Fry is an engaging and very amusing host, and many of the presenters were great. But what about the awards?
Best Film
WINNER
Other Nominees:
There are reasons for Argo standing above the other nominees. I have seen all but one of these, and the one I am yet to see, Lincoln, has been described by some as dull. While it is clearly about a weighty subject, making it an “important” film and therefore worthy of attention, perhaps the BAFTA members felt it was insufficiently dynamic or cinematic. Or maybe they thought Spielberg has done it all, and this is nothing new. Les Misérables has problems with pacing and direction – Tom Hooper has rightly been left out of many directorial awards because the film is not that well directed. Multiple narrative and thematic strands in a story like Les Misérables need to be tied together and, when they were, it was through the music rather than cinematic style. Great musical, not great cinema. Zero Dark Thirty has likely been hurt by the controversy, and while this has not harmed its box office, it seems awards are not forthcoming for the film by “torture’s handmaiden”. Life of Pi is visually stunning and an intriguing investigation into storytelling, but perhaps like previous 3D extravaganzas Avatar and Hugo, it is deemed not sufficiently serious. But Argo is an intensely cinematic thriller, a true story (always worth honouring) about triumph and the US actually doing something good internationally, and strikes a remarkable balance between drama and comedy. While there may be problems with Argo (I don’t personally know of any), none are as significant as those of the other films. This makes the film’s continued success understandable, and there is little reason not to expect this success to continue.
Alexander Korda Award for Outstanding British Film of the Year
WINNER
Other Nominees:
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
This award pleased me immensely, as I fully expected the adaptation of the classic musical of the classic novel to be honoured almost by rote, but instead my top film of 2012 gets the recognition it has otherwise been denied. Bravo to all involved!
Best Actor
WINNER
Other Nominees:
Ben Affleck for Argo
Bradley Cooper for Silver Linings Playbook
Hugh Jackman for Les Misérables
Joaquin Phoenix for The Master
I assume the other nominees just turned up for the show (and they were all there), because no one has a chance this year against Daniel Day-Lewis. If Lincoln were made in another year, then I would have predicted Hugh Jackman to pick up the award. But nothing stops the Lincoln express.
Best Actress
WINNER
Emmanuelle Riva for Amour
Other Nominees:
Jessica Chastain for Zero Dark Thirty
Marion Cotillard for Rust and Bone
Jennifer Lawrence for Silver Linings Playbook
This was a tough one to predict, as both Jessica Chastain and Jennifer Lawrence had picked up Golden Globes, Marion Cotillard as well as Emmanuelle Riva wowed the art house crowd, and Helen Mirren is a national treasure. I predicted Chastain but have no problem with Riva – having not seen Amour I’ll trust the assessments of those more informed than me.
Best Supporting Actor
WINNER
Christoph Waltz for Django Unchained
Other Nominees:
Alan Arkin for Argo
Javier Bardem for Skyfall
Philip Seymour Hoffman for The Master
This one has been a two-horse race, what with Christoph Waltz winning the Golden Globe but Tommy Lee Jones getting the SAG award. With the BAFTA to his credit, Waltz is clearly the Supporting Actor of the moment, thanks to Quentin Tarantino. Funny, we were here three years ago as well. Django Unchained has its problems, but Waltz is not among them.
Best Supporting Actress
WINNER
Anne Hathaway for Les Misérables
Other Nominees:
Amy Adams for The Master
Judi Dench for Skyfall
Sally Field for Lincoln
Anne Hathaway needs a bigger mantelpiece, with all these awards. It is nice to see Sally Field back in the limelight, not least because it gave Stephen Fry a chance for some extra fawning. Poor Amy Adams though – she’s always nominated in this category against really strong competition. Hang in there, Ames.
David Lean Award for Achievement in Direction
WINNER
Ben Affleck for Argo
Other Nominees:
Kathryn Bigelow for Zero Dark Thirty
Michael Haneke for Amour
Ang Lee for Life of Pi
Quentin Tarantino for Django Unchained
In his acceptance speech, Ben Affleck described his current position as the second act. I’m not certain where the divisions are, but perhaps the first act ended with the nadir of his career that was Gigli and the implosion of “Bennifer”. Since then, Affleck re-invented himself with his turn in Hollywoodland and, more importantly, as a director. Gone Baby Gone was great, The Town was better, and with Argo he has earned a Golden Globe, a DGA award and now a BAFTA. There may not be an Oscar this year, but keep at it, Ben, and the third act may be even better.
Best Screenplay (Original)
WINNER
Django Unchained: Quentin Tarantino
Other Nominees:
The Master: Paul Thomas Anderson
Moonrise Kingdom: Wes Anderson, Roman Coppola
It seems that, along with Best Supporting Actor, Tarantino films can’t stop receiving Screenplay awards. While Django Unchained has its problems, they are more down to QT the director rather than QT the writer. His scripts are ornate, elaborate, and eloquent, so it is small wonder that actors love working with him and often turn in career best performances.
Best Screenplay (Adapted)
WINNER
Silver Linings Playbook: David O. Russell
Other Nominees:
Beasts of the Southern Wild: Lucy Alibar, Benh Zeitlin
I thought Argo would pick this up, but it seems that out of the multitude of awards Silver Linings Playbook is up for, this is the one it can actually get. David O’Russell is a bit of an awards darling, and this might be the start of more accolades for him. And the script for Silver Linings Playbook is warm and witty without shying away from the suffering of its characters.
Best Cinematography
WINNER
Other Nominees:
Anna Karenina: Seamus McGarvey
Roger Deakins deserves an award big time, but never picks one up. Clearly the way to do so is to work on a 3D film. Like Avatar and Hugo before it, Life of Pi’s 3D cinematography is clearly worthy of adulation. Even though I saw it in 2D, I could still appreciate the different planes of action and the extra depth that 3D would have applied. Skyfall was still more beautiful though.
Best Editing
WINNER
Other Nominees:
Zero Dark Thirty: Dylan Tichenor, Billy Goldenberg
Much of Argo’s tension and humour comes from its editing, cutting between different locations at an ever-increasing rate. While it misses out on writing and acting awards, editing is carrying this beauty to greater glory.
Best Production Design
WINNER
Les Misérables: Eve Stewart, Anna Lynch-Robinson
Other Nominees:
Anna Karenina: Sarah Greenwood, Katie Spencer
Life of Pi: David Gropman, Anna Pinnock
Lincoln: Rick Carter, Jim Erickson
Skyfall: Dennis Gassner, Anna Pinnock
The set design for Les Misérables combined the theatrical and the cinematic, working both aesthetically and narratively. Well deserved, I think.
Best Costume Design
WINNER
Anna Karenina: Jacqueline Durran
Other Nominees:
Great Expectations: Beatrix Aruna Pasztor
Snow White and the Huntsman: Colleen Atwood
What a shocker, all these nominees had period settings! I’m calling the swords and sorcery setting of Snow White and the Huntsman period, just accept it. No surprise that Anna Karenina picked that up.
Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music
WINNER
Other Nominees:
Anna Karenina: Dario Marianelli
Skyfall is a film that warrants major attention, but aside from special awards, music seems to be its outstanding feature. I have no problem with it receiving this honour. Pity Adele didn’t sing though.
Best Make Up/Hair
WINNER
Other Nominees:
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Les Misérables pulled off the remarkable feat of making the impossibly gorgeous Anne Hathaway look ugly, so bravo. Nice that the ears, feet, beards etc of all those weird-looking people got some notification, as well as the efforts displayed in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.
Best Sound
WINNER
Other Nominees:
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
I saw all of these, but must confess I did not really notice the sound that much. However, to capture and then combine the multitude of singing voices, captured live during filming of Les Misérables, is a remarkable technical achievement, so it is an honour richly deserved. Now if only something had been done with Russell Crowe’s singing…
Best Achievement in Special Visual Effects
WINNER
Other Nominees:
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
All of these I have seen, and indeed all were in my top twelve of 2012, which perhaps says something about my kind of films, except that these are a varied bunch. The four that did not win are blockbusters, with The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey coming from good pedigree when it comes to winning awards. But Life of Pi is a special effects extravaganza that has also attracted “major” as well as “technical” nominations, so like The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, as well as Avatar, visual effects is another bone thrown its way.
Best Film not in the English Language
WINNER
Other Nominees:
Not seen any of these, but after all the attention lavished on Amour, this win was hardly surprising.
Best Animated Feature Film
WINNER
Other Nominees:
Brave is the only one I have seen of these three, and while it is less outstanding than other Pixar efforts such as Wall-E, Up and all three Toy Story films, it is a fine adventure and great fun.
Best Documentary
WINNER
Other Nominees:
Documentaries often highlight individuals or events that are otherwise overlooked. Searching for Sugar Man clearly did this, and while I have not seen any of these, I applaud all of them for their efforts and accomplishments.
EE Rising Star Award
WINNER
Other Nominees:
I predicted Suraj Sharma, on the basis of him having made an extraordinary debut in Life of Pi. However, everyone else has a more established body of work, and Juno Temple made quite an impression in Killer Joe as well as cropping up in The Dark Knight Rises. I look forward to great things from all of these performers.
Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer
WINNER
The Imposter: Bart Layton, Dimitri Doganis
Other Nominees:
McCullin: David Manos Morris, Jacqui Morris
Wild Bill: Dexter Fletcher, Danny King
Although I have only seen The Muppets out of this group, I would have been surprised at James Bobin picking up the award as there were a lot of other talents that made The Muppets work. Everything about The Imposter sounds remarkable, so hats off to Layton and Doganis.
Best Short Animation
WINNER
The Making of Longbird: Will Anderson, Ainslie Henderson
Other Nominees:
Here to Fall: Kris Kelly, Evelyn McGrath
I’m Fine Thanks: Eamonn O’Neill
Best Short Film
WINNER
Swimmer: Lynne Ramsay, Peter Carlton, Diarmid Scrimshaw
Other Nominees:
The Curse: Fyzal Boulifa, Gavin Humphries
Good Night: Muriel d’Ansembourg, Eva Sigurdardottir
Tumult: Johnny Barrington, Rhianna Andrews
The Voorman Problem: Mark Gill, Baldwin LI
I confess I have seen none of these so have no opinion.
Vincent's Views 