There is awards momentum… and then there is a steamroller. The Artist simply and silently steamrollered the opposition at the 2012 BAFTAs, snaring 7 gongs in the process, including Best Film, Director and Actor.
The Artist is the first truly foreign film to win the top BAFTA since Jean de Florette in 1988 (although I concede that Polanski’s The Pianist won in 2003, but that’s shot in English with a mainstream English-speaking lead). Jean Dujardin becomes the first foreign (ie English is not his first language) winner of the Best Actor gong since Roberto Benigni, and the first French winner since Philippe Noiret in 1990 (for Cinema Paradiso).
With £5.3m at the UK box office (already more than Hugo), it’s unclear how much further a black and white, silent French film can go. With two weeks to go until the Oscars, my estimate is that The Artist will cross the £10m barrier, but I can’t see it matching erstwhile BAFTA rival TTSS’s £14.1m.
The British spy story joined Hugo, and The Iron Lady on two gongs apiece. The latter meant Meryl Streep’s first BAFTA since 1981.
Also picking up two awards was Senna: not only did it win Best Documentary but also Best Editing. Given it’s rather skewed look at F1 history, I’m surprised it qualified as a documentary!
Christopher Plummer predictably secured the Best Supporting Actor award for his role in Beginners, taking the number of awards he has won from that film to 14, with two more possible wins to come before awards season ends. It means Plummer has a 100% BAFTA record: he’s only been nominated once, and he’s converted that to the win.
Shock of the night? The Skin I Live In beating A Separation. That's just bizarre.
The Artist: Film, Actor, Director, Original Screenplay, Cinematography, Costume, Original Score
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy: Adapted Screenplay, British Film
The Iron Lady: Actress, Make-up & Hair
Senna: Documentary, Editing
Hugo: Production Design, Sound
Beginners: Supporting Actor
The Help: Supporting Actress
Rango: Animated Film
The Skin I Live In: Foreign Film
Harry Potter 8: Visual Effects
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Very pleased for The Artist, an original idea executed superbly.
The disappointing return for Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy was interesting, and I put it down to:
1. The original TV adaptation was very good, so why the need for a film remake.
2. There's recently been an overload of films or TV series shot in 'period 1970s Britain', eg. Damned United, Red Riding.
3. Because of 1 and 2, TTSS simply didn't feel that fresh or inspired, in contrast to The Artist.
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