Baftas take the bookies by surprise
Odds were on for British romantic saga Atonement to take the most prizes at the Baftas, but all was not as predicted. The film’s leads, Keira Knightley and James McEvoy, were both nominated for awards for their roles, as was director Joe Wright.
Atonement won Best Film and Best Production Design, but lost out in 12 other categories.
La Vie en Rose, the French film based on the life of singer Edith Piaf, took four awards, including Best Actress for Marion Cotillard. She beat both favourite Julie Christie and Keira Knightley in this category.
Best Actor went to Daniel Day-Lewis for his much-feted role in There Will Be Blood. On collecting his award, Day-Lewis joked that Cotillard’s performance was so impressive that she should get his prize too.
Best Director went to the Coen Brothers for their dark thriller No Country for Old Men, and Javier Bardem’s psychopathic killer won him Best Supporting Actor. He won’t be winning any awards for his character’s daft haircut though, which he admits he hated throughout the shooting and made him a laughing stock.
French movie The Diving Bell and The Butterfly won best adapted screenplay and Juno, the American comedy about a pregnant teenager, won best original screenplay.
The British Academy Film and TV Awards were presented by popular personality Jonathan Ross in Covent Garden, central London.
With last month’s Golden Globes a flop, presented at a press conference instead of the usual starry ceremony, due to the writers’ strike, the BAFTAs were given an added boost. Many Hollywood and international stars, including Charlize Theron, Kevin Spacey, Jeff Goldblum, Harvey Keitel and Kate Hudson, graced the red carpet with their presence and dazzling outfits.
