Even if The King’s Speech wasn’t widely regarded as the current Oscar front runner, it would be a shock to no one that it cleaned up at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts film awards this evening. Interesting that they didn’t recognize Tom Hooper as best director though. Check out the full list of winners after the jump.
In other weekend news, a bunch of crap I don’t care about dominated the box office charts while Cedar Rapids opened strong with an average of over $20,000 per screen in 15 theaters. Oscar is also keeping the boats of several best picture nominees afloat. The King’s Speech is off less than 4%, True Grit is down less than 19%, The Fighter is off less than 24% and Black Swan is down 36%.
Also, Blue Valentine starring Ryan Gosling and Oscar nominee Michelle Williams has quietly pulled in over $8 million in its 7 weekends in theaters. That’s a tiny fraction of say, Little Fockers ($147 million), but Blue Valentine didn’t even cost the catering budget of that film.
Now word yet how the Oscar nominated shorts did this year so far.
That’s all I’ve got. It’s your turn.
- Best Film: The King’s Speech
- Outstanding British Film: The King’s Speech
- Director: David Fincher, The Social Network
- Actor: Colin Firth, The King’s Speech
- Actress: Natalie Portman, Black Swan
- Supporting Actor: Geoffrey Rush, The King’s Speech
- Supporting Actress: Helena Bonham Carter, The King’s Speech
- Original Screenplay: David Seidler, The King’s Speech
- Adapted Screenplay: Aaron Sorkin, The Social Network
- Cinematography: Roger Deakins, True Grit
- Editing: Angus Wall & Kirk Baxter, The Social Network
- Original Music: Alexandre Desplat, The King’s Speech
- Animated Film: Toy Story 3
- Film Not in the English Language: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
- Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer: Chris Morris, Four Lions
- Orange Wednesday’s Rising Star: Tom Hardy
- Outstanding British Contribution: The Harry Potter Films
- Special Visual Effects: Inception
- Production Design: Inception
- Costume Design: Alice in Wonderland
- Make-up and Hair: Alice in Wonderland
- Sound: Inception
- Short Animation: The Eagleman Stage
- Short Flim: Until the River Runs Red
Filed under: Awards, The Watercooler
Tags: BAFTA
First, Craig, an answer to the question of how the shorts did at the box office: http://www.indiewire.com/article/box_office_cedar_rapids_scores_strong_debut_oscar_shorts_hit_all-time_high/
The answer is respectable, so that’s a good thing.
Helena Bonham Carter’s BAFTA speech was hilarious.
Not much on the movie front for me this weekend. I did not contribute to anyone’s box office (especially not the Adam Sandler crap, which apparently was number one last time I looked). However, thanks to Netflix stream I was able to watch Night and the City yesterday. Nobody made a noir quite like Dassin, that’s all I have to say.
Night and the City is a great noir, indeed. Widmark’s perfect in the film.
Didn’t see anything in the theaters, either. Via Netflix, I watched Salt and Splice today, which are both completely different yet very similar in one respect: both are absolutely ridiculous. I’m going to talk about it on my podcast this week (it’ll be up on Tuesday), but I admire the latter for existing, even if the movie–well, both movies–wasn’t up to snuff.
Yes, Widmark is really terrific in it.
As I have stated on these boards, NIGHT AND THE CITY is my personal favorite noir of all-time.
With the completion of the Fritz Lang in Hollywood and The Fantastic World of Frantisek Vlacil festivals, a screening of the new anniversary print of John Huston’s The African Queen, and attendance at the critically-praised Korean film Poetry, I had another torrid week, though a step back from the last. The screening of The African Queen included a book-signing of the newest Bogart volume by Stephen Kanter, who also introduced the film. The sole screening of Lang’s Fury was attended by Bruce Goldstein, Film Forum’s esteemed program director.
With Lucille and my two sons Sammy and Danny at my side for a few, I attended the following screenings this week:
Poetry ***** (Lincoln Plaza Cinemas) Saturday evening
Clash by Night ***** (Lang at Film Forum) Monday night
Rancho Notorious **** (Lang at Film Forum) Monday night
House by the River **** 1/2 (Lang at Film Forum) Tuesday night
The Blue Gardinia ** 1/2 (Lang at Film Forum) Tuesday night
You Only Live Once ***** (Lang at Film Forum) Thursday afternoon
You and Me *** 1/2 (Lang at Film Forum) Thursday afternoon
Beyond A Reasonable Doubt **** (Lang at Film Forum) Thursday
Fury **** 1/2 (Lang at Film Forum) Thursday night
The Serpent’s Poison *** 1/2 (Vlacil at Walter Reade) Wednesday
Shadows of a Hot Summer *** 1/2 (Vlacil at Walter Reade) Wednesday
The Shadow of a Fern **** (Vlacil at Walter Reade) Wednesday
The African Queen **** 1/2 (Film Forum) Friday night
Separate and comprehensive posts will be published for bot the Vlacil and Lang Festivals.
As to The African Queen this was the greatest screening I’ve ever enjoyed of this venerated favorite, and much has to do with the ravishing restored print and the intimacy of the Film Forum. Bogart and Hepburn played off each other and delivered performances that are rightly the stuff legends are made of. The famous dialogue, the playful banter, and the irrisistible chemistry between two of Hollywood’s most beloved legends provide for an exceedingly entertaining film that looks and sounds as resplendent as it did when it opened back in 1951.
The Korean film Poetry by Lee Chang-Dong moves on a level rarely attempted not achieved these days, and I dare say it may well be the greatets Korean film ever made. I will restrain myself until I write a review, hopefully for Tuesday posting. I will say up front that Yoon Jeong-hee is utterly magnificent as the female lead, delivering a performance of quiet devastation.
Sorry, the rating for POETRY is:
***** (masterpiece)
The BAFTA win for Fincher — and therefore Hooper’s loss — might be explained by that insttution’s voting procedures. In addition to the 3-round voting process, the full BAFTA membership votes only for best film, best foreign film, and the acting categories. The BAFTA for best director is voted on by directors only.
My theater-going included the Oscar-nominated animated shorts — and this week I plan to see the live action and documentary shorts and, if possible, we’ll squeeze in Cedar Rapids just for fun.
Thanks for that Josh. I’m glad to see they’re improving no last year’s already impressive numbers. Not that these are blockbusters, but it’s great to see enthusiasm for one of the more frequently overlooked corners of film.
As you can see from the above, I didn’t see anything in theaters either. As I screen more and more movies in advance, that leaves fewer for me to catch up on in theaters and less for me to talk about at the Watercooler. I did watch Jimmy Stewart in Winchester ’73 streaming on Netflix. Have I mentioned lately how much I love Netflix streaming even though there are huge gaps in what it offers? That reminds me… I’m overdue for a new Now On Netflix Instant post….
Love Night and the City. I also love the name “Googie Withers” Seriously. Come on! That’s a great name.
Sam, I edited your comment to reflect your enthusiasm for Poetry. I’m glad it was a hit for you. I hope you’ll make an effort to track down the director’s SECRET SUNSHINE which finally had a theatrical run late in 2010.
Also, great lineup of Lang films. Thanks for making me wish I lived in NY instead of LA, though to be fair to the City of Angels there are lots of great movie offerings here and I barely take advantage of a fraction of them.
Pierre, I sort of wish Oscar followed the same procedure for the final vote when it comes to the technical categories like director, editor, cinematographer etc. I think each group is responsible for selecting the nominees, but everyone votes on the final, correct?
Thanks much Craig for revising that entry. POETRY is a tremendous, overwheling film, which I have been thinking about all day.
As far as SECRET SUNSHINE, I just sent on the payment via Pay Pal! Ha!
http://cgi.ebay.com/Secret-Sunshine-Korean-movie-English-Sub-DVD-RARE-/190493610893?pt=US_DVD_HD_DVD_Blu_ray&hash=item2c5a4dd38d
Incredible accomplishments by TKS. It is the first film ever to win both British and Best Film. Not even Slumdog Millionare received both awards. Firth is also the first actor in since the BAFTA united their acting category to win back to back Best Actor awards. Very happy for TSN. I wished Bale had won so it would cement his Oscar vicotry. But it makes for a more compelling and interesting race. This year is so much better than last.
I think each group [in AMPAS] is responsible for selecting the nominees, but everyone votes on the final, correct?
Yes — except for foreign language film, documentary feature, and the short films (animated, live action and documentary), all of which are nominated by committee with more stringent requirements about making sure those who vote have actually seen the films. Best picture is the one category where the entire AMPAS membership nominates.
GL — Eight films have won the BAFTA for both best film and best British film, but the last time this happened until this year was in 1968. From 1969 to 1992, there was no separate award for best British film.