The BAFTAs 2012

For me, the BAFTAs are better than the Oscars. Why?

The reasons, in no particular order are
- the show is in London ( although I am not at the Covent Gardem Royal Opera, I'm still technically within an 50 mile radius from the stars )
- everything involving this particular ceremony is stylish, with a lot of class and elegance and gratitude. People don't show up for the glamour or the gossip, they are trully honouring the work- well, most of them anyway
- the BAFTAs usually get it right when it comes to nominations, and the winners are much more appreciated and agreed upon than the Oscars in most cases- LATER EDIT: no, they don't, this year they drooled at the feet of Artist!
- The ceremony is short and very well timed (short speeches, no breaks?)
- I simply love the British accent and 99% of the people, plus the British actors are not only immensly talented, but also very attractive.

LATER EDIT: I maybe be wrong! But it's still one spot ahead of the Oscars in my book, just for sentimental value! :)

Of course the Oscars have their charm, but it's not 26th of February yet, so let's focus on tonight, shall we?

WINNERS: 


Special Visual Effects – Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows II   Well deserved and a nice way to pay tribute to one of the best and most loved films&franchise out there


Short Film – Pitch Black Heist  It apparently features Michael Fassbender, so I guess I am happy?!


Short Animation – A Morning Stroll  No idea what so ever here, sorry!


Original Music – The Artist (Ludovic Bource)  No surprise here!


Sound – Hugo


Editing – Senna (Gregers Sall, Chris King)  Some say it is a surprise, but maybe it's because they haven't seen Senna! If they had, they would have known it is deserving of its award.


Cinematography – The Artist (Guillaume Schiffman)  A little bit dissapointed, there were better options there, but still a good choice!


Costume Design – The Artist (Mark Bridges)  why would you give an award to a Black&White movie set in the 1920s, an era from which you can easily get costumes in every thrift store? I would have given this to superhero movies, or Harry Potter or period movies, someone who created and innovated, not to the Artist!


Make Up & Hair – The Iron Lady (Mark Coulier, J. Roy Helland, Marese Langan)  Again, seriously? for putting on make up on one woman? what about the other nominees, surely we can find better? They are starting to piss me off!


Film Not in the English Language – The Skin I Live In   And with that, my faith is restored! I know it's a snub for A Separation and most will be shocked, but I am pleasantly surprised!


Outstanding Debut – Tyrannosaur Very happy with this one, as well, the movie is fantastic and it features the best performances I have seen in a while! See it if you have a chance!


Production Design – Hugo (Dante Ferretti, Francesca Lo Schiavo)  Another rightful winner, Hugo was visually beautiful


Supporting Actor – Christopher Plummer (Beginners)  That was, probably, the most predictable award of the night, and I am glad he won, although I haven't seen the film! He is such a charming, elegant, nice man!


Outstanding British Film – Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy   Good choice- I would liked to see Shame get something, but TTSS is a fantastic movie, with great performances, so I approve! :)


Supporting Actress – Octavia Spencer (The Help)   I would have loved a surprise here, but no, still Octavia Spencer!


Original Screenplay – The Artist   Are you fucking kidding me? Best Original Screenplay? For a classic romantic comedy, but set in the 1920s, without words or serious plot or character development???? seriously? This is just crazy, I cannot understand it! Yes, The Artist is original in music, or production design, or for the fact it is black and white and silent, but for screenplay? Come on!


Outstanding Contribution to British Cinema- John Hurt   Congratulations Mister Hunt and thank you for everything!


Orange Rising Star – Adam Deacon  Ok,so I have never seen Adam Deacon act, so maybe I am wrong and he is brilliant, but how dare you snub Loki, the wonderful Tom Hiddleston? Aghh...this is getting frustrating! Who is this guy and how many fans can he possibly have?


Documentary – Senna This ceremony is going up and down, I feel worn out! Now it's up for Senna and special mention to Paul Bettany presenting!


Adapted Screenplay – Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy Interesting choice, but I have to agree!


Animated Film – Rango


Director – Michel Hazanavicius  Tom Hooper all over again! His directing wasn't nearly as exciting as Hugo or Shame or Drive, but hey, it's The Artist!


Leading Actress – Meryl Streep (The Iron Lady) Love the Cinderella moment, and she is always was funny and sweet!

Leading Actor – Jean Dujardin (The Artist)   Wow, I really thought a Brit will get this! I'm so sorry for Fassbender and Oldman! That kinda means he is getting the Oscar, which I am not happy about! 


Best Film – The Artist   That was a shocker...not! AM I THE ONLY ONE SICK OF THE ARTIST?


Academy Fellowship- Martin Scorsese  Deserved, indeed, very happy for him!




Best line of the night: "I would just like to thank the Artist for not being adapted from a book!"-Peter Straughan receiving the award for Best Adapted Screenplay---you and me, both, Peter!


Most overused, overappreciated, cocky bastard of the night: Michel Hazanavicius! These awards are getting to his head, I think I saw him on stage 4 or 5 times, if not more, and always with a slightly cocky attitude! 




Overall, I am dissapointed in most of the winners, as Artist easily wins the big categories (I am already getting sick of it and all that involves or mentions the word Artist), so should I be even watching the Oscars? We all know what will happen! 


It was a nice evening, rather boring, but interesting! Stephen Fry was very reserved and gratious, the opposite of Ricky Gervais, but I liked him!


What do you guys think of the winners? 

Tyrannosaur[2011] + Q&A w/ Director and Actress

A couple of days ago, I had the pleasure of seeing Tyrannosaur, the directorial debut of Paddy Considine, a talented British actor, known for his In America role. After the screening we were lucky enough to have Paddy and Olivia Colman, the lead actress, for a Q&A, but more about that later.

This film is considered to be one of, if not the best feature of British cinema in 2011. It tells the story of Joseph(Peter Mullan), a lonely and angry man who crosses paths with Hanna (Olivia Colman), a religious woman who suffers from domestic abuse (her husband, James, is played by Eddie Marsan).

We first see Joseph getting out of a bar/club, swearing and kicking evrything in his way, including his dog. He continues displaying his anger throughout the movie, going in and out of it, but we can always see a hint of regret, a flicker of humanity in him; he is a tormented man, who needs affection- he is constantly looking for a companion, even if it's his dying father, his much younger neighbour or the lady from the charity shop.

When Hanna comes into the his life, not judging or asking weird inappropriate questions, he feels relieved, but is also strangely attracted to the kindness of the woman. They both are, after all, messed up souls, looking for love, attention and safety. As expected, the two grow closer, but it isn't because of love- their connection is formed based on tragic events. I won't go into details, I 'll just say that, later on, the movie had one of the most dramatic and disturbing scenes I've seen lately, and it "hit" me, and probably others, as well, so hard, because of the sense of reality it displayed. It was sad, but you knew that it could happen to anyone, and it is, actually, happening right now to women all around the world.

Performance-wise, it is fantastic- Peter Mullan and Eddie Marsan are both forces of nature and deliver gut-wrenching performances (especially Eddie Marsan), but Olivia Colman is the one who shines. Her vulnerability, her desperation, everything about her portrayal of Hanna is spot on and very touching, giving a lasting impression on the audience.

Paddy Considine did a proper job with the directing and writing, especially the latter, as the movie script is one of its strong points. It had a very realistic feel to it and set a dark mood, starting with the lighting, sets and costumes, all the way through the dialogue and scenes. Special mention to the music and sound editing part, as it was remarcable and very good.

Tyrannosaur is a wonderful dramatic movie, that I highly recommend!

The Q&A after the screening started with roaring applause for the director, and especially for Olivia Colman, the lead actress. It was very informative and entertaining. Considine is a great guy, a straight-forward, no-bullshit kind of guy, who didn't have a problem saying "Fuck you Cameron" in response to a question regarding the prime minister's latest declarations. He talked about the idea for the script, his interaction with domestic abuse and how it all started, the fact that it was cronologically filmed in order to help the actors and so on. Olivia Colman is one of the sweetest, nicest women in the business and talked about the way she prepared for the role, how she got it, the time spent on set and gave us more details about the dramatic scene I was telling you about earlier. She even gracefully said a few words about her Bafta snub, although she didn't seem to upset about it at all.

Overall, it was a great experience- thank you Prince Charles Cinema! No publicity, I still had to pay for my ticket, but the cinema really is something else, I suggest you go there sometime!

p.s. The DVD/Blu-Ray is out today, go get it now!