From the minute the Leicester rockers were announced as BAFTAs 2015 opening act, you sensed this wouldn’t end too well. Guitarist Serge Pizzorno even admitted as much to The Sun. “We’re going to start the night off with a huge explosion,” he said. “We’re going to play everything twice as loud. Half the people there won’t have a clue what is going on.
Thankfully there was no explosion, but he got the second part right. The assembled bow-tied movie stars – or “penguins”, as Pizzorno referred to them – adopted either rictus grins or looks of sheer bewilderment as the band played their song Bumblebee while scenes from the Bafta-nominated films played on a screen behind them. Natalie Dormer’s face summed it all as she looked totally perplexed by the ill-conceived song for this event. The onstage string quartet and Pizzorno’s “ironic” black tie attire – a white T-shirt emblazoned with the words “black tie” – didn’t stop the merciless rock critics of Twitter: “Drummer and bassist from Kasabian clearly thinking “Why can’t we just look NICE for once.”
The red carpet was a collection of amazing frocks and natural disasters, and also full of people with NOTHING to do with the film industry whatsoever! Yes, we expect the odd guest here and there, but it’s the British premier film awards! There seemed to be so many randoms with a zilch interest in films. There are talented actors out there -even famous ones- that would sell their mothers to be there. Yet, we had random non-showbiz ‘fringe journalists’ AKA ‘bloggers’, -amongst others- who had no intention of covering the event, yet clogging up the red carpet queueing up waiting to be photographed delaying the real stars of the event! This helped cause a huge jam which resulted in a messy carpet with even the big names being rushed through. Ridiculous!
I was disappointed that Tom Cruise and Martin Freeman didn’t grace the red carpet. They either arrived late or didn’t want to upstage the other talent? Strange.
Eddie Redmayne laid serious claim to Oscar glory after scooping the best actor Bafta for his role as Professor Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything.
The Old Etonian described the win for the film – which also took outstanding British film and best adapted screenplay – as “one of the best nights of my life”. He now moves firmly up the list of frontrunners to win an Academy Award later this month.
America also reaped its share of the glory with coming-of-age drama Boyhood named the best film, Richard Linklater landing best director and Patricia Arquette best supporting actress.
Julianne Moore, who was named best actress for her role in Still Alice as an academic with Alzheimer’s, described the awards season as “like going to a wedding every weekend where you’re the bride”.
Indie maverick Wes Anderson’s off-kilter comedy The Grand Budapest Hotel notched up the biggest tally of awards with five, including costume design, production design, make-up and original music with Anderson winning his first Bafta for original screenplay.
Intense drumming drama Whiplash also took three awards – for editing, sound and a widely-predicted best supporting actor for JK Simmons as a draconian music tutor.
Losers included the heavily-fancied WWII code-breaking drama The Imitation Game, with Benedict Cumberbatch as cryptologist Alan Turing.
Prof Hawking had earlier appeared on stage to present the award for special visual effects, alongside leading actress nominee Felicity Jones, which went to Christopher Nolan ‘s sci-fi blockbuster Interstellar.
Jones quipped she was with the “only person on the planet more intelligent than Stephen Fry”.
Prof Hawking responded: “Yes, and better looking.”
The outstanding debut award went to Stephen Beresford and David Livingstone for British drama Pride, the true story of London gay and lesbian activists who supported striking Welsh miners in the 1980s.
In a sharp riposte to the Academy Awards – for which it was not nominated – The Lego Movie was named best animated film. Filmmakers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller described the award “awesome”, joking: “You are our favourite academy by far.”
Unbroken and ’71 actor Jack O’Connell won the Rising Star award, the only one of the gongs to be voted for by the public.
What is truly baffling is that during the traditional compilation of clips dedicated to actors and film industry figures who’ve died in the last year, Bafta quite rightly went to town on the likes of Richard Attenborough, Lauren Bacall, Mike Nichols, and Robin Williams. They also found room for Malik Bendjelloul, director of the documentary Searching For Sugarman. But there was absolutely no mention of Bob Hoskins, who died in April 2014. Not only is Hoskins one of the most beloved actors this country has ever produced, he’s also a former Bafta winner – as many furious Hoskins fans on Twitter were quick to point out. No mention of Rik Mayall either!!! What were they thinking?!
I truly believe, that although very talented as an actor, Stephen Fry needs to be replaced forthwith as the presenter. The jokes just don’t cut it anymore, and we need freshness and new wit. First he confused Patricia Arquette with her sister Rosanna; he did a Stephen Hawking impression – “That was really super” – that fell flat in every possible way; then, for good measure, he compared himself to Martin Luther King. Mostly, though, he joked about himself. You’re a great talent Stephen, but you’re not presenting a game show.
Although the show, in general, is OK being almost a dry run for the Oscars, the problem is that it is NOT LIVE! It has a 2-hour delay! Why?!
Everyone checking online will know the winners before its announced on TV! Heck, I knew the winners before it was announced online. It can be that predictable at times. So I did have a little inside info, but still, the delay is inexcusable. There are no surprises, no excitement as people in the auditorium and watching at home will know the results by simply checking their phones. This is absurd.
