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Judges split on thrills, spills and romance BAFTA judges appeared not to have made up their minds about what was their undisputed favourite film of the year last night when three movies effectively tied in a finely balanced dead heat. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World and Lost in Translation split most of big awards between them.
Best film was The Lord of the Rings but best director went to Peter Weir for his sea-faring Master and Commander, and both the best acting awards to the principals in the comedy romance Lost in Translation. In a further bout of indecision, three movies achieved more of less comparable success for a joint second place. These were Cold Mountain, which scored two of the less prestigious awards, Love Actually, which won best supporting actor for Bill Nighy, and Touching the Void, which was awarded best British film. The ceremony at the Odeon, Leicester Square, did not run flawlessly. It was interrupted for some minutes because of a problem with the screens showing the films, causing the anxious host Stephen Fry to say that he was going to “vomit”. The Baftas may still be regarded as a mere stepping stone to the mighty Oscars, but no one on either side of the pond has any illusion about the significance of these results. The big loser on the night was Anthony Minghella and his film Cold Mountain, which failed to pick up a single significant scalp apart from Renee Zellweger’s award for Actress in a Supporting Role, and the Anthony Asquith Award for Achievement in Film Music. Hardly the kind of laurels to impress punters at the box office. With no major Oscar nominations to look forward to, Minghella must resign himself to the fact that the biggest film of his career has failed to cut the critical mustard. Scarlett Johansson’s Best Actress Award for Lost In Translation is a poke in the eye of the American Academy who astonishingly failed to nominate her at all. Her prize is sweet vindication for her hypnotic turns in Sofia Coppola’s romantic comedy, and Girl With A Pearl Earring. Arguably the biggest shock was Bill Murray’s award for Best Actor for Lost In Translation. He is on top comic form as a jaded film star in this slight film set in a Tokyo hotel. But the competition was fierce. Sean Penn, nominated for searing performances in 21 Grams and Mystic River, was the favourite. But perhaps the British Academy felt there was simply too much art-house gloom in these unforgivingly bleak films. In fact, the distinguishing feature about this year’s Bafta Awards is the defiant edge of populism about the films that creamed off the top silverware. That Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings won best film, and the Orange Film of the Year (the only award voted for by members of the public), was something of a formality for the epic trilogy that was seven years in the making. Bill Nighy was a shoe-in for his wonderfully indecent portrayal of a cynical rock star in Richard Curtis’s Love Actually. And no one could possibly argue with Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl winning the Make Up and Hair award. But the big winner was Peter Weir by a considerable stretch. Master and Commander picked up four awards — a terrific result for a film whose prospects now look dramatically rosier come the Oscars at the end of the month. Another delighted surprise winner is Kevin MacDonald whose Touching the Void justifiably landed the Alexander Korda Award for Outstanding British Film of the Year. MacDonald’s enthralling recreation of a Peruvian mountain expedition which went wildly wrong faced some of the stiffest and most expensive competition on offer, including Cold Mountain and Love Actually. We can only wait and see how much subconscious influence the Baftas have on the voting members of the American Academy. A new respect and confidence in the British Academy has chimed sweetly with the surging fortunes of our indigenous film industry. But by bringing the Oscars forward a whole month, the friendly competition once enjoyed by these venerable institutions is palpably sharper than it has ever been before. With so many film bodies trying to shift their gongs before the Oscars are declared on February 29, the entire season has been something of a frantic egg and spoon race. Frankly, I can’t wait till it’s all over. AND THE WINNERS THIS YEAR ARE . . . Film: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King British Film: Touching the Void Director: Peter Weir, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World British Director, Producer or Writer in their First Feature Film: Emily Young, writer-director, Kiss of Life Original Screenplay: Tom McCarthy, The Station Agent Adapted Screenplay: Fran Walsh/Philippa Boyens/Peter Jackson, The Lord of the Rings Film (not in English): In This World Actor: Bill Murray, Lost in Translation Actress: Scarlett Johansson, Lost in Translation Supporting Actor: Bill Nighy, Love Actually Supporting Actress: Renée Zellweger, Cold Mountain Music: Gabriel Yared/T-Bone Burnett, Cold Mountain Cinematography: Andrew Lesnie, The Lord of the Rings Editing: Sarah Flack, Lost in Translation Production design: William Sandell, Master and Commander Costume design: Wendy Stites, Master and Commander Sound: Richard King/Doug Hemphill/Paul Massey/Art Rochester, Master and Commander Special Visual Effects: Joe Letteri/Jim Rygiel/Randall William Cook/Alex Funke, The Lord of the Rings Make-up and Hair: Ve Neill/Martin Samuel, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl Short Animation: Sue Goffe/Marc Craste, Jojo in the Stars Short Film: Natasha Carlish / Mark Leveson/Michael Baig Clifford/Geoff Thompson, Brown Paper Bag Academy Fellowship: John Boorman Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema: Working Title films Orange Film of the Year, voted for by the public: The Lord of the Rings
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