The other performances fared better, though not by much. Hannah Waddingham’s slowed-down rendition of “Time After Time” for the In Memoriam package didn’t quite work, and Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s oddly costumed and choreographed “Murder on the Dancefloor” fell a little flat, too. Clara Amfo, who was sitting in the aisle in front of me, was gamely dancing along to the latter, but literally no one else was. All I’ll say is, I’m glad it wasn’t Cirque du Soleil again (a BAFTAs favorite), but surely we can do better. With both Ryan Gosling and Dua Lipa in attendance, couldn’t we have gotten some sort of “Dance the Night” and “I’m Just Ken” mash-up?
The evening’s MVPs included, in no particular order: Paul Mescal, Andrew Scott, Keegan-Michael Key, Hugh Grant, and the dog from Anatomy of a Fall
The loudest screams of the evening from across the auditorium were reserved for All of Us Strangers’s Paul Mescal and Andrew Scott, who did little more than walk on stage and charmingly present best animated Film. (I also enjoyed how they gently held each other as they walked out of the spotlight.)
As for who got the biggest laughs on a not-especially-funny night? I enjoyed Andy Serkis’s extended dog-related gag; Hugh Grant got the audience award for best and most concise award-presenter preamble with his Oompa-Loompa rhyme; and, in a moment that was—outrageously—omitted from the broadcast, Keegan-Michael Key did an extremely funny British accent before presenting the best production design award. Someone get this man to host an awards show, stat. Also, the fact that Nick Mohammed’s segment was shown on BBC One, while this was not? The mind reels. Oh, and another big laugh was reserved for Messi, the dog from Anatomy of a Fall, who popped up on the screen alongside his co-stars when the nominees for best casting were being shown. (Sadly, Cynthia Arra, the casting director responsible for his involvement, lost out to The Holdovers’s Susan Shopmaker in that category.) As awards season continues—and following a viral appearance at the recent Oscar nominees luncheon—Messi remains his film’s secret weapon when it comes to its best-picture campaign.
The screenplay category frontrunners have officially emerged
In a highly competitive year for both original and adapted screenplays, Anatomy of a Fall’s Justine Triet and Arthur Harari and American Fiction’s Cord Jefferson have been looking increasingly like the respective frontrunners—and BAFTA cemented this narrative. Triet and Harari were the perfect comedic double act, with the latter telling the room that if anything happens to him in the future, they should probably suspect foul play. Then there was Jefferson, who seemed overwhelmed, and spoke on the importance of taking risks in a risk-averse industry. Both wins and speeches were received rapturously in the room and will—I sincerely hope—be replicated on the Oscar stage soon enough.
Meanwhile, the acting races were a tale of two halves
After his BAFTA win, Oppenheimer’s Robert Downey Jr. looks unstoppable in the best-supporting-actor race, and has now perfected his particular brand of very funny and slightly self-deprecating acceptance speeches. Da’Vine Joy Randolph, the frontrunner for best supporting actress at the Oscars, is surely a lock, too, and gave one of her best speeches to date, combining some flirty banter with Chiwetel Ejiofor with a teary tribute to Paul Giamatti. Of her character in The Holdovers, she movingly said: “There have been countless Marys throughout history, who have never got the chance to wear a beautiful gown and stand on a stage here in London. Telling her story is a responsibility I do not take lightly.” Again, like Downey Jr., Randolph has riffed off of a few common themes in her awards season speeches so far, but as time goes on, she has become more eloquent and quicker to inspire tears in her audience. Both victories were lapped up by the BAFTAs crowd—and I, for one, expect even better speeches from the pair come the Academy Awards on March 10.
Source link
