Monday 14 March 2022 1:35 pm

Good BAFTA, Bad BAFTA: Whose Oscar Race Is Heating Up?

Last night’s BAFTA handed out their film awards in the first in-person ceremony in two years. Australian star Rebel Wilson hosted the awards, with winners that were surprisingly competitive. Dune led the pack with five wins in technical categories, while fellow front runners CODA, The Power of The Dog and West Side Story came away with two each. Kenneth Branagh’s critically adored Belfast came away with just one, albeit the prestigious Outstanding British Film Award.

The BAFTAs are a big name on the awards circuit, particularly since the decline of The Golden Globes, but ultimately they are one of the stops on the road to the Academy Awards at the end of the month. The winners here are often a good indication of who will come away with an Oscar, so who can be confident moving forward, and whose hopes took another hit?

Good BAFTA: Jane Campion and The Power of The Dog

New Zealand filmmaker Campion took Best Director and Best Film for her glorious Western, which will presumably be a blow for actor Sam Elliott who made headlines for his thoughts on the film during a podcast interview.

The Power of The Dog adds the award to its Golden Globe and numerous Critics’ Awards, meaning it must be in a confident mood heading into the Oscars. Little is certain in the awards race, but this will keep Netflix’s drama on the lips of fans (and voters).

Bad BAFTA: Benedict Cumberbatch

Despite the success of the film he stars in, this is another award ceremony where Benedict Cumberbatch goes away empty handed. Although he is at the centre of the film’s story, his turn as vindictive rancher Phil Burbank has yet to win him any major awards, losing at the Screen Actor Guild, Golden Globes and now BAFTAs to the same man (more on that later). He may yet own the box office with the forthcoming Doctor Strange sequel, but it seems that this may not be his year awards-wise.

Good BAFTA: Will Smith

The man who took those Globe and SAG awards had a busy night. Will Smith couldn’t be in London to pick up his Best Actor BAFTA… as he was in LA picking up the Critic’s Circle equivalent, the sign of a man on a winning streak. His powerful portrayal of Richard Williams in King Richard has won a lot of fans, and while Oscar likes to throw some shocks into the mix, it would take a hard heart to deny one of the world’s favourite movie stars his moment.

The 53-year-old led an impressive night for actors of colour, with No Time To Die’s Lashana Lynch winning the Rising Star Award, and Latin-American actress Ariana DeBose winning Best Supporting Actress for West Side Story.

Bad BAFTA: James Bond

This year’s awards had a Bond theme, and a wonderful opening number from Dame Shirley Brassey. However, No Time To Die only won one of its five nominations (for Best Editing), with BAFTA passing on the opportunity to honour Daniel Craig’s last ride in the tuxedo with Outstanding British Film (Lashana Lynch’s Rising Star win was for her personal career achievements). The 25^th 007 adventure was one of the few highlights in another spotty year for cinemas, but that success didn’t translate into multiple awards.

Good BAFTA: CODA

Apple’s heart-warming family drama isn’t a household name, but those who have seen it have heralded the story of a young woman who is torn between her love for singing and her responsibilities as the sole hearing member of a deaf family. The glorious Troy Kotsur won Best Supporting Actor for his role as Frank, the father of Emilia Jones’ lead, becoming the first deaf actor to win a BAFTA. The film’s writer-director, Sian Heder, also took home an award for her screenplay. With all the concerning news at the moment, an uplifting story of family love may be hitting its stride at just the right time.

Bad BAFTA: JK Rowling.

Jokes about current affairs were made throughout the show – host Rebel Wilson had barbs for Vladimir Putin and Prince Andrew, while The Batman actor Andy Serkis made comments about Priti Patel’s immigration policy while presenting Best Director. Author JK Rowling had a particularly bad night, as she continues to be a divisive figure due to accusations of Transphobia.

“I might look a bit different from the last time you saw me here” Wilson says, referencing her pandemic weight loss. “I’ve done quite a transformation — I hope J.K. Rowling still approves.” The most surprising dig, however, came from an ex-Hogwarts student. Wilson introduced Emma Watson as a presenter, saying “she calls herself a feminist, but we all know she’s a witch”. Once arriving on stage, the former Hermoine Granger replied “I’m here for ALL of the witches, by the way”, interpreted as a slight at the Fantastic Beasts writer.

BAFTA WINNERS IN FULL:

BEST FILM – The Power of The Dog

DIRECTOR – Jane Campion (The Power of The Dog )

OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM – Belfast

LEADING ACTRESS – Joanna Scanlan (After Love)

LEADING ACTOR – Will Smith (King Richard)

SUPPORTING ACTRESS – Ariana DeBose

SUPPORTING ACTOR – Troy Kotsur (CODA)

ANIMATED FILM – Encanto

PRODUCTION DESIGN – Dune

DOCUMENTARY – Summer of Soul (Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised)

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY – Paul Thomas Anderson (Licorice Pizza)

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY – Siân Heder (CODA)

FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE – Drive My Car