Lee Majors + James McAvoy + Keira Knightley: BAFTA Awards

Those looking for hints for the upcoming Academy Awards will be disappointed with the results of the pompous-sounding Orange British Academy of Film & Television Arts. (But check out images of Lee Majors and James McAvoy further below.)

The British-made (with Hollywood financing) romantic melodrama Atonement (top photo), nominated for 14 BAFTAs, was supposed to have swept the awards ceremony, but ended up with only two awards: best production design (Sarah Greenwood and Katie Spencer) and, strangely, best film.

Apparently, the British Academy, much like the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and film festival juries, decided to spread the wealth.

Thus, Atonement was the best film, but the best directed film was No Country for Old Men (Joel and Ethan Coen), while the best written films were Juno (original, Diablo Cody) and the French-language The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (adapted, Ronald Harwood – a brief online search failed to yield any results re: did Harwood actually write the French-language screenplay or did the production get a translator? If so, shouldn’t the translator be credited in some way?).

The films with the best performances were There Will Be Blood (actor, Daniel Day-Lewis), La Vie en Rose (actress, Marion Cotillard, above, lower photo), No Country for Old Men (supporting actor, Javier Bardem), and Michael Clayton (supporting actress, Tilda Swinton).

No Country for Old Men, the favorite for the 2008 Oscars, also took the best cinematography award (Roger Deakins), while La Vie en Rose won three other awards (make-up and hair, costume design – a posthumous win for British-born Marit Allen – and music) – thus becoming the most honored film of the evening. (No non-English-language film has ever amassed the most wins at the Academy Awards.)

In addition to the Atonement disappointment, the other two big surprises at the BAFTA ceremony were Marion Cotillard’s and Tilda Swinton’s victories. Cotillard’s best actress win was particularly stunning because British veteran Julie Christie was in the running. For her performance as a woman suffering from Alzheimer’s in the Canadian drama Away from Her, Christie has already won numerous prizes in the United States, including the Golden Globe and the Screen Actors Guild Award.

Prior to Cotillard, the only performer to win a best actress BAFTA for a role in a non-English-language film was another Frenchwoman, Stéphane Audran, voted best actress for two 1973 releases (in Britain): Luis Buñuel’s The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie and Claude Chabrol’s Just Before Nightfall. (Among the also-rans that year was none other than Julie Christie, for Don’t Look Now.)*

And in case you’re wondering about Atonement being the best film of the year but not the best British film of the year – that honor went to Shane Meadows’ This Is England — well, that’s because the whole BAFTA membership may vote for the best film, but only select jury members get to choose the best British flick of the year.

That’s why last year The Last King of Scotland was named best British film while best British film also-ran The Queen was voted the best film of 2006. It’s a way for the British Academy to boost local product in need of international – or even national – recognition. Especially considering that most of the smaller British films are all but ignored by the general BAFTA membership, who much prefer Hollywood and other well-publicized international fare.

* Prior to 1968, there were “best foreign actress/actor” and “best British actress/actor” BAFTAs.

Orange British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Awards

BAFTA award winners: Feb. 10, 2008.

BEST FILM
AMERICAN GANGSTER – Brian Grazer/Ridley Scott
* ATONEMENT – Tim Bevan/Eric Fellner/Paul Webster
THE LIVES OF OTHERS – Quirin Berg/Max Wiedemann
NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN – Scott Rudin/Joel Coen/Ethan Coen
THERE WILL BE BLOOD – JoAnne Sellar/Paul Thomas Anderson/Daniel Lupi

BEST BEST BRITISH FILM
ATONEMENT – Tim Bevan/Eric Fellner/Paul Webster/Joe Wright/Christopher Hampton
THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM – Frank Marshall/Patrick Crowley/Paul L Sandberg/Paul Greengrass/Tony Gilroy/Scott Z Burns/George Nolfi
CONTROL – Orian Williams/ Todd Eckert/Anton Corbijn/Matt Greenhalgh
EASTERN PROMISES – Paul Webster/Robert Lantos/David Cronenberg/Steve Knight
* THIS IS ENGLAND – Mark Herbert/Shane Meadows

BEST FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY – Kathleen Kennedy/Jon Kilik/Julian Schnabel
THE KITE RUNNER – William Horberg/Walter Parkes/Rebecca Yeldham/Marc Foster
* THE LIVES OF OTHERS – Quirin Berg/Max Wiedemann/Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
LUST, CAUTION – Bill Kong/James Schamus/Ang Lee
LA VIE EN ROSE – Alain Goldman/Olivier Dahan

BEST DIRECTOR
ATONEMENT – Joe Wright
THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM – Paul Greengrass
THE LIVES OF OTHERS – Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
* NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN – Joel and Ethan Coen
THERE WILL BE BLOOD – Paul Thomas Anderson

BEST LEADING ACTOR
GEORGE CLOONEY – Michael Clayton
* DANIEL DAY-LEWIS – There Will Be Blood
JAMES McAVOY – Atonement
VIGGO MORTENSEN – Eastern Promises
ULRICH MÜHE – The Lives of Others

BEST LEADING ACTRESS
CATE BLANCHETT – Elizabeth: The Golden Age
JULIE CHRISTIE – Away From Her
* MARION COTILLARD – La Vie en Rose
KEIRA KNIGHTLEY – Atonement
ELLEN PAGE – Juno

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
* JAVIER BARDEM – No Country for Old Men
PAUL DANO – There Will Be Blood
TOMMY LEE JONES – No Country for Old Men
PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN – Charlie Wilson’s War
TOM WILKINSON – Michael Clayton

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
CATE BLANCHETT – I’m Not There
KELLY MACDONALD – No Country for Old Men
SAMANTHA MORTON – Control
SAOIRSE RONAN – Atonement
* TILDA SWINTON – Michael Clayton

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
AMERICAN GANGSTER – Steven Zaillian
* JUNO – Diablo Cody
THE LIVES OF OTHERS – Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
MICHAEL CLAYTON – Tony Gilroy
THIS IS ENGLAND – Shane Meadows

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
ATONEMENT – Christopher Hampton
* THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY – Ronald Harwood
THE KITE RUNNER – David Benioff
NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN – Joel Coen/Ethan Coen
THERE WILL BE BLOOD – Paul Thomas Anderson

BEST ANIMATED FILM
* RATATOUILLE – Brad Bird
SHREK THE THIRD – Chris Miller
THE SIMPSONS MOVIE – Matt Groening/James L Brooks

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
AMERICAN GANGSTER – Harris Savides
ATONEMENT – Seamus McGarvey
THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM – Oliver Wood
* NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN – Roger Deakins
THERE WILL BE BLOOD – Robert Elswit

BEST EDITING
AMERICAN GANGSTER – Pietro Scalia
ATONEMENT – Paul Tothill
* THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM – Christopher Rouse
MICHAEL CLAYTON – John Gilroy
NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN – Roderick Jaynes

BEST MUSIC
AMERICAN GANGSTER – Marc Streitenfeld
ATONEMENT – Dario Marianelli
THE KITE RUNNER – Alberto Iglesias
THERE WILL BE BLOOD – Jonny Greenwood
* LA VIE EN ROSE – Christopher Gunning

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
* ATONEMENT – Sarah Greenwood/Katie Spencer
ELIZABETH: THE GOLDEN AGE – Guy Hendrix Dyas/Richard Roberts
HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX – Stuart Craig/Stephenie McMillan
THERE WILL BE BLOOD – Jack Fisk/Jim Erickson
LA VIE EN ROSE – Olivier Raoux

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
ATONEMENT – Jacqueline Durran
ELIZABETH: THE GOLDEN AGE – Alexandra Byrne
LUST, CAUTION – Pan Lai
SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET – Colleen Atwood
* LA VIE EN ROSE – Marit Allen

BEST SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS
THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM – Peter Chiang/Charlie Noble/Mattias Lindahl/Joss Williams
* THE GOLDEN COMPASS – Michael Fink/Bill Westenhofer/Ben Morris/Trevor Woods
HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX – Tim Burke/John Richardson/Emma Norton/Chris Shaw
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: AT WORLD’ S END – John Knoll/Charles Gibson/Hal Hickel/John Frazier
SPIDER-MAN 3 – Scott Stokdyk/Peter Nofz/Kee-Suk Ken Hahn/Spencer Cook

BEST SOUND
ATONEMENT – Danny Hambrook/Paul Hamblin/Catherine Hodgson
* THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM – Kirk Francis/Scott Millan/Dave Parker/Karen Baker Landers/Per Hallberg
NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN – Peter Kurland/Skip Lievsay/Craig Berkey/Greg Orloff
THERE WILL BE BLOOD – Christopher Scarabosio/Matthew Wood/John Pritchett/Michael Semanick/Tom Johnson
LA VIE EN ROSE – Laurent Zeilig/Pascal Villard/Jean-Paul Hurier/Marc Doisne

BEST MAKE UP & HAIR
ATONEMENT – Ivana Primorac
ELIZABETH: THE GOLDEN AGE – Jenny Shircore
HAIRSPRAY – Nominees TBC
SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET – Ivana Primorac
* LA VIE EN ROSE – Jan Archibald/Didier Lavergne

BEST SHORT ANIMATION
* THE PEARCE SISTERS – Jo Allen/Luis Cook
HEAD OVER HEELS – Osbert Parker/Fiona Pitkin/Ian Gouldstone
THE CRUMBLEGIANT – Pearse Moore/John McCloskey

BEST SHORT FILM
* DOG ALTOGETHER – Diarmid Scrimshaw/Paddy Considine
HESITATION – Julien Berlan/Michelle Eastwood/Virginia Gilbert
THE ONE AND ONLY HERB MCGWYER PLAYS WALLIS ISLAND – Charlie Henderson/James Griffiths/Tim Key/Tom Basden
SOFT – Jane Hooks/Simon Ellis
THE STRONGER – Dan McCulloch/Lia Williams/Frank McGuinness

THE CARL FOREMAN AWARD for Special Achievement by a British Director, Writer or Producer in their First Feature Film
CHRIS ATKINS (Director/Writer) – Taking Liberties
MIA BAYS (Producer) – Scott Walker: 30 Century Man
SARAH GAVRON (Director) – Brick Lane
* MATT GREENHALGH (Writer) – Control
ANDREW PIDDINGTON (Director/Writer) – The Killing of John Lennon

THE ORANGE RISING STAR AWARD (voted for by the public)
* SHIA LABEOUF
SIENNA MILLER
ELLEN PAGE
SAM RILEY
TANG WEI

Academy Fellowship: Anthony Hopkins

Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema: Property Master Barry Wilkinson

Bafta predictions

Who will win the 2008 Orange British Academy of Film and Television Arts Awards or just plain Baftas 2008 this evening?

Best Film: No Country for Old Men

Best British Film: Atonement

Best Film Not in the English Language: The Lives of Others

Best Director: Joel and Ethan Coen, No Country for Old Men

Best Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis, There Will Be Blood

Best Actress: Julie Christie, Away from Her

Best Supporting Actor: Javier Bardem, No Country for Old Men

Best Supporting Actress: Cate Blanchett, Im Not There

Best Original Screenplay: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, The Lives of Others

Best Adapted Screenplay: Joel and Ethan Coen, No Country for Old Men

Best Animated Feature: Ratatouille

Best Cinematography: Seamus McGarvey, Atonement

Best Editing: Christopher Rouse, The Bourne Ultimatum

Best Music: Jonny Greenwood, There Will Be Blood

Best Production Design: Sarah Greenwood / Katie Spencer, Atonement

Best Costume Design: Jacqueline Durran, Atonement

Best Visual Effects: Tim Burke / John Richardson / Emma Norton / Chris Shaw, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Best Sound: Kirk Francis / Scott Millan / Dave Parker / Karen Baker Landers / Per Hallberg, The Bourne Ultimatum

Best Makeup and Hair: Jenny Shircore, Elizabeth: The Golden Age

Best Short Animation: Head Over Heels, Osbert Parker / Fiona Pitkin / Ian Gouldstone

Best Short Film: Dog Altogether, Diarmid Scrimshaw / Paddy Considine

Carl Foreman Award: Matt Greenhalgh, Control

Orange Rising Star: Ellen Page

BAFTAs: Keira Knightley & Lee Majors + James McAvoy & Anne Marie Duff