BAFTA 2015: Boyhood in pole position as Birdman comes crashing down

Feature by Jamie Dunn | 09 Feb 2015

Stephen Fry was back on full luvvie-presenter mode last night for British film’s annual celebration of cinema and the award results were as tepid as his jokes.

Time was, BAFTA voters’ tastes were quite different from those of the Oscars. When BAFTA was awarding The Pianist the best film prize in 2003, the Academy preferred the razzmatazz of Rob Marshall’s Chicago. Two years later the Brits plumped for the deeply moving Brokeback Mountain, the Americans fell for the deeply manipulative Crash. Not to say the UK voters always get it right. While Oscar was handing out award to modern American classics like No Country for Old Men and The Departed, BAFTA was showing favouritism to British productions like The Queen and Atonement.

Lately, however, by accident or design, BAFTA and Oscar voters have aligned. Their respective best picture winners have been identical since 2008’s Slumdog Millionaire, and last night's win for Richard Linklater’s Oscar favourite Boyhood suggests that trend is going to continue.

Almost all of the awards went as predicted. Three out of four of the acting prizes now look to be sure things. JK Simmons picked up best supporting actor for his blistering turn as a belligerent music teacher in Whiplash, while Patricia Arquette’s poignant performance in Boyhood gets best supporting actor, and Julianne Moore’s mantlepiece must be groaning after another best actress triumph for the yet-to-be-released-in-the-UK Still Alice – those attending Glasgow Film Festival can check the film out on 21 and 22 Feb.

The one acting award that’s slightly in doubt is best actor. Many still fancy Michael Keaton for his wild performance in Birdman as an ageing movie star trying for a comeback on Broadway, but Eddie Redmayne’s win for his stirring portrayal of Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything puts the young Brit in pole position.

Team Birdman had a disappointing night overall. Going in, Alejandro González Iñárritu’s black comedy had ten nominations, but all it walked away with was best cinematography for Emmanuel Lubezki, who helped make the film look like it was shot in one continuous bravura take. Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel, which went into last night’s ceremony with 11 nominations, fared better. While it didn’t pick up many major awards it swept through the minor ones, winning for best costumes, best hair and makeup, best production design and best original music. The candy-coloured crime caper also won Anderson an award for best original screenplay – he’ll be hoping to replicate that feat come Oscar night.

There’s one award that we know for certain will differ from the Oscars: best animation. While the Academy failed to even nominate Phil Lord and Christopher Miller’s riotous LEGO Movie, Bafta voters, to their credit, recognised its brilliance. Let’s hope Oscar throws up a few more curveballs come the big night on 22 Feb.

BAFTA 2015: Boyhood in pole position as Birdman comes crashing down

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Glasgow Film Festival 2015

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The full list of BAFTA winners is below: