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| Olivia Colman holds the award for leading actress for her performance in ‘The Favourite’ at the British Academy of Film and Television Awards (BAFTA) at the Royal Albert Hall in London, Britain, February 10, 2019. REUTERS/Toby Melville |
Costume romp โThe Favouriteโ was the biggest winner at the BAFTAs on Sunday, taking seven awards, but Netflix black and white film โRomaโ picked up the Best Film prize, as well as Director, at Britainโs top movie honors.
Alfonso Cuaronโs semi-autobiographical film, about a domestic worker in 1970s Mexico, has won a string of prizes this awards season, further cementing its path to potential Oscar success.
On Sunday, the critically-acclaimed movie had four wins, including Cinematography and Film Not In The English Language.
โTo see a film about an indigenous domestic worker embraced this way in an age when fear and anger propose to divide us means the world to me,โ Cuaron said as he accepted the Best Film prize.
โReverting back to a world of separation and isolation is not a solution to anything,โ Cuaron added, at a time when U.S. President Donald Trump is demanding a wall be built on the U.S. border with Mexico.
Cuaron thanked Netflix for getting behind the film, which is in Spanish and has garnered 10 Oscar nominations, including for Best Picture, a major recognition for the streaming service.
โIf they do good movies, they should be recognizedโฆIโm very happy that theyโre embracing diversity โฆ in a time in which the theatrical experience had become so gentrified,โ Cuaron said on the red carpet about Netflix.
โI just hope that this opens up the game. And what is very needed is a balance between the two economic models โ the theaters and the (streaming) platforms, because thatโs only going to be good for cinema.โ
Period drama โThe Favouriteโ, in which Olivia Colman stars as Britainโs 18th century Queen Anne, won seven BAFTAs, including Outstanding British film, Original Screenplay, Production Design, Costume Design and Make Up and Hair.
Colman, who portrays the monarch as frail and tempestuous, won the Leading Actress category, a victory that had been expected by many. Her co-star Rachel Weisz scooped up the Supporting Actress prize, an award for which fellow โThe Favouriteโ star Emma Stone was also nominated.
โWeโre having an amazing night arenโt we. Weโre going to get so (drunk) later,โ Colman told her fellow โThe Favouriteโ nominees as she picked up the award to loud cheers.
โAs far as Iโm concerned, all three of us are the same and should be the leadโฆThis is for all three of us. Itโs got my name on it, but we can scratch in some other names.โ
Rami Malek took the Leading Actor prize for his portrayal of late Queen frontman Freddie Mercury in โBohemian Rhapsodyโ, adding to his Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Award wins for the role. He paid tribute to Mercury in his acceptance speech.
The BAFTAs, held at Londonโs Royal Albert Hall, drew Hollywood stars including โA Star Is Bornโ actor and director Bradley Cooper and โMary Queen of Scotsโ nominee Margot Robbie, walking a chilly red carpet. Britainโs Prince William, who is president of BAFTA, and his wife Kate also attended.
Cooper picked up the Original Music prize for โA Star Is Bornโ, while Adapted Screenplay went to Spike Leeโs โBlacKkKlansmanโ.
Mahershala Ali took the Supporting Actor prize for his role in โGreen Bookโ, set in the segregated U.S. South in the early 1960s.
