BAFTAs 2010

Isn't Jonathan Ross the most objectionable, sychophantic, juvenille and irritating human being you have ever seen and, sadly, heard? Really, take a few moments to think of someone who is less deserving of his position in society and you would be hard pressed...which is exactly what should happen to Ross, he should be pressed, very hard by something very heavy.



Apart from the horror of Ross giggling at his own jokes, attempting to buddy up to the assembled A listers and generally behaving like a total git the BAFTA awards managed to bring a little glimmer of hope into my life...they didn't give the best picture award to "Avatar" or best director to James Cameron. Both of these are good things, especially if they are repeated at the Oscars. Fingers crossed boys and girls.



Best film went to "The Hurt Locker" or, as I rather unkindly called it when I saw it at last years EIFF, "Dude, Where's My War". Having seen the film again since then I think I may have been overly critical but whatever my reservations it was a film about something important with well drawn characters and emotional depth, unlike...well, I'm sure you can guess. I was also pleased that director Kathryn Bigelow won for best director...a female director working in a male dominated world and producing a very masculine film; she deserved her award.

Colin Firth picked up the award for best actor and I can't say that I disagreed with that. His turn in "A Single Man" was excellent and, although again, I didn't particularly love the film he was impressive. The same could not be said for the winner of the best actress which went to simpering public school girl Carey Mulligan who played...a simpering public schoolgirl in "An Education". How anyone could take to this wet blanket of an "actress" who makes Kiera Knightly look animated is beyond me. Anyone with a heart and a modicum of understanding of film could see that Katie Jarvis in "Fish Tank" was the outstanding female performer of the year.

The two awards which pleased me the most were Duncan Jones who picked up Outstanding Debut for "Moon" which was one of my favourite films of last year and "Fish Tank" winning for best British film...which it was...by a mile...so there.

My one major complaint would be the insistence on ghettoising films by not allowing the years outstanding picture, "A Prophet", to be judged alongside English language films. "A Prophet" in any language was the best film of the year...it was devastatingly beautiful (not easy to achieve when most of the film is shot inside a colourless prison), totally convincing and contained performances that outshone any of those in the English language nominees. However, the fact that it won for best film in a foreign language is some consolation.

Overall the BAFTA awards were given to worthy winners and if they are replicated at the Oscars film fans the world over will be happy enough...especially if you know who for you know what walks away with only a couple of technical awards.