Film, Fashion, and Fundamental Rights: BAFTA 2018 Highlights From London
Film, Fashion, and Fundamental Rights: BAFTA 2018 Highlights From London
Angelina Jolie in Ralph & Russo
Photo: Courtesy of BAFTA/Charlie Clift
Jennifer Lawrence
Photo: Courtesy of BAFTA/Charlie Clift
Margot Robbie
Photo: Courtesy of BAFTA/Charlie Clift
Sally Hawkins
Photo: Courtesy of BAFTA/Charlie Clift
Octavia Spencer
Photo: Courtesy of BAFTA/Charlie Clift
Greta Gerwig
Photo: Courtesy of BAFTA/Charlie Clift
Andrea Riseborough
Photo: Courtesy of BAFTA/Charlie Clift
Lily James
Photo: Courtesy of BAFTA/Charlie Clift
Gary Oldman
Photo: Courtesy of BAFTA/Charlie Clift
Martin McDonagh
Photo: Courtesy of BAFTA/Charlie Clift
Gemma Arterton
Photo: Courtesy of BAFTA/Charlie Clift
Guillermo del Toro
Photo: Courtesy of BAFTA/Charlie Clift“This time, the chick ain’t losing.” The steely words of Mildred Hayes, played by the immutable Frances McDormand in the bleak tragicomedy Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, have never felt more pointed. The film itself was triumphant last night, winning five statues at the BAFTA Film Awards, including Best Film, Best British Film (director Martin McDonagh has duel British and Irish citizenship), and Best Actress for the independent 60-year-old McDormand, who chose not to wear the unofficial Time’s Up black dress code, opting instead for a pink print. “I have a little trouble with compliance, but I stand in solidarity with my sisters. Power to the people!” she said, seemingly still in character from the film. Now with her BAFTA accolade, the actress has won nearly every notable award—Academy, Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild, Emmy, and Tony.
The awards were held at the Royal Albert Hall, not only one of London’s grandest venues, but also one that played a pivotal role in the women’s suffrage campaign. Affectionately named a “Temple of Liberty,” it hosted huge women’s suffrage meetings representing both the suffragist (the law-abiding nonmilitant) women led by Millicent Fawcett and the suffragette (the militant) campaigners led by Emmeline Pankhurst. So, 100 years of the women’s vote was celebrated alongside a year of glorious cinema.
The evening started with an enchanting performance by Cirque du Soleil, paying tribute to the amphibious romance in The Shape of Water. Known for her British cut-class tones and Absolutely Fabulous expressions (“Darling!” “Sweetie!”), there was no better choice by the Academy than the superb Joanna Lumley for the new host of the 71st BAFTA awards (incidentally, she has just celebrated her own 71st birthday). Her hilarious opening skit, a film inviting her friends “Hughie” (Hugh Grant) and “Winnie” (Gary Oldman as Churchill) to join her for her hosting debut, drolly poked fun at the luvvies and the lore of the British arts. “You’re all winners, darlings—and if you believe that, you’ll believe anything,” she declared impishly.
Lumley jokingly gave Sir Daniel Day-Lewis the design credit for her chic superhero cape (although the Phantom Thread’s Mark Bridges would take the mask for best costumes), but dramatic capes were also spotted on Swedish actress Rebecca Ferguson (gently concealing her bump) and Angelina Jolie (in showstopping velvet). Jolie also showed that your plus one can be your most powerful statement, arriving with Loung Ung, the Cambodian-American human rights activist (Jolie’s film adaptation of Ung’s book, First They Killed My Father, was nominated this evening for Best Film Not in the English Language, but lost to The Handmaiden). The ineffable Gemma Arterton, who won West End acclaim for her role in Made in Dagenham, a dramatization of the 1968 Ford sewing machinists’ strike, took two of the original pioneers to the event.
“On a legendary day and stage celebrating women, I stand here to celebrate men,” deadpanned Salma Hayek (wearing a crystal rose-embellished Gucci dress) before announcing the Best Actor. It was Gary Oldman for his portrayal of Winston Churchill in the Darkest Hour, and he stood to a rousing ovation from the Brits in the audience. The Best Supporting Actress nominee Allison Janney (currently having quite a fashion moment as cover star of The Gentlewoman magazine) said that this awards season is “an important time, one I never thought I’d see in my lifetime.”
Awareness on all levels was at the forefront of the entire evening: “I am a product of arts funding in the U.K.,” declared Get Out’s Rising Star recipient Daniel Kaluuya, winning for his stellar performance in the acclaimed horror. The 28-year-old actor beat out stiff competition from Florence Pugh, Josh O’Connor, Timothée Chalamet, and Tessa Thompson in the category, which was voted for by the British public. Best director went to the charming auteur Guillermo del Toro, who thanked Mary Shelley, author of Frankenstein.
And in the sophisticated and powerful sea of black ensembles, Margot Robbie, in Brit Clare Waight Keller’s Givenchy couture gown and disheveled lob haircut, was mesmerizing, as was the inescapable sparkle of Black Panther actress Letitia Wright’s bee-embellished Gucci velvet column. Wearing black would have been against royal protocol, because it would have been perceived as a political statement, ergo the Duchess of Cambridge’s choice of the deep olive green Jenny Packham with a black sash. It was a safe and nuanced nod to the mood of the moment.
The supportive cheers flowed until the crowd took a moment to remember the talents lost by the industry this year. The brilliant young cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason took to the Royal Albert Hall stage to perform an emotional rendition of “Evening of Roses” with four of his siblings. After Prince William gave the final address, everyone made haste to a late-night supper of slow-cooked shoulder of lamb and potato gratin at Grosvenor House, which was decorated with sculptural nods to the nominated best films. My table brandished one of the now infamous Missouri billboards. Even as the Royal Albert Hall’s imposing dome watched over the night’s awards, all who took to the stage would agree that the bigger theme was room for improvement.
