Brits Reign at 2011 Oscars

[GoggleboxUK]

The King's Speech was the big winner at the 2011 Oscars, winning four awards including Best Actor for Colin Firth along with Best Director (Tom Hooper), Best Original Screenplay and the most coveted prize of the night, Best Picture.

The film tied for most Oscar awards with fellow Best Picture nominee Inception which took home Best Cinematography, Best Sound Mixing, Best Sound Editing and Best Visual Effects.

Much to the surprise of no one, Natalie Portman took the stage to graciously accept the award for Best Actress for her performance as the insane ballet dancer Nina Sayers in Black Swan.

Elsewhere, Christian Bale won Best Supporting Actor for his performance in The Fighter with the actor delivering a heartfelt and funny speech giving credit to Dicky Eklund, the real-life boxer his role was based on.

The Fighter also scored well in the Best Supporting Actress category, which went to Bale's co-star Melissa Leo. Screen legend Kirk Douglas had the audience in tears of laughter, extending the presentation as long as he could, before handing Leo her award. For her part, Leo gave the censors a startle with a surprise (and hilarious) F-bomb during her acceptance speech (Watch that moment here)

Other highlights from the show included Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law trading gags before presenting Inception with the award for Best Visual Effects while Justin Timberlake jokingly revealed that he is, in fact, Banksy, (though Mila Kunis quickly corrected him) before giving out the award for Best Animated Feature Film to, of course, Toy Story 3.

As expected by all, Aaron Sorkin took home Best Adapted Screenplay for his work on The Social Network. Sorkin wisely tipped his hat to the great film Network in his speech. The very first award of the night went to Alice in Wonderland for Best Art Direction (the film also won a second award for Best Costume Design).

Oscar co-hosts James Franco and Anne Hathaway had a good-ish show too (Hathaway was more entertaining than Franco) opening the evening with a very funny montage featuring all the Best Picture nominees (you can watch that here).

See a full list of 2011 Oscar winners below.

Best Picture: The King's Speech
Best Director: Tom Hooper, The King's Speech
Best Actor: Colin Firth, The King's Speech
Best Actress: Natalie Portman, Black Swan
Best Supporting Actor: Christian Bale, The Fighter
Best Supporting Actress: Melissa Leo, The Fighter
Best Original Song: We Belong Together, Toy Story 3
Best Editing: The Social Network
Best Visual Effects: Inception
Best Documentary: Inside Job
Best Live Action Short Film: God of Love
Best Documentary Short Subject: Strangers No More
Best Costume Design: Alice in Wonderland
Best Makeup: The Wolfman
Best Sound Editing: Inception
Best Sound Mixing: Inception
Best Original Score: The Social Network
Best Foreign Language Film: In A Better World
Best Original Screenplay: The King's Speech
Best Adapted Screenplay: The Social Network
Best Animated Feature Film: Toy Story 3
Best Animated Short Film: The Lost Thing
Best Cinematography: Inception
Best Art Direction: Alice in Wonderland

[Steve Crook]

For all the people crowing about how many Oscars these British films have won, should we point out that The King's Speech is a British / Australian / American co-production? So it really only won 1.3 Oscars for the British

Steve

[julian_craster]

With these films, the British (Film Council) put up the 'risk' money, and the Americans run off back to the USA with all the profits.....

[batman]

Well done to Colin Firth who deserved his award (if only for being such a nice bloke), but I found the film itself to be an over-hyped bore.

[GoggleboxUK]

Well done to Colin Firth who deserved his award (if only for being such a nice bloke), but I found the film itself to be an over-hyped bore.

I really enjoyed it but I don't have a TV set constantly piping hype into my central lobe.

Hype, on occasion, has sneaked in under the radr. In such instances I generally give it 12 months before I watch that particular movie.

[will.15]

With these films, the British (Film Council) put up the 'risk' money, and the Americans run off back to the USA with all the profits.....

If that is what is going on then change the rules. I suspect if it didn't win Best Picture and wasn't a box office hit you would be blaming the Americans for that.

[batman]

I really enjoyed it but I don't have a TV set constantly piping hype into my central lobe.

Hype, on occasion, has sneaked in under the radr. In such instances I generally give it 12 months before I watch that particular movie.

It wasn't just the TV .... it was magazines, radio, internet et al. The 'indomitable spirit' genre often gets undeserved praise just because it's seen as being 'worthy', as was the case with stuff like Chariots of Fire and My Left Foot. Those sort of films are simply not my cup of rooibos.

[DocRobertPepper]

Cant believe True Grit got nothing not even Cinematography which went to bloody Inception

[will.15]

Chariots of Fire had a catchy little tune, otherwise one of the dullest movies i have ever seen.

[Steve Crook]

If that is what is going on then change the rules. I suspect if it didn't win Best Picture and wasn't a box office hit you would be blaming the Americans for that.

Of course, that's what the Americans are for isn't it? To be blamed for everything

Steve

[CaptainWaggett]

It was an intelligently scripted film with superb acting that didn't talk down to its audience or depend on sex'n'violence to grab the attention. I thought it deserved all the praise it got. I don't watch much tv news / arts coverage - was it more hyped that, say, the latest James Bond?

[batman]

Chariots of Fire had a catchy little tune, otherwise one of the dullest movies i have ever seen.

Agreed. That film and The King's Speech would make a superb insomnia busting box set!

[Ray]

I loved it, and I think that it deserves all the awards it has won.

If they made more films like this, I would probably visit my local cinema more than once every two years.

[moonfleet]

Geoffrey looks completely extravagant and in top form as Lionel Logue the speech therapist , he'd be my main motivation to watch The King's Speech

[jaycad]

i'm looking forward to watching 'the kings speech' (and 'black swan') on their dvd release-not enough to make me visit my local 'cinema' i'm afraid!

[GoggleboxUK]

Cant believe True Grit got nothing not even Cinematography which went to bloody Inception

I can't belive it even got Bafta and Oscar nominations. IMO it was a piss poor remake that detracted from the original rather than adding to it. Worst thing the Coens have ever done. I even watched it twice because I thought I mustn't have been in the mood the first time. Couldn't believe the Coens would make such a hash of a high profile remake. Jeff Bridges was terrible compared to his performance in Crazy Heart.

The only good thing I can say about it is that it's launched a new star in Hailee Steinfeld who outacted every single person in the cast. For a 14 year old she's got a long career ahead of her.

The cinematography in Inception was groundbreaking. It deserved everything it got IMO and I was surprised it didn't get more at the Baftas.

[batman]

i'm looking forward to watching 'the kings speech' (and 'black swan') on their dvd release-not enough to make me visit my local 'cinema' i'm afraid!

Black Swan is IMHO another film where a terrific lead performance masks an otherwise mediocre film.

IMO it was a piss poor remake that detracted from the original rather than adding to it.

IMHO the Coen's film is one of their best! It is an effective adaptation of the novel (rather than a remake of the earlier film) and was a feast for the eyes (if not the ears ). Bridges was a bit too mannered for my liking but overall IMHO it is a really good film.

[wadsy]

I didn't see the awards ceremony but I heard a snippet on the radio that said that during his acceptance speech

Christian Bale forgot his wife's name! Is it true?

[Moor Larkin]

Geoffrey [COLOR=navy]looks completely extravagant and in top form as Lionel Logue the speech therapist

Presumably he brought in the Australian money.....

He was great in the only Bond movie I'd like to watch a second time....

but Pierce was brilliant......