Redstar

Should "The Queen" have won best film? Have not yet seen it so cannot comment, only films I saw of those nominated were "Little Miss Sunshine" (a gem) and "Casino Royale" that failed to gain anything except for sound. I thought that was extraordinary as I had difficulty in understanding the mimbling dialogue.

Opinions appreciated and on the others such as "Last King Of Scotland" and "Pan's Labyrinth"

Richard

Mr Cosmo

IMHO - THE QUEEN is a nothing film which would have made a nice TV movie - but I really don't know why it is so highly lauded. I am also a bit concerned to see that yet again acting awards are going to people for caricatures - performances of real people as has happened in thhpast with Truman Capote and Katharine Hepburn.

I got the impression with THE QUEEN that people were just trying to show how clever they could be "Look at me - I'm Tony" "Look at me - I'm Cherie".

LAST KING OF SCOTLAND I thought had some substance. VENUS was another nothing film.

David Brent

I must say that I wasn't too impressed with the host of the BAFTA's Jonathan Ross.
His attempts at humour and timing were poor and most of what he had to say seemed to go completely over the heads of the audience. His delivery seemed hurried and garbled at times.
Even Ricky Gervais drew more laughs in his brief appearance on stage than Ross did all night.

I know that it must have been very difficult for Ross to host such an important show - but Stephen Fry he ain't.

Dave.

penfold

CRuelly, but accurately, Ricky had it spot on... "He's not Stephen Fry is he...at least the Americans knew who he was..."

Bit of a Bay Window, what??

Geronimo

As I have posted elsewhere, at least we got through the night without any crawlingly embarassing and offensive "sphincter" jokes and it was a pleasure to see Sir Ian McKellen introduced without wincing as he did when Fry introduced him as "Serena" a year or so ago. The awards are about excellence in film and not Fry's homosexuality. Fry is clever enough not to indulge in Green Room humour but doesn't seem able to control himself. On that score I prefer Ross any day. gervais would have been even better.

I asked him to look at the body. That's who he is.

penfold

Also true...perhaps next year...but Steve Crook would not approve...

Bit of a Bay Window, what??

Steve Crook

Arrgghh!! Not Ricky "I'm the cleverest person in the universe, God's gift to comedy" Gervais.
I missed it anyway as I was in Wales helping my Mum celebrate her 80th birthday.
Bring back Stephen Fry. Yes, a lot of his comments from previous years were "insider" jokes. But it is meant to be an occasion mainly for the film & TV people to indulge in a bit of mutual back-slapping.

Steve

samkydd

One of the problems with hosting any such show in recent years is the annoying trend for the host to feel obliged to try and be funny all the time and failing miserably because they're just not. They employ silly gag writers to come up with pathetic puns, double entendres and irksome in-jokes, the purpose of which seems to be to create embarassing silences amongst the audience while the host digs an even deeper hole for himself as he flounders on stage like a fire eater whose flame's been extinguished! The fake rapport he has with guest envelope-openers and winners is cringeworthy, like a pissed up middle-aged uncle trying to chat up a bridesmaid at a wedding!

Why can't they do a professional hosting job and not try and self-promote all the time which just pisses off the audience and makes the presenter look a bigger twit than we already thought!

"...the chairman of Littlewoods stores made a Keynote speech!"

penfold

I told you he wouldn't approve.....

For my money, Ross floundered, and while I admire Fry enormously, the Bafta ceremonies have never been his finest moments. Give Gervais a go, I say...

Bit of a Bay Window, what??

Mr Cosmo

Yes I agree - I thought J Ross was like a pint of scrumpy at a champagne reception with every joke falling flatter than one of my wife's pancakes. When it finished my son asked who should be the host next year - and I said what we needed was a 21st century equivalent of Robert Morley - but then we thought for ages - is there a 21st century equivalent of the man? Maybe Steven Fry is!

Geronimo

Sorry Steve - your notion of sharing the private "insider" element is not acceptable on a public TV show. As an actor, my view is that the Green Room should be kept private. When actors become self-indulgent in public it detracts from the core of public interest. You might as well do half the programme in Swahili or Welsh if you are going to present stuff which the audience doesn't understand. When, years ago, the Vicar of Dibley made reference to a hamster and Richard Gere, clearly a sexual insider joke and an allusion lost on the majority of the public, a compaint was upheld against the programme. If all the "bottom" related references used by Fry in the last five years were clipped together i think you might agree. Ross suffered from being railroaded into a speed trap. I think it would be wonderful to see Sir Ian McKellen or even Billy Nighy present the evening.

I asked him to look at the body. That's who he is.

theuofc

I'm inclined to agree with you, Sam. We have come to expect comedy during these award shows, but where it it written? Rather than feeling embarrassed at a host's constant attempts to be funny interspersed with silence as he dies waiting for the laughs which may or may not come, what is wrong with a dignified, interesting presentation of each film and actor? Instead of constant poor jokes, I'd like to hear more about the making of the film or the locations used or more of the actor's history. When information is interesting, it doesn't have to be sugar coated with comedy and especially not lame comedy.

All the best,

Barbara

Dirk_Bogarde_Brigade - a Yahoo group

Steve Crook

So we should ban Friday Night with Jonathan Ross? Or that part of it where he shows people in the Green Room and talks to them on a video link there? And we should ban all other chat shows where people discuss anything apart from that part of their work that they're presenting to the public? And we should ban all the "celebrity" interviews and magazines (actually, I'm with you on that one)
It'll never happen.
Many people outside the business already know these things, and many others are willing to learn new things.
Or is it really just Stephen Fry and his humour that you don't like?

For most people, the event itself is probably quite long and boring. Most people are probably (if they're honest) only really interested in the awards where they, or a friend, have been nominated. There has been plenty of drink supplied. The crowd is quite rowdy and needs a firm hand to keep them entertained and under control. Otherwise it will just become another award ceremony like The Brits.

Steve

samkydd

No, just Jonathan Ross! He can't interview for toffee, he doesn't listen to his guests he just wants to butt in all the time with stupid schoolboy leading questions so he can take the response and line himself up for a pre-rehearsed "spontaneous" schoolboy quip or some Carry-On film type innuendo. If you notice, he talks more than his guests ! It has been said that he has an auto-cue in his hall at home so he can greet his family when he gets in!

"...the chairman of Littlewoods stores made a Keynote speech!"

David Brent

Nice one Sam.

Dave.