BAFTA Bash!

I’m not really one for awards ceremonies.  If I watch the Oscars, it’s probably the last half hour, or maybe just the red carpet fun.  But tonight, I’m watching the BAFTAs.  It’s the British version of the Oscars.  And it's fun!  The host, don't really recognize him, made a crack about Ricky Gervais, but I think it was probably deserved.  The tone seems so much more positive than the clips of the Golden Globes.  If there's any negative humor, it's generally self-deprecating.

For Best Music, I was thrilled to see “How to Train Your Dragon” up there with “The King’s Speech.”  And of course, Danny Elfman’s “Alice in Wonderland” score, gotta love Danny.  Dragon didn’t win, but still, an animated film was acknowledged for something besides being animated.  Yay!

I saw “The King’s Speech,” and I fully expect it’ll win a big pile of awards.  But I would have liked it even without all the critics yammering.  Colin Firth is great, I just recently saw “Nanny McPhee” again, and it’s so obvious how much he puts into the roles.  And this is the first I remember seeing Helena Bonham Carter when she's not the evil/crazy Bellatrix Lestrange.

Oooh, Special Visual Effects!  “Inception”, no surprise there.  Ha, they played “Sweet Dreams” as the winners walked up!  “Harry Potter” was up for it too, but even though I liked HP, and haven’t seen Inception yet, I do think the right film won.  There’s James MacAvoy presenting…. Dang, he’s cute.  And giving Best Supporting Actress to Helena Bonham Carter.  Any surprise there?  And Geoffrey Rush for Best Supporting Actor... for that one, it was a little bit sad since Pete Postlethwaite was also nominated.  He cropped up in so many movies, and left this world far too soon.

It's hard to imagine what it would be like to make a film. I've heard authors talk about a book as being like a child, and hoping that the world accepts it.  But with a film, it's not such a solo mission.  It's a huge project, with so many people relying on its success.  A book could be made on almost any laptop, or typewriter, or even scrap paper if that's all you've got.  But a movie!  Gosh, it takes courage just to consider doing one.

I'm actually quite glad that I've never encountered a film so bad that I walk out.  Count the names in the credits of a movie sometime.  Walking out of a film is like slapping each and every one of those people in the face.  It's one thing if you've got an emergency, or a fussy child or something, but to just walk out... well, it's also a waste of money.  (yes, I have Scottish heritage, why do you ask?)

Hmm, if "Social Network" cleaned up at the Golden Globes, and "King's Speech" gets the BAFTAs, then I suppose "Black Swan" will get loads of Oscars.  Naah, it doesn't usually work like that, does it?  I'll keep cheering for "King's Speech".

I was going to talk about my practice run with my new luggage, but the BAFTAs did seem a lot more interesting.