Picture: Niko Tavernise 2021 20th Century Studios
West Side Story – Steven Spielberg’s reimagining of the 1961 ten-Oscar winning musical – picked up two BAFTAs at London’s Royal Albert Hall with Ariana DeBose, as expected, taking the Best Supporting Actress gong for her thrillingly exuberant performance as Anita.
But she lost out to No Time To Die actress Lashana Lynch for Rising Star, the award for best new artist, which was presented by Lady Gaga.
The Spielberg version of the iconic Leonard Bernstein-Stephen Sondheim-Jerome Robbins-Arthur Laurents musical won its second BAFTA for Casting – Cindy Tolan was cited for that – but was beaten in the Production Design and Sound categories by Dune.
No joy either for Mike Faist, who played Riff, leader of the Jets in Spielberg’s film. He was nominated for Best Supporting Actor but the winner there was deaf star Troy Kotsur for CODA whose star Emilia Jones, the daughter of Welsh singer Aled Jones, had earlier sung ‘Both Sides Now’. The Joni Mitchell pop classic is featured in the film.
DeBose was in London to receive her BAFTA, supported by Rachel Zegler (Maria), and this victory confirmed her position as hot favourite to win the Oscar on 27 March. The original Anita, Rita Moreno, now 91, who sings ‘Somewhere’ in the remake, won the same Supporting Actress gong 60 years ago.
Also celebrating its 60th anniversary was James Bond – Dr No in 1962 was the first of 27 – and opening the show dazzlingly and with amazing vocal power was 85-year-old Dame Shirley Bassey with ‘Diamonds Are Forever’, the title song of the seventh Bond.
Oscar favourite The Power of The Dog won Best Film, Jane Campion Best Director, Will Smith Best Actor (for King Richard) and Joanna Scanlan Best Actress (for After Love).
Belfast won Best British Film but as it couldn’t beat The Power of the Dog for the main award on home soil, its prospects in Hollywood at the end of the month look remote.
The 75th BAFTAs – the British version of the Oscars – wasn’t hosted by a Brit but by Australian Rebel Wilson, the actress-singer-comedienne who played Adelaide in Guys and Dolls on the West End stage after starring in the hit movie musical Pitch Perfect.
There was nothing pitch-perfect about Wilson’s script and most of her attempts at humour fell embarrassingly flat. After DeBose’s acceptance speech, Wilson quipped “Now she might Anita drink”, a cake in the shape of Benedict Cumberbatch’s face was simply childish and the Prince Andrew “joke” about putting on a pair of roller skates to sing ‘Pizza Express’ even more cringe-making. Next year something better please!
Jeremy Chapman
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