Leon, Angel, Adam, Edward and Andrew

This post is titled by the middle names of Oscar's BEST ACTOR nominees because here at The Film Experience we are always trying to find ways to keep things interesting. It would be much easier to title this blog post "Javier Bardem, Jeff Bridges, Jesse Eisenberg, James Franco and Colin Firth" but where's the fun in that? If you enjoy a challenge, try to guess which middle name goes with which best actor, before you click over to the BEST ACTOR PAGE.

I include the trivia (and more) because this race is a done deal yet we have to stay interested for nine more days. Colin Firth's Coronation is proceeding exactly like Helen Mirren's a few years back, isn't it? It's like I was saying in that Tribeca Film article, each year there's generally one candidate who is granted immunity about whom no one ever bitches and who just sails through like it was always meant to be their year and their prize.

UPDATED: Includes Reader Poll "Who Should Win?"

BAFTA Penguins (and Grammy Diversion)

A few of the BAFTA tuxes for you. Tuxes are so amusing. Everyone looks good in them but everyone looks related.

Nicholas Hoult Did you know he is 6'2"? He is now 3 inches taller than Hugh Grant, his About a Boy co-star! How weird is that? All growed up. In other news, all of these men ('cept the Ruff) are over 6' feet tall.
Mark Ruffalo and his wife Sunshine Coigney. She's looking fab / diva-esque so I had to include her. Did you know that she was in In The Cut? The one where the Ruff got naked with Meg Ryan. Well, now you do. #freeinformation
Colin Firth. WINNER. [This Just In: Did y'all see that Andy Rooney on 60 Minutes (what a bizarre Grammys lead-in) loved The King's Speech? This is why it will win Best Picture. He told a story about meeting King George VI with a friend of his who was also a stutterer.]
Gerard Butler Do you think he's embarrassed going to these awards shows considering the kind of movies he makes? If not... he should be.
Ricky Martin was... oh, whoops. I've moved over to the Grammys. I'm very distracted tonight. I'm watching The Grammys. How stereotyped is it that Ricky Martin was chosen to introduce Lady Gaga's "Born This Way".? Get it? Because he is gay. G-A-Y.

Every once in awhile I try to watch the Grammys (which I'm sorta tweeting) and then I remember why I don't watch. The problem illustrated: Nicole Kidman just joined a standing ovation... for Justin Beiber.

RCL: London Film Critics Circle

I know you. I know what you woke up thinking. "Yeah, yeah, The Social Network won another Best Picture prize at the latest awards ceremony but WHAT WAS RUTH SHEEN WEARING?!?" As the resident eccentric (crazy cat lady?) of awards blogs, we shall provide the answer. 

We will also talk about the winners, but first the Actresses . (Photos repurposed from Zimbio for our Red Carpet Lineup pleasure.)

Thomas, Williams, Pike, Manville, Sheen

Kristin Scott Thomas wore what looks like leopard print and she does get a little animalistic in her sex scenes (have any of you seen Leaving?). Despite her primal force and sexiness onscreen in her 50s, this dress is a smidge dowdy (looks better with the jacket off). In brighter news, they claim her career tribute acceptance speech was quite amusing.

Olivia Williams and Rosamund Pike wore form fitting black and white respectively. Onscreen Olivia always seems dangerous and Pike like a heavenly angel (Made in Dagenham) even when she's a devilishly decadent (An Education) so it seems right.

Another Year's Lesley Manville and Ruth Sheen also showed in black gowns (I love Sheen's shimmery wrap). I have a bone to pick with Sony Pictures Classics. I don't understand what they did with Another Year at all. It's like they weren't even trying and sometimes they try very hard with worthy adult-friendly movies. But barely releasing it and waiting until everyone was all obsessed with noisy Christmas blockbusters? Bizarre non-strategy if they were hoping to get people interested. Wouldn't September have been a nice spot for a melancholy four seasons Mike Leigh film?

Oh the winners?
Yes yes...

Film The Social Network
British Film The King's Speech
Foreign Film Of Gods and Men
Director  David Fincher, The Social Network
British Director Tom Hooper, The King's Speech
Breakthrough British Filmmaker Gareth Edwards, Monsters
Screenplay Aaron Sorkin, The Social Network
Actress Annette Bening, The Kids Are All Right
British Actress Lesley Manville, Another Year
Actor Colin Firth, The King's Speech
British Actor Christian Bale, The Fighter (
British Supporting Actor Andrew Garfield, The Social Network 
British Supporting Actress Olivia Williams, The Ghost Writer 
Young British Performer Conor McCarron, NEDs
Excellence in Film KRISTIN SCOTT-THOMAS

Wouldn't it be HILARIOUS if American film prizes started divvying up their prizes like "Best American Film" and "Best Picture" wouldn't the nominees all be the same since America loves itself so much?

About the winners: The only title/person I'm unfamiliar with is NEDs. Any British readers want to let us know if McCarron was worthy of the honor? Annette Bening wasn't present. Busy season. You can't be everywhere. Aaron Sorkin picked up all four of The Social Network's trophies. Was Andrew Garfield too busy web-swinging or something?

BAFTAs are Sunday. They are broadcast tape-delayed here in America. 8 PM EST on BBC America so by the time they air, we'll already know the winners. But I so prefer to find out while watching! I haven't yet decided how to cover it due to this time lapse. Any suggestions?

Sweet Bird of Link

Zimbio The 50 Most Beautiful Women Over 50
Towleroad Conflicting reports about how gay Clint Eastwood's J. Edgar Hoover biopic is going to be.
Cinemablographer Canada's Genie nominations. Incendies, also nominated for the Foreign Language Film Oscar (see here) is big stuff.
Hero Complex Hugh Jackman now bulking up for Darren Aronofsky's Wolverine. The director wants him thicker and more feral.
Socialite's Life Nicole Kidman in Marie Claire magazine.
Awards Daily Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris to open Cannes Film Festival
Arts Beat James Franco to join Nicole Kidman in Broadway's revival of Sweet Bird of Youth. I hate my poverty that prevents me from seeing the big ticket star outings on stage. So hard to find good discounts for those short term plays.
IndieWire I hadn't heard of this Gambit project, a remake of a Michael Caine movie scripted by the Coen Bros, though they're not directing. Colin Firth and Cameron Diaz will star.

In Contention "Relatability" interesting AMPAS voter quote regarding The King's Speech.
Pajiba names today "Joseph Gordon-Levitt" day since he's joining the cast of the next Batman flick The Dark Knight Rises. The rumor is ... well, I'm sure there's a billion of them but the role is unknown.
Cinema Blend Rupert Everett thrilled for Colin Firth's current success. Nice to hear him compliment someone for a change.
The Atlantic reviews the American version of Being Human, now airing on SyFy with a second eye on the original British version. For what it's worth, I'm not crazy about either show but I think the American version shows a better understanding of how series television flourishes... at least at this early stage.

BFCA Live Blog

8:55 Keith Urban announces that he is "not afraid to cry." Good thing because he's married to Nicole Kidman! Not to imply that she's difficult but she can access the heavy soul-shattering stuff.

8:57 Oh hi! Live Blog. Why am I doing this? Does anyone watch this? Refresh your screens!

8:58 Jeff Bridges is doing his Rooster Cogburn voice for the press guy? Does he feel like a performing seal?

9:04 Arnold Schwarzenegger emerges to open the show. Noooo... I was about to predict that Ahnuld would say "I'm back" or "I'll be back" or some lame Terminator pun that we'd enjoy as a guilty pleasure but no. He's being sincere. [gasp]. That's no adjective with which to open a show.

9:06 Ahnuld...

"I invented not speaking English correctly"

Okay that was funny. Albeit subtle funny which is always a tough sell during awards show.

9:07 Quick show of hands. Who believes that Ahnuld saw Black Swan three times in the theater as he claims?

poll by twiigs.com

9:10 THE FIGHTER wins Best Ensemble. I'm glad they let Jack McGee accept. He was really special in the background, don't you think? He made you believe that he could handle and was even happily married to Melissa Leo's Crazy! That's an achievement in authentic masochism. Go McGee.

9:17 Hailee Steinfeld wins Best Young Actor/Actress. Chloe Moretz is undoubtedly pissed. Hailee thanks "everyone in here. And the Lord." I always think it's funny when celebrities thank God when they beat other celebrities to prizes. If God is that guy cares about who wins movie awards than... ohmygod. I AM GOD!

MORE AFTER THE JUMP including made for tv movie titles, blonde Emma, Natalie skinny/pregnant and armpit licking.

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