ASC Goes to Inception. Oscar Could Be a Nail Biter.

The American Society of Cinematographer's handed their Cinematography prize to Wally Pfister for Inception. Pfister also won the BFCA Critics Choice prize. BAFTA sided with still Oscar-less legend Roger Deakins (interview) for True Grit. Which man will take the Oscar?

Or is The King's Speech just going to win everything in a massive sweeping Royal Love-In? Even if the acting Oscar categories are relatively undramatic this year, there seem to be a few tight races behind the scenes like Best Director (Fincher or Hooper?), Art Direction (Inception or The King's Speech?), Cinematography (Inception or True Grit?) and isn't Score still a toss up but for the aforementioned love-in?

Best Part of the Grammys

Apart from the Cee Lo, Gwyneth Paltrow, Muppets performance of "Forget You", the best part of the Grammys was obvs all the Nicole Kidman reaction shots.

The one that got everyone was talking was her lipsynching to "Teenage Dream" as Katy Perry performed. (Here's a better video of that though it starts immediately so if you're not expecting sound, watch out!)

But she was just awesome throughout, singing along, dancing, smiling, applauding vigorously, etcetera. Since the Grammys have 213 categories they should add a 214th: Best Reaction Shots. Nicole Kidman for the win.

I can't prove the theory but it seems to me that whenever Kidman's hair stays red for long periods the world improves immeasureably.

The Big Wins of the Night
Best Album: Arcade Fire "The Suburbs"
Record and Song of the Year: Lady Antebellum "Need You Now"
Best New Artist: Esperanza Spalding
Best Pop Album: Lady Gaga "The Fame Monster"
Best Rap Album: Eminem "Recovery"

Oh and here's the OTHER Actress Oscar winner who made the night.

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.

BAFTA Winners & Red Carpet

The British Academy have long since finished handing out their prizes and we're still waiting for BBC America to begin the Broadcast. It's so delayed we may just wait till tomorrow morning to watch it and check out the Grammys instead tonight. Who knows? It's so strange to be denied *live* events on the telly.  If you don't want to know the winners before you see the taped broadcast, skip this post.
The Harry Potter Gang

You already knew that it would be a big night for the Harry Potter crowd, since they were getting a special tribute but it was an even bigger night for Bellatrix LeStrange, our Lady Helena, as she took home Best Supporting Actress for her very popular film The King's Speech. It occurred to me today that HBC, for all the ups and downs of her career, noone but her husband has really been casting her for some time, she's really  sealed her place in history, not once, not twice, but three times over. Other actresses should be so lucky. She's an irreplaceable part of 80s era cinema as a major Merchant/Ivory rep player. She's an irreplaceable part of Tim Burton's filmography (and despite his rocky past decade in terms of quality, that means something). AND she's an irreplaceable part of the Harry Potter franchise which dominated the past decade of film. So, well done HBC.

It was sort of a stealth approach to screen immortality but however you get there...

BAFTA WINNERS
Academy Fellowship: Christopher Lee
Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema: the Harry Potter films
Film: The King's Speech
British Film: The King's Speech
Outstanding Debut: Four Lions, Chris Morris
Director: David Fincher, The Social Network
Screenplay: The King's Speech
Adapted Screenplay: The Social Network
Foreign Film: The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Animated Film: Toy Story 3
Actor: Colin Firth, The King's Speech
Actress: Natalie Portman, Black Swan
Supporting Actor: Geoffrey Rush, The King's Speech
Supporting Actress: Helena Bonham Carter, The King's Speech

a major night for the Royal family with both Best Film awards

Music: Alexandre Desplat, The King's Speech
Cinematography: Roger Deakins, True Grit (read the Film Experience interview)
Editing: Angus Wall & Kirk Baxter, The Social Network (read the Film Experience interview)
Production Design Guy Dyas, Inception
Costume Design: Colleen Atwood, Alice in Wonderland
Sound: Inception
Visual Effects: Inception
Makeup and Hair: Alice in Wonderland
Short Animation: The Eagleman Stag
Short Film: Until the River Runs Red
Rising Star Award: Tom Hardy

More dresses? Who do you think is best dressed? (UPDATE: More pictures are coming in so this is just a teensy peak of the fashion)

poll by twiigs.com

I'm glad that Julianne Moore got one more big event this year as a nominee. She looks great. She didn't get to cheer on Annette Bening, though. Aside from the supporting categories -- which were part of the very dominant King's Speech (though strangely technicals like production design & costumes were not) -- the BAFTAs gave us the same crop of winners as virtually everywhere else in one of the most samey-samey years in awards history. It's unlikely that Oscar night will hold any surprises. Hopefully there will be major fashion risks to give us plenty to talk about other than "Which of Colin Firth's major speeches did you like best?" 

How are you feeling about the BAFTA choices? Disappointed? Happy? Empty Inside?

Podcast: Oscar Switches, Summer Dreams

See?

We are trying to get weekly. We recorded the new podcast early this week (included at the end of this post) as today I knew I would be all wrapped up in a wedding. Well, attending one that is. But you know how time consuming they are. It was a lovely snowy Connecticut wedding and I'm just back. So here is the new podcast. There's a bit of a lull in Oscar happenings as we wait for the big night, so this week, Joe and Katey and I go a little more Off-Gold than usual. 

Topics include:

• Chris Nolan (Inception and a brief Memento cameo)
• The Jesse Eisenberg Show 
• Spirit Award Best Actress ballot. Could there be a Natalie Portman upset?
• The success of the Best Picture field at the box office
• Our individual least favorite Best Picture nominees (surprising results!)
• Toy Story 3. Is it a great movie or just a great 15 year narrative?
• Oscar Narratives. Reading purpose.
• Super 8 and Superbowl trailers
• Crushing on Michael Fassbender
• Nostalgia for Harrison Ford
• Reese Witherspoon: "Think about your choices, lady!"
• Meryl Streep as Margaret Thatcher

Join the conversation in the comments.

Podcast: Oscar Switches, Summer Dreams