The BAFTA 2024 Film Awards were presented by actor David Tennant, who opened the night with a lengthy joke where he had to dog-sit his Staged co-star Michael Sheen and ended up bringing the adorable puppy (comedically named Bark Ruffalo) to the job. Unfortunately, throughout the night, Tennant, who I usually find thoroughly vigorous to watch, proved to be a rather lacklustre presenter with the usual substance-lacking silliness of award-presenter jokes. Getting past the fluff of Tennant’s jokes (and Bark was very fluffy), the British-oriented award show had a pretty enjoyable night of satisfying wins and wholesome standout moments.
Best Film at the BAFTA 2024
Once again, Oppenheimer swept most of the BAFTA 2024 Film Awards, taking home Best Film, Director (the long-awaited recognition of Christopher Nolan), Score, Editing and Cinematography. Additionally, Cillian Murphy and Robert Downey Jr. seized their rightful victories for the male actor categories. However, Poor Things is proving a worthy contender for the nuclear biopic (sorry Barbie, as you won zip), as it took five of the awards, including Best Actress (Emma Stone) and dominated the artistic categories by taking home Costume, Hair and Makeup and Visual Effects.
A few significant moments made the night worthwhile and are worth highlighting.
Firstly, Da’Vin Joy Randolph, having once again enjoyed a night in glory for her performance in The Holdovers. She delivered an endearing speech about the importance of embodying her character, Mary, a grieving mother: “I knew even now that [Mary] was a character that was so much bigger than me”, she tearfully said, and sent a loving message to the “countless [Mary’s] who never got to wear beautiful gowns and stand on stage telling [her] story”. Cillian Murphy’s acceptance speech was equally powerful, appreciating the power of cinema. He began with “One man’s monster is another man’s hero” and hailed the cinema industry as a space to “celebrate and interrogate and investigate”, calling it a privilege to be a part of that. Truer words were never spoken, I’m sure fellow film critics can agree.
The always poignant memorial toward figures in the film industry we had sadly lost in the year prior was led by Hannah Waddingham. Her understated power in her vocals filled every corner of the arena as she sang a sombre version of Cyndi Lauper’s ‘Time After Time’, adding to sadness that legends like Carl Weathers (Rocky) and Michael Gambon (Harry Potter) are no longer around.
I was particularly happy to see Mia McKenna-Bruce take home the award for Rising Star (in response to her performance in How To Have Sex). I knew the 26-year-old from her years in Tracy Beaker (the sequel series and its spin-off) and now to see her stand on stage in an arena of superstars as they all look upon her in enjoying the glory is so nourishing.
Finally, the ever-wonderful Michael J Fox took to the stage to present the concluding award, Best Film. Despite his notorious history with Parkinson’s, Fox showed the usual Mart McFly spirit by stepping out of his wheelchair and walking the rest of the way to the podium to present the nominees.
The following winners of the BAFTA 2024 Film Awards are listed below:
BEST FILM
Oppenheimer; Christopher Nolan, Charles Roven, Emma Thomas
LEADING ACTRESS
Emma Stone; Poor Things
LEADING ACTOR
Cillian Murphy; Oppenheimer
EE RISING STAR AWARD (voted for by the public)
Mia McKenna-Bruce
DIRECTOR
Christopher Nolan; Oppenheimer
MAKE UP & HAIR
Poor Things; Nadia Stacey, Mark Coulier, Josh Weston
COSTUME DESIGN
Poor Things; Holly Waddington
OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM
The Zone of Interest; Jonathan Glazer, James Wilson
BRITISH SHORT ANIMATION
Crab Day; Ross Stringer, Bartosz Stanislawek, Aleksandra Sykulak
BRITISH SHORT FILM
Jellyfish and Lobster; Yasmin Afifi, Elizabeth Rufai
PRODUCTION DESIGN
Poor Things; Shona Heath, James Price, Zsuzsa Mihalek
SOUND
The Zone of Interest; Johnnie Burn,
ORIGINAL SCORE
Oppenheimer, Ludwig Göransson
DOCUMENTARY
20 Days in Mariupol; Mstyslav Chernov, Raney Aronson Rath, Michelle Mizner
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Da’Vine Joy Randolph; The Holdovers
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Robert Downey Jr.; Oppenheimer
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
American Fiction; Cord Jefferson
CINEMATOGRAPHY
Oppenheimer; Hoyte van Hoytema
EDITING
Oppenheimer; Jennifer Lame
CASTING
The Holdovers; Susan Shopmaker
FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
The Zone of Interest; Jonathan Glazer, James Wilson
OUTSTANDING DEBUT BY A BRITISH WRITER, DIRECTOR OR PRODUCER
Earth Mama; Savanah Leaf (Writer, Director, Producer), Shirley O’Connor (Producer), Medb Riordan (Producer)
ANIMATED FILM
The Boy and the Heron; Hayao Miyazaki, Toshio Suzuki
SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS
Poor Things; Simon Hughes
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Anatomy of a Fall; Justine Triet, Arthur Harari
