Does The Artist deserve so many Bafta awards?

It has won seven Baftas, trampling on its “talkie” counterparts. Yet already the public backlash against French silent movie The Artist has started.

Twitter was awash was negative comments during the Baftas programme. Not least because it’s a film of very few words and one of its Bafta wins was for best original screenplay. Best screenplay for a silent film? But as writer and director Michel Hazanavicius says, “Some people thought there was no script because there was no dialogue so the British are very clever.” Yes, we are, thanks Michel.

I very much enjoyed The Artist but I am wondering if the Bafta judges have been seduced by its Gallic charm at the expense of other memorable films. Movies such as Drive (gratuitous picture of its star Ryan Gosling above to brighten up your Monday) which is an incredibly stylish, Tarantino-esque revenge thriller didn’t win a statue.

Thankfully another top-notch thriller Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy did win with its co-writer Peter Straughan collecting the Bafta for best adapted screenplay. Best line of the night goes to him “I’d like to thank The Artist for not being adapted from a book.”

Although The Artist won the coveted best film award, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy did at least also come away with the Best British Film Bafta. Nominated in 11 categories, Tinker… only won in two and the outstanding Gary Oldman also lost out to The Artist’s Jean dujardin (John of the Garden for those who know French) for the best actor award. Not the best night for the John le Carré adaptation.

From the Royal Opera House in London, genial host Stephen Fry informed viewers that last year was the highest grossing for the British film industry at £1bn. The Harry Potter franchise must have contributed much towards that total even though the Bafta judges seem to overlook the films most years. Nominated for four Baftas this year, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 came away with only one last night for Special Visual Effects.

Other winners included talented actor Paddy Considine who proved he has the makings of a great director, winning an award for his directorial debut Tyrannosaur.

What’s your favourite film you’ve seen at the cinema during the last year? Is The Artist overrated? Let us know below.

List of main Bafta winners and nominations

Best film

WINNER: THE ARTIST
NOMINEES: THE DESCENDANTS
DRIVE
THE HELP
TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY

Outstanding British film

WINNER: TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY
NOMINEES: MY WEEK WITH MARILYN
SENNA
SHAME
WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN

Outstanding debut by a British writer, director or producer

WINNER: TYRANNOSAUR
NOMINEES: ATTACK THE BLOCK
BLACK POND
CORIOLANUS
SUBMARINE

Director

WINNER: THE ARTIST – Michel Hazanavicius
NOMINEES: DRIVE – Nicolas Winding Refn
HUGO – Martin Scorsese
TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY – Tomas Alfredson
WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN – Lynne Ramsay

Documentary

WINNER: SENNA
GEORGE HARRISON: LIVING IN THE MATERIAL WORLD
PROJECT NIM

Original screenplay

WINNER: THE ARTIST – Michel Hazanavicius
NOMINEES: BRIDESMAIDS – Annie Mumolo, Kristen Wiig
THE GUARD – John Michael McDonagh
THE IRON LADY – Abi Morgan
MIDNIGHT IN PARIS – Woody Allen

Adapted Screenplay

WINNER: TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY
NOMINEES: THE DESCENDANTS
THE HELP
THE IDES OF MARCH
MONEYBALL

Film not in the English Language

WINNER: THE SKIN I LIVE IN
NOMINEES: INCENDIES
PINA
POTICHE
A SEPARATION

Animated film

WINNER: RANGO – Gore Verbinski
NOMINEES: THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN: THE SECRET OF THE UNICORN – Steven Spielberg
ARTHUR CHRISTMAS – Sarah Smith

Leading actor

WINNER: JEAN DUJARDIN – The Artist
NOMINEES: BRAD PITT – Moneyball
GARY OLDMAN – Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
GEORGE CLOONEY – The Descendants
MICHAEL FASSBENDER – Shame

Leading Actress

WINNER: MERYL STREEP – The Iron Lady
NOMINEES: BÉRÉNICE BEJO – The Artist
MICHELLE WILLIAMS – My Week with Marilyn
TILDA SWINTON – We Need to Talk About Kevin
VIOLA DAVIS – The Help

Supporting actor

WINNER: CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER – Beginners
NOMINEES: JIM BROADBENT – The Iron Lady
JONAH HILL – Moneyball
KENNETH BRANAGH – My Week with Marilyn
PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN – The Ides of March

Supporting Actress

WINNER: OCTAVIA SPENCER – The Help
NOMINEES: CAREY MULLIGAN – Drive
JESSICA CHASTAIN – The Help
JUDI DENCH – My Week with Marilyn
MELISSA MCCARTHY – Bridesmaids

Original music

WINNER: THE ARTIST – Ludovic Bource
NOMINEES: THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO – Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross
HUGO – Howard Shore
TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY – Alberto Iglesias
WAR HORSE – John Williams

Cinematography

WINNER: THE ARTIST – Guillaume Schiffman
NOMINEES: THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO – Jeff Cronenweth
HUGO – Robert Richardson
TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY – Hoyte van Hoytema
WAR HORSE – Janusz Kaminski

Editing

WINNER: SENNA – Gregers Sall, Chris King
NOMINEES: THE ARTIST – Anne-Sophie Bion, Michel Hazanavicius
DRIVE – Mat Newman
HUGO – Thelma Schoonmaker
TINKER TAILOR SOLIDER SPY – Dino Jonsäter

Production Design

WINNER: HUGO
NOMINEES: THE ARTIST
HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS – PART 2
TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY
WAR HORSE

Costume Design

WINNER: THE ARTIST
NOMINEES: HUGO
JANE EYRE
MY WEEK WITH MARILYN
TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY

Sound

WINNER: HUGO
NOMINEES: THE ARTIST
HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS – PART 2
TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY
WAR HORSE

Special Visual Effects

WINNER: HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS – PART 2
NOMINEES: THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN: THE SECRET OF THE UNICORN
HUGO
RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES
WAR HORSE

Make Up & Hair

WINNER: THE IRON LADY
NOMINEES: THE ARTIST
HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS – PART 2
HUGO
MY WEEK WITH MARILYN

Short Animation

WINNER: A MORNING STROLL
NOMINEES: ABUELAS
BOBBY YEAH

Short film

WINNER: PITCH BLACK HEIST (starring Michael Fassbender)
NOMINEES: CHALK -
MWANSA THE GREAT
ONLY SOUND REMAINS
TWO AND TWO

Rising star award

WINNER: ADAM DEACON
NOMINEES:
CHRIS HEMSWORTH
TOM HIDDLESTON
CHRIS O’DOWD
EDDIE REDMAYNE