Baftas Handed Out to Conclave and The Brutalist
Tie for Top Honours
PAPAL thriller Conclave and immigrant epic The Brutalist on Sunday tied for top honours at Britain’s Bafta awards, each film picking up four coveted gongs.
Conclave Wins Best Film
Conclave, directed by German-born Edward Berger, won the Bafta for the best film with its tale of the intrigue and horse-trading behind the scenes during the election of a new pope. Accepting the award, Berger recalled the journey to make the film took seven years, paying tribute to British screenplay writer Peter Straughan’s "wonderful script" and lead actor Ralph Fiennes.
The Brutalist Wins Best Director and Best Actor
US filmmaker Brady Corbet took the Bafta for best director for The Brutalist, while leading man Adrien Brody scooped up the best actor gong for his portrayal of a Hungarian Holocaust survivor and architect who emigrates to the United States. Brody told a winners’ press conference that the film was "an opportunity for me to honour my own ancestral struggles". In "a film that speaks to tremendous cruelty and despicable behaviour in our past… we see elements existing today that can guide us and remind us of that," he added.
Veteran Actor Ralph Fiennes Loses Out to Adrien Brody
Veteran British actor Fiennes, who played a cardinal in Conclave, once again saw his hopes of winning a Bafta gong dashed, losing out to Brody in the race for the honour.
Surprise Win for Anora’s Mikey Madison
A surprise of the night was the Bafta for best actress which went to 25-year-old Mikey Madison for her portrayal of a sex worker in the black comedy Anora about an erotic dancer’s whirlwind romance gone wrong. Madison, who beat out frontrunner Demi Moore, told reporters she wanted to dedicate the award to "the sex worker community, I see you, you deserve respect and human dignity".
Baftas Diverge from Oscars
Although they can often set the tone for the Oscars, the Baftas – the biggest night of the year for the British film industry – regularly diverge from the films favoured by the Academy Awards in Los Angeles.
Other Winners
Best supporting actor went to Succession star Kieran Culkin for his role in A Real Pain about Jewish American cousins who tour Poland in honour of their grandmother. The film also garnered the best original screenplay for Jesse Eisenberg. Saldana, who won a Golden Globe last month for her role as the sassy lawyer in Emilia Perez, said she was dedicating her Bafta award to her trans nephew. "They are the reason I signed to do the film in the first place", she said, adding she would "always stand" with the LGBTQ community, which has come under attack under the new presidency of Donald Trump.
Conclusion
The 2023 Bafta awards saw a tie for top honours between Conclave and The Brutalist, with each film picking up four coveted gongs. The evening also saw surprise wins and notable losses, as well as a nod to the importance of representation and diversity in the film industry.
FAQs
- What were the top winners of the 2023 Bafta awards?
Conclave and The Brutalist, each winning four gongs. - Who won the best director award?
Brady Corbet won the best director award for The Brutalist. - Who won the best actor award?
Adrien Brody won the best actor award for his role in The Brutalist.