‘Boyhood’, ‘Grand Budapest Hotel’ big winners at BAFTA 2015

LONDON, Feb 9:  Richard Linklater’s coming-of-age drama ‘Boyhood’ won three of the biggest awards at the BAFTA 2015 including the best picture and director but whimsical drama ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’ walked away with maximum five trophies.
‘Boyhood’, a moving, groundbreaking film about growing up and shot with the same actors for over 12 years, was named the best film at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), hosted by comedian Stephen Fry.
Linklater, 54, won the best director trophy while Patricia Arquette, 46, bagged the best supporting actress gong for her portrayal of a divorced mother struggling to raise two kids.
Accepting her award, an emotional Arquette said Linklater had made a film like no other, which had broken “the rules of cinema… You made an ordinary story extraordinary.”
The award for leading actress went to Julianne Moore for her moving role of a linguistics professor struggling with Alzheimer’s in ‘Still Alice’.
“Thank you for including me among these beautiful performances both British Felicity, Rosamund and American Amy and Reese I’m honoured to be honoured with you tonight,” she said while acknowledging fellow nominees.
Eddie Redmayne was named the best actor for his role in ‘The Theory of Everything’. He beat competition from his closest rival and fellow countryman Benedict Cumberbatch (The Imitation Game), Ralph Fiennes (Budapest), Jake Gyllenhaal (Nightcrawler), Michael Keaton (Birdman).
The Stephen Hawking biopic won two more awards — adapted screenplay and outstanding British film — while ‘Imitation Game’ failed to win any trophy despite its nine nominations.
Redmayne, 33, dedicated the award to his family, to the cast and crew and Hawking, “for reminding me of the great strength that comes from the will to live a full and passionate life.”
‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’, which dominated the craft categories, won best original music, makeup and hair, costume design, production design, as well as best original screenplay for its absent director Wes Anderson. (PTI)