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Red
Carpet Fever at the BAFTAs 2007
Feature
by Jean Lynch
Despite
warnings of dire weather, the gods were kind this
year, the evening sky was clear and the stars positively
sparkled along the red carpet in London town, at
the Royal Operal House, Covent Garden for
the Orange British Acadmy Film Awards 2007.
Red carpet celebrity presenter, Mylene Klass,
described the atmosphere as "electric",
and it is indeed a sight to behold these days, with
screaming fans lining the streets, star after star
alighting from snazzy courtesy cars, the deafening
cheers and obligatory blinding flashlights. John
Barrowman (Torchwood's Captain Jack) and Ruby
Wax are on hand to interview for the Entertainment
Channel, but they are just a a tiny part of the world's
media assembled here today. You may argue we've gone
a little too Hollywood but the message being sent
out is clear – we're great, we're British and we
want the world to know!
Abigail
Breslin, pretty in peach, and wearing Jimmy Choos,
sweetly signs autographs, while her Little
Miss Sunshine co-star, Toni Colette dazzles
in a silver Max Azaria dress with a white (faux?)
fur wrap by Sandy Powell. Ben Wishaw, nominated
for the Orange Rising Star Award, seems unsure
where to go but soon follows the calls of adoring
fans. Dame Judi Dench, resplendent in black
and proving true to her dramatic roots by wearing
a jacket made for her by the Royal Shakespeare company,
elicits the biggest cheer so far. Clearly a night
for the more senior of our thespians as Venus' Leslie
Phillips and Richard Griffiths are also
in high demand. They arrive early and gamely stick
around to sign autographs. By now, the presenter
of tonight's awards, Jonathan Ross, has arrived
and is busy gurning and waving at any camera that
is pointed in his direction. He shoots his 9.00pm
trailer...three times.
Sienna
Miller steals the show in a silver (are we noticing
a theme here?) Vintage Ungaro dress with intricate
spiderweb patterns. James McAvoy saunters
down the carpet with his co-star, in hit TV show Shameless, and
wife, Anne Marie Duff, arms firmly clasped
around each others' waists. Thandie Newton,
in a loose pink dress by Giles, nipped neatly at
the waist by an oversize belt, seems delightfully
taken aback by the fans tumultuous reception. Daniel
Craig, the first James Bond to be nominated in
these awards for the role, holds a mobile phone aloft
and points it back at himself as he takes his and
his adoring fan's picture together. The screams for "Jake" (Jake
Gyllenhaal) are ridiculously loud, and Helen
Mirren regally greets the crowds in an elegant
two-piece by Jacques Azagury, and a silvery hairstyle
reminiscent of the monarch herself. Pedro Almodovar arrives
with Penelope
Cruz on his arm. Forest Whittaker steps
out in Calvin Klein while Kate Winslet is
sleek, but reassuringly healthy, in a strapless black
Ben De Lisi gown, sporting a simple but chic ponytail; Damian
Lewis dashing in a tux.
The
red carpet is glorious organised chaos. It may not appear
so, but this mass of glamour and celebrity is a smoke
screen for the myriad of publicists, security, technicians,
journalists and countless others whose work behind the
scenes makes the event appear, as if my magic, to run
seamlessly and with pinpoint precision. How else, out
of an ocean of faces and cameras large and small, could
the stars know precisely when to stop and chat awhile
to the media? From young talent to old and, as a precursor
to the Oscars red carpet, they all had their say. Those
expertly ushered towards the press included such talent
as:
BEN
WHISHAW – Nominated for the Orange Rising Star Award
So,
first impressions of BAFTA 2007?
I
am quite overwhelmed actually. I didn't know it would be
like this. Apparently it's a special year.
How about the
crowds, how are they reacting?
They knew who I
was, so that is a huge bonus.
How the the year
has been?
This last year?
It has been great. A lot of it has been spent publicising
this film Perfume I did. That has
been quite new for me. It has been a strange year.
What performances
have caught your eye this last year?
I'm
sure everybody has said it but I did like Judi Dench in Notes
on a Scandal.
TONI
COLETTE – Nominated for Best Actress in a Supporting
Role for Little Miss Sunshine
So first impressions
BAFTAs 2007?
God, I've just come
from 40-degrees heat in Sydney, so it's a little cold for
me!
What films have
caught your eye this year?
A Inconvenient
Truth has been my favourite film. I really
liked Babel. Pan's
Labyrinth. I'm so jet-lagged I can't
think of anything else!
This is the second
time you have been nominated. Second time lucky?
I don't really care.
I'm just glad to be here and see my mates.
Have you got
an acceptance speech ready?
I haven't really
thought about it. In fact, hope I don't win because I haven't
thought of anything to say!
KEN RUSSELL –
Director Tommy, Women in Love, The Devils
Hello, Ken. Wonderful
to have you here tonight.
Nice to be here.
I've just been giving a lot of prizes to 60 Seconds of
Fame. That's sort of amateurs who made a film lasting one
minute, and they have won a BAFTA
prize. Brilliant.
Fantastic, so
you really believe in the up-and-coming talent as well
as the more established lot. Who do you think will walk
away with the awards
Helen Mirren.
You discovered
her.
One of my first films
was with Helen. She walked nude down the staircase. People
still remember it.
Who would forget
that, Helen Mirren walking nude down a staircase. How many
takes?
Quite a lot of takes
but we played a lot on the high heels. She had very cute
high heels.
EMILY BLUNT – Nominated
for the Orange Rising Star Award
How are you feeling
tonight?
I'm feeling good,
it's a bit frenzied out here. It's nice to be home more than
anything.
Have you been travelling
around a lot?
I've
actually been filming in Albuquerque, New Mexico. That's
one of the most random places. What happens in Albuquerque?
I ate a lot of Taco Bells, so it's nice to get home.
How do you feel
to be nominated?
Very excited. It's
nerve-wracking and you try not to expect too much because
it's just easier to do that. I mean, it's nerve-wracking.
I'm trying to be laid-back about it but it's very hard when
the world seems to be watching you, like tonight.
It's intimidating
walking down the red carpet?
Yes, and it's huge.
I thought it would take me hours.
JUDI DENCH – Nominated
for Best Actress in a Leading Role for Notes on a Scandal
What do you think
of the BAFTAS 2007?
It's rather overwhelming.
Here we are standing outside Covent Garden, no traffic, it's
quite nice.
Obviously we've
moved to the Royal Opera House this year. What do you think
about that, good idea?
It's a beautiful theatre
and therefore a lovely place to be.
What films and
performances have caught your eye this year?
You're asking the
wrong person because I've seen so little, I've hardly seen
anything, I've been in the theatre all the time.
Good to keep busy.
On a personal level, you already have five BAFTAs yourself,
if you get another one, where will you put it?
Where am I going to
put it? There is no chance so I'm not worried about it.
What about the
other people in your category?
I'm a betting woman
so I would put my money on Helen.
LESLIE PHILLIPS
– Nominated for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for Venus
So
is a BAFTA nomination enough or do you want to walk
away with the actual award?
I never expected anything
like that. It is a giggle, isn't it? It is nice if people
appreciate you.
Nice way to earn
a living.
Yes.
What about the
other actors and actresses?
I am so sorry Vanessa
Redgrave isn't here. Is Peter O'Toole here?
We hope so. Do
you think Helen is going to walk away with the BAFTA tonight?
Oh yes, absolutely.
She is away on a cloud, isn't she? Wonderful actress. Wonderful.
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