177. Olaf Scholz: Putin, Power, and Far-Right Populism
23 February 2026
Royals owe one to the film people
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Post
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14 February 2011
I think that despite the risks of Jonathan Ross saying something daft, and despite the risk of speeches over-running, the Beeb should rethink coverage of the Baftas and go for it live. Yet another example of how twitter is changing the world.
Even though everyone knew the King's Speech would clean up, the excitement of the evening was somewhat diminished by being able to see the results live on twitter, whilst on TV they were still in excited build-up mode.
So go for live I say. And well done to the Oscars for limiting the length of the speeches. It will lead to a nice new line for the bookies - in who goes over. I think Helena Bonham Carter would struggle to stick to the limit.
She said that she wanted to thank the Royal Family. I think the thanks should be the other way round. In this of all years, the film does a good deal to humanise the Royals.
Btw I would have voted for Javier Bardem as best actor. Brilliant in Biutiful.
maybe Helena would have given a shorter speech than Nicola?
Her name is Helena not Nicola.Agree, think it should go out live.
It’s Helena Bonham Carter, not Nicola. Plus there are a couple of typos in here – not bother to proofread this morning??
Who is Nicola Bonham-Carter?
I thoroughly agree. Having things ‘live’ brings back the excitement, the possibility that something out of the ordinary might happen. Filmed in advance it’s as interesting as watching paint dry.
You are absolutely right about Javier Bardem – a performance of stunning intensity. Disappointed that either Biutiful or Silence in their Eyes did not win best foreign film – both were wonderful thought provoking films that stay in the mind for weeks.
I hope Alastair changes Nicola to Helena here in the blog too. As he tweeted his correction.
Can’t quite agree that this film helps to humanise the Royals. I thought it only emphasised what a dire system it is – it could have been set in the 1530s let alone the 1930s with all the oppressive rituals and casual cruelty all supported by the Establishment. Logue (as a non Brit) blew away the cobwebs and refused to conform and insisted on equality, but he was a lone figure and treated very shabbily by all the usual suspects. The only humanising thing was that we were informed that HRH and Logue remained friends throughout life.
We could do a good deal more to humanise the Royals by abolishing the institution of Monarchy. Wouldn’t it be nice not to have the Prince of Wales imploring us to reduce our carbon foorprints and cut our consumption?
Dear Doctor
Every year I say I’ll stop watching the excrutiating, nauseating, self-important, embarrassing, narcissitic, artificial, interminable, repetitive, predictable BAFTA film awards, but find I can’t give it up. At the end of it, I feel as if I’ve eaten a large box of chocolates that I didn’t enjoy at all.
Yours hopelessly.
Alternatively, switch your attention away from ruddy twitter for a few minutes.
on ne peut pas polir un turd’.
Not strictly true. Mythbusters TV programme showd that it was indeed possible. Maybe that’s what Cameron & Clegg need now Mythbusters
In the interests of fashionable ‘transparency’, the Beeb should state that it’s not live instead of presenting it as though it were.
But I can see no reason for it not to be live. Surely not on grounds of language now that ITV allow Adrian Chiles to say the C word on a scripted, recorded show on a Sunday night.
Btw, did you notice how many times Mark Kermode told us he was a BAFTA member over on the News channel? Wow!……a ‘Dr’ and a member of BAFTA! And then the poor man’s presentation of an award got relegated to the odds and sods clips at the end. Ah well, he can still dream of a BAFTA Fellowship in another 50 years.
Can’t stand the Ribena kid myself, Jonathan Ross, so typical Lahndarne used and abused token, by the SE England old Brit Enpire India establishment.
Woss, better known as the Ribena lad (anyone remember the tv ad?) makes me laugh. And maybe Bonham-Carter’s first name is not usually known in the pap world. I would believe she is known as Nicola to her friends and family.
The saving grace of the Baftas for me was dignity and humility personified in the form of Sir Christopher Lee. I cried because the late great Pete Postlethwaite didn’t get a post humous award for best supporting actor.Which he really had earned.
“Doing it live” heaven forbid that for reality.
Personally I loved your typo.It put the whole Bafta thing into context.
I think it’s a really pity Made in Dagenham was overlooked. Excellent portrayl of Barbara Castle by Miranda Richardson – deserved recognition.
Iraqi defector ‘Curveball’ admits WMD lies
An Iraqi defector code-named “Curveball”, whose statements convinced the CIA and the Bush administration that Iraq had secret biological weapons, has admitted for the first time that he lied.
Suppose I better post this, Rick’s moments at the Golden Globes. Brilliant it is.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBvBxv8btSM
Much as I like ‘Nicola’ Bonham Carter, bless her little goth socks, I thought she was miscast for the part of Elizabeth. Hypothetically speaking, if I were going to cast someone in that role, it would have to be cheery Welsh siren Ruth Jones. Two gloomy introverts in that marriage wouldn’t have worked at all.
In other news, I notice Colin Firth and HBC have both endorsed yes to AV. If Colin is really as disenchanted with Clegg as he says he is, why vote for something that’s going to give more power to the LibDems?
I can’t believe I’m the only to comment on the demise of the UK Film Council. The Enemy Within stopped funding the UKFC within weeks of getting into office, the King’s Speech then went on to become the most succesful independent British film ever. I believe in the French theory that we should promote our own culture rather than import loads of US programmes and films. btw Where’s Olli?
I agree that the King’s Speech is a great film and overall the publicity it generates for the monarchy is incredibly positive.
When I went to see ‘Made in Dagenham’ I went with low expectations. I used to live down there just after the strike, and for a spell I sold a well-known left-wing newspaper outside the Body Plant. My expectations were wrong – I thought it was a pretty good film, though it did include a few inaccuracies which a bit of elementary research could have rectified. For instance I don’t think hot pants were around in 1968, certainly not in Dagenham, and I can assure you I would have noticed! But when the film finished the entire cinema audience stood up and clapped. It was obviously such a relief for us all to see a group of low-paid, discriminated-against front-line workers get one over on a bunch o corporate barons.