The BAFTA Awards give everything to The Artist, proving that British people are aware it's a silent film

By Sean O'Neal | February 13, 2012 | 4:11pm

Aux Features Film

Still mortified by the actions of certain Liverpool ruffians, the BAFTA Awards went out of their way to celebrate The Artist last night, allowing the film to sweep more than half of the dozen categories in which it was nominated, even when it faced exceedingly British competitors such as Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and The Iron Lady. Through pursed lips and punctuated by plenty of embarrassed harrumphing, the red-faced presenters awarded Michel Hazanavicius’ ode to silent films best picture, director, actor, screenplay, music, cinematography, and costume design—thus proving that one is well aware that The Artist is a silent film, and one shall never speak of this nastiness again.

In categories where it was not possible or bordered on unseemly obsequiousness to pay tribute to The Artist, BAFTA indulged itself with Outstanding British Film honors for Tinker Tailor and best actress accolades for Meryl Streep’s turn as Margaret Thatcher, while also paying tribute to seeming Oscar locks Christopher Plummer for Beginners and Octavia Spencer for The Help, just to keep up appearances. But mostly it was The Artist’s night, and as BAFTA’s members retired to slip into their night-waistcoats and glumly rotate a glass of sherry in their hands as they stared into a weakly smoldering fire, they could only hope that this would be enough to make everyone forget.