The 7th British Independent Film Awards were held last night and a big winner was Mike Leigh and cast for his film Vera Drake, raking in a mammoth six awards.
Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor and Best Achievement in Production. What a selection! According to the Guardian:
Leigh was genuinely shocked to walk away with so many gongs, even getting into an on-stage argument with a heckler who questioned his surprise. He also gave his own definition of what being an independent filmmaker truly means: not having to deal with “cigar-chomping boneheads”. His movie – about a working class family woman who performs illegal abortions in 50s London – opens in the UK on 7th January.
Excellent description there, and from a man who has seen both sides of the fence. I do like a lot of Leigh’s work, although you are guaranteed a harrowing time in some form or another, but his movies truly are about people, and the acting always comes across so naturally. Whether that’s his influence, the Actors he chooses or most likely both, he always seems to get wonderful performances from his cast.
Other winners were Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright for the Best Screenplay for the wonderful Shaun of the Dead. Quite right too! Touching the Void won Best Achievement for a Documentary, and Oldboy took Best Foreign Film.
In my mind these are a wonderful and well deserved mix of awards and the movies and talent here are well worthy.
