With all due respect to the general public (which, if I’m being honest, is a variable amount) I don’t tend to pay much attention to awards voted for entirely by them: such awards happen on a weekly basis, and they’re called the box office charts.
Still, that’s not to say Joe Public can’t occasionally surprise us, and at least one result at last night’s Jameson Empire Awards — the last, and booziest, stop on the 2011 kudos calendar, voted for by the readers of the mainstream-oriented film magazine Empire — reflects rather well on the British masses.
They may not have shown up in great numbers to see “Tyrannosaur” in theaters last autumn, but word of Olivia Colman’s tremendous performance has clearly spread enough to nab the humble Brit a Best Actress win over the likes of Meryl Streep and Rooney Mara. When even the multiplex crowd has joined critics in feting Colman — who also took the British Independent Film Award, London Critics’ Circle Award and Evening Standard Film Award — that BAFTA snub looks ever more boneheaded.
Other results were more as you’d expect from Empire readers, with genre fare dominating: those still smarting from the “Harry Potter” series ending its run without one Oscar to its name will be comforted by its Best Film and Best Director wins here. Even the power of the Potterheads, fortunately, wasn’t enough to get Daniel Radcliffe the Best Actor prize ahead of Gary Oldman.
With three wins, including Best British Film and Best Thriller, “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy” was the most-rewarded film at last night’s London ceremony. “Thor” took a pair of prizes, while other winners included “Kill List,” “The Adventures of Tintin” and UK comedy smash “The Inbetweeners Movie.” Full list of nominees and winners below:
Best Film
“Drive”
“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2”
“Rise of the Planet of the Apes”
“Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy”
Best British Film
“Attack the Block”
“The Inbetweeners Movie”
“Submarine”
“Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy”
“Tyrannosaur”
Best Director
Nicolas Winding Refn, “Drive”
David Yates, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2”
Rupert Wyatt, “Rise of the Planet of the Apes”
Tomas Alfredson, “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy”
Steven Spielberg, “War Horse”
Best Actor
Daniel Craig, “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”
Ryan Gosling, “Drive”
Gary Oldman, “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy”
Daniel Radcliffe, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2”
Andy Serkis, “Rise of the Planet of the Apes”
Best Actress
Olivia Colman, “Tyrannosaur”
Rooney Mara, “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”
Carey Mulligan, “Drive”
Meryl Streep, “The Iron Lady”
Michelle Williams, “My Week With Marilyn”
Best Male Newcomer
John Boyega, “Attack the Block”
Asa Butterfield, “Hugo”
Sam Claflin, “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides”
Tom Hiddleston, “Thor”
Jeremy Irvine, “War Horse”
Craig Roberts, “Submarine”
Best Female Newcomer
Celine Buckens, “War Horse”
Elle Fanning, “Super 8”
Laura Haddock, “The Inbetweeners Movie”
Felicity Jones, “Like Crazy”
Hailee Steinfeld, “True Grit”
Bonnie Wright, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2”
Best Comedy
“Attack the Block”
“Bridesmaids”
“Crazy, Stupid, Love”
“The Inbetweeners Movie”
“Midnight in Paris”
Best Thriller
“Drive”
“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”
“Hanna”
“Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows”
“Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy”
Best Horror Film
“Attack the Block”
“Insidious”
“Kill List”
“Paranormal Activity 3”
“Troll Hunter”
Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy Film
“Captain America: The First Avenger”
“Rise of the Planet of the Apes”
“Super 8”
“Thor”
“X-Men: First Class”
Art of 3D Award
“The Adventures of Tintin”
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2”
“Hugo”
“Thor”
“Transformers: Dark of the Moon”
For more views on movies, awards season and other pursuits, follow @GuyLodge on Twitter.
Sign up for Instant Alerts from In Contention!