Britain Raises Low

At least in the world of film. First there was the Golden Globes. Then comes the Oscars. Of course, we also have the British Academy Film Awards. It seems that many many years after that embarrassing prediction of Colin Welland (of Chariots of Fire fame) in 1982, the British are making a comeback in the world of film.

Just a backgrounder, for those who do not remember Welland and his infamous statement…in his acceptance speech at the Oscars in 1982, he said that “the British are coming.” That is, British films would wow the whole world. It was a bold and patriotic statement, which unfortunately, did not materialise.

This year, though, it seems that finally, the British can boast of some really good movies. A feature in the entertainment section of The Times Online states:

The nominations provided ample evidence of the breadth of British success, with recognition for block-busters ( Mamma Mia! The Movie and The Dark Knight were both substantially British in terms of the talent involved) and purist arthouse fare. Notable among the latter were Hunger, an uncompromising meditation on the IRA hunger striker Bobby Sands, and Man On Wire, a front-runner for the Best Documentary Oscar.

This is not to say that the British actors and actresses have been perfect, though. Who can forget Kate Winslet forgetting the Angelina Jolie’s name in her acceptance speech? Then again, she just might have been overwhelmed by everything that was going on. The important thing is that the British film industry is on a hot streak – something that everyone involved should contribute to keep going.