'Argo' wins top honours at BAFTA

London, Feb 11 (IANS) "Argo" continued its winning streak this season at the British Academy of Film Awards here Sunday night by clinching three honours, including best film. "Les Miserables" received four gongs, while India's only hope, actor Suraj Sharma missed the BAFTA EE Rising Star Award.

Ben Affleck walked away with the best director's trophy for "Argo", which is based on the rescue of American hostages in Iran during the 1979 revolution. The movie, a big winner at the 70th Golden Globe awards, too, also received the best editing title at the ceremony, organised by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA).

Overall, musical drama "Les Miserables" picked up four trophies - supporting actress for Anne Hathaway, production design, sound and make-up and hair - out of its nine nominations.

Actor Daniel Day Lewis was named the best actor for "Lincoln" - the only award for the biopic on former US president Abraham Lincoln and his struggles during the Civil War, which was the front runner at the event this year with a total of 10 nominations. Daniel played Abraham Lincoln in the movie.

Among the actresses, Emmanuelle Riva, 85, secured the winner's spot for playing a partially paralysed old lady in French film "Amour", which won the best film award not in the English language.

Riva is said to be the oldest actress ever to have been nominated for BAFTA, where she was first nominated for the best foreign actress way back in 1959 for "Hiroshima mon amour".

Indian actor Suraj Sharma, who played the protagonist in Ang Lee's "Life of Pi", lost out the EE Rising Star Award to British actress Juno Temple. However, the movie was recognised for its cinematography and special visual effects.

James Bond flick "Skyfall" won two awards - outstanding British film and original film music, while Kathryn Bigelow's "Zero Dark Thirty", which received five nominations, failed to win a single honour.

David O. Russell won for adapted screenplay of "Silver Linings Playbook", and Quentin Tarantino picked the best original screenplay gong for "Django Unchained", which also reserved the best supporting actor gong for Christoph Waltz.

Period film "Anna Karenina" was honoured for its costumes by Jacqueline Durran, and "Brave" was named the best animated film at the star-studded ceremony. Click the Movie button below for more info:
Argo