BAFTA snub for Oxford set Saltburn

Oxford set Saltburn missed out despite 5 nominations.

Barry Keoghan and Archie Madekwe in Oxford set Saltburn
Author: Andrea FoxPublished 19th Feb 2024

Barbie, Killers Of The Flower Moon and Saltburn were all left empty handed at the Baftas.

Greta Gerwig's film about the Mattel doll having an existential crisis was the highest-grossing film of 2023 and was nominated for a string of awards, but failed to win a single one.

Star Margot Robbie lost out on the best actress prize to Poor Things' Emma Stone, while the screenplay by director Greta Gerwig and her husband Noah Baumbach lost out to courtroom drama Anatomy Of A Fall, by Justine Triet and Arthur Harari.

Ryan Gosling's Ken was defeated in the supporting actor category by Robert Downey Jr for Oppenheimer.

Gerwig was a conspicuous absence from the directing contenders when the nominees were announced.

Killers Of The Flower Moon, Martin Scorsese's western crime epic, also left with nothing, despite nods for best film, best supporting actor for Robert De Niro and a number of the below the line categories.

Meanwhile Saltburn failed to translate its viral success into awards gold.

The film about a student at Oxford who becomes enthralled by a wealthier classmate and spends a summer at his sprawling estate, has become an internet sensation but did not land a single Bafta, despite nods for outstanding British film, leading actor Barry Keoghan, supporting actress Rosamund Pike, supporting actor Jacob Elordi and score.

However, the film did get a moment in the spotlight with the performance of Murder On The Dancefloor by Sophie Ellis-Bextor.

The song, released 22 years ago, had a scene-stealing moment in the final stages of the film and has since re-entered the charts.

Ellis-Bextor was joined by a team of dancers in sequins as she took to the stage in a dramatic black and orange gown with a full skirt as she performed the disco hit.Cillian Murphy, Robert Downey Jr and Sophie Ellis-Bextor have been among the stars arriving on the red carpet ahead of the Baftas.

Sophie Ellis-Bextor was asked on the red carpet by the PA news agency how it would be received if Keoghan recreated his naked dance in Saltburn.

She said him performing again to her hit Murder On The Dancefloor "may be a bit much" for the ceremony but she was looking forward to seeing him again.

She also said she "felt very complimented" by director Emerald Fennell choosing her 2001 song for the film.

Saltburn actor Richard E Grant told PA that "a number of grandmothers" had written to complain about the film which contains explicit and sexual imagery.

He said the women claimed they had been "told to watch it as a family film before Christmas", and joked that "their false teeth fell out so it was a great response".

The Prince of Wales, who is president of Bafta, attended the event - his first high-profile royal engagement since his wife's operation.

At the prestigious film event last year, William was accompanied by the Princess of Wales, did not attend this time as she continues her recovery.

The Bafta film awards was hosted by Scottish actor David Tennant with performances by Ellis-Bextor and Hannah Waddingham. Hear all the latest news from across the UK on the hour, every hour, on Greatest Hits Radio on DAB, smartspeaker, at greatesthitsradio.co.uk, and on the Rayo app.