Robert Aramayo’s Bafta surprise as Paul Thomas Anderson dominates

The Baftas had a distinctly British tone from the start, with Hollywood A-listers presented with famously local snacks: Emma Stone got Hula Hoops, Timothée Chalamet a bag of Scampi Fries and Leonardo DiCaprio a Hobnob flapjack. The Prince and Princess of Wales also appeared on the red carpet, and their presence seemed to intensify a politely restrained atmosphere in which guests avoided certain topics.

The night’s biggest surprise came from English newcomer Robert Aramayo, who beat established stars to take the leading actor award and the EE rising star Bafta for I Swear. The film, about Tourette syndrome campaigner John Davidson — who was in the audience — drew praise for its warmth and emotional generosity; some attendees had also hoped Peter Mullan would be recognised for playing Davidson’s mentor.

Much of the evening’s honours went to Paul Thomas Anderson’s counterculture fantasia One Battle After Another, a realist "cheese-dream" about resistance to Trump and ICE roundups in a semi-fictional America.

United Kingdom

robert aramayo, paul thomas, bafta, i swear, counterculture, tourette syndrome, john davidson, rising star, peter mullan, trump