Fassbender scoops Standard award

By Tim Masters Entertainment and arts correspondent, BBC News

Michael Fassbender is also up for best actor at Sunday’s Baftas

Michael Fassbender has won the best actor prize at the Evening Standard British film awards for his roles in sex addiction drama Shame and Jane Eyre.

His win comes less than a week before the Baftas, where Fassbender is up for best actor.

Olivia Colman won the best actress prize for her performance in brutal drama Tyrannosaur.

Lynne Ramsay’s We Need To Talk About Kevin won best film.

John Hurt picked up the Alexander Walker special award for his contribution to cinema.

The veteran actor is due to collect the outstanding British contribution to cinema award at the Baftas on Sunday.

Monday’s ceremony, at the London Film Museum, was delayed after a fire alarm during the champagne reception meant that all the guests – including Tom Hiddleston, Birdsong’s Clemence Poesy and Downton Abbey’s Jessica Brown-Findlay – were evacuated outside.

Fassbender’s best actor win was for both his portrayal of a sex addict in Shame and his brooding Mr Rochester in Jane Eyre.

His award was collected on his behalf by Shame writer Abi Morgan who read a message from Fassbender in which he said he was “truly honoured and delighted” to receive the award.

Colman beat three Oscar winners – Vanessa Redgrave, Rachel Weisz and Tilda Swinton – to take the best actress prize for her role as a Christian charity shop worker in Paddy Considine’s Tyrannosaur.

Presented with her prize by Doctor Who actor Matt Smith, the tearful actress said: “This film will be thing I’m most proud of until I die – apart from my husband.”

Olivia Colman (right) with director Paddy Considine in Tyrannosaur

Accepting the prize for We Need To Talk About Kevin, director Lynne Ramsay said she was “pretty overwhelmed”.

She admitted: “It was such a struggle making this movie, a lot of times I thought I’d give up.”

Irish comedy The Guard beat summer hit The Inbetweeners Movie to win the Peter Sellers comedy award.

Written and directed by John Michael McDonagh, it features Brendan Gleeson as a foul-mouthed Irish police sergeant.

The award was picked up by actor Mark Strong, who read a suitably irreverent message from McDonagh: “I’m shocked to win the Peter sellers Prize for comedy – I thought Tyrannosaur would win it.”

Hurt’s award for his contribution to cinema was presented by My Beautiful Laundrette director Stephen Frears.

Hurt, whose career spans four decades and includes the recent role of Control in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, said he was “enormously grateful”.

He said the late Evening Standard film critic Alexander Walker, after whom the award is named, had once described him as “the nation’s favourite victim”.

Hurt added: “Well I don’t feel a victim tonight.”

The Evening Standard British film awards have been presented annually since 1973.

THE WINNERS LIST

BEST FILM presented by Sophie Okonedo:

We Need to Talk About Kevin

Lynne Ramsay

BEST ACTOR presented by Elizabeth McGovern:

Michael Fassbender

for his performances in Shame and Jane Eyre

BEST ACTRESS presented by Matt Smith:

Olivia Colman

for her performance in Tyrannosaur

MOST PROMISING NEWCOMERS presented by Warwick Davis:

Tom Kingsley and Will Sharpe

Co-writers and directors of Black Pond

PETER SELLERS AWARD FOR COMEDY presented by Clémence Poésy :

The Guard

written and directed by John Michael McDonagh

BEST DOCUMENTARY presented by Noel Fielding:

Senna

Asif Kapadia

BEST SCREENPLAY presented by Alexandra Roach:

Andrew Haigh

Weekend

LONDON FILM MUSEUM AWARD FOR TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT presented by Ruth Negga:

Robbie Ryan

For his cinematography of Wuthering Heights

ALEXANDER WALKER SPECIAL AWARD presented by Stephen Frears:

John Hurt for his contribution to cinema

BLOCKBUSTER OF THE YEAR, PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD** for helping put British film in the headlines around the world:

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, 3D

**This award was presented by Stephen Mangan to Oliver Phelps (who plays identical twin George Weasley in the film).