The Favourite lives up to its name

Britain

As Joanna Lumley, the Bafta host, said: ‘‘What a masterstroke to have called it The Favourite.’’

The comedy-drama set in the court of Queen Anne romped home with awards, including Best Actress for Olivia Colman, Outstanding British Film, Original Screenplay and Best Supporting Actress for Rachel Weisz.

It was a triumph for a film that was 20 years in the making and shone a light on a lesser-known period of royal history.

Colman stars as the eccentric monarch, with Weisz as the queen’s confidante and Emma Stone as an ambitious newcomer determined to inveigle her way into Anne’s affections.

‘‘As far as I’m concerned, all three of us are the same and should be the lead. This is for all three of us. It’s got my name on it but we can scratch in some other names,’’ she said. She earned a laugh when she added: ‘‘We’re having an amazing night, aren’t we? We’re going to get so p----- later!’’

However, The Favourite lost out for the Best Film award to Roma, the black and white Spanish-language drama.

The Bafta success is a boost for The Favourite’s Oscar hopes. But director Yorgos Lanthimos wanted to celebrate a home-grown victory. ‘‘I’m Greek but this is a very British story so it’s great to be recognised here.’’

The Favourite was written as a radio play in 1998 by Deborah Davis. She shared the prize for Best Original Screenplay with Tony Mcnamara, her fellow screenwriter, and thanked Bafta ‘‘for celebrating our female-dominated movie about women in power’’. That theme was continued by the film’s winners in the Production Design category, Fiona Crombie and Alice Felton.

The Favourite also won Best Costume Design for Sandy Powell, who thanked Lanthimos for a film that broke boundaries and is also, in her words, ‘‘quite bonkers’’.

Roma also won Best Cinematography, Best Foreign Language Film and Best Director for Alfonso Cuaron.

A Star is Born won the prize for best original music, accepted by the film’s writer, director and star, Bradley Cooper.

Rami Malek won the best actor award for his performance as Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody.

Malek thanked Dexter Fletcher, the director who was brought on for the last weeks of filming after Bryan Singer was dropped. There was no mention of Singer, who denies sex assault allegations that caused his nomination to be suspended.

Stephen Woolley and Elizabeth Karlsen received the Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema award for a career that has included Absolute Beginners, Ladies in Lavender, Mona Lisa and Carol.

The Bafta Fellowship went to Thelma Schoonmaker, film editor to Martin Scorsese for more than 50 years. –