Billed as the first event of the awards season and, as host Queen Latifah explained, an introduction to "highly anticipated films you'll want to see," the Hollywood Film Awards debuted on CBS last night (November 14, 2014). As a film aficionado, I already was aware of the films being "introduced" and promoted to the CBS Friday night television audience. Most members of the audience who tuned in for the red carpet show, awards, and CBS "after party" probably hadn't heard of all the touted films, but they likely watched to see, as CBS advertised for weeks, "your favorite stars".
Benedict Cumberbatch was one of those stars, but even though he took home the Hollywood Actor award for The Imitation Game, the evening wasn't all it could--or arguably should--have been for him as a potential Oscar nominee, probably because he was being himself instead of a promotional machine. All the reasons I enjoy watching this actor maneuver through the layers of public celebrity, in addition to being entertained and enlightened by his performances, were on display and sharply contrasting the "Hollywood game" of working the crowd and winning future Oscar votes.
Let's start with the way that Benedict Cumberbatch was filmed arriving at the red carpet and contrast his evening's "performance" as a potential Oscar nominee with that of another excellent British actor, Eddie Redmayne. Whereas Redmayne was shown smiling before the photographers and chatting amiably with CBS entertainment correspondent Gayle King, the camera first followed Cumberbatch stepping out of his car in front of the red carpet and being led where he needed to go. There's nothing spectacular about that common shot--except that Cumberbatch merely looked open-faced and friendly while concentrating on being where he needed to go. Contrast that initial impression of the impeccably dressed actor looking a bit serious--as he did later posing for the photographers--with Hollywood veteran Michael Keaton, who grinned from the moment the car door opened and showed very clearly that he was mindful he was live on national television. He worked the camera, even in the brief few seconds he was shown exiting a vehicle. Cumberbatch seemed intent on doing his job well but did not seem as relaxed as he has been on past televised red carpets, for example, at last year's Oscars. There's nothing wrong with being less glib than Mike Myers or as outgoing as Chris Rock on the red carpet, but Cumberbatch's quieter demeanor was a marked contrast to that of awardees clearly working the red carpet and cozying up to interviewers or the camera. During this awards season, potential best actor nominees Eddie Redmayne and Benedict Cumberbatch will inevitably be compared.
A comment in Lainey Gossip last week reminded me that the business of being seen may be just as important as the quality of cinematic work drawing attention to future award winners. The differences between Eddie Redmayne's and Benedict Cumberbatch's appearances at key parties, awards shows, and Hollywood events might be summarized by this description: "Eddie’s been working it a lot more visibly though, tirelessly showing up to every screening, every Q&A, without scraping the lower end of the event list. Benedict may have lost early ground to him because he’s been shooting The Hollow Crown but Harvey Weinstein understands Oscar timing probably better than everyone else." In the past couple of weeks, Cumberbatch has flown from the U.K. to U.S. more than once, and in the next few days, he will be promoting both The Penguins of Madagascar and The Imitation Game on U.S. talk shows, on Tumblr, and in person at premieres and Q&As. Nevertheless, as usual, Cumberbatch's emphasis always seems to be on his work--such as his current role as Richard III in The Hollow Crown or his continuing focus on Alan Turing instead of himself during interviews for The Imitation Game. He doesn't chat about himself nearly as much as most actors, especially those courting a potential award nomination.
A New York Times blog described the prestigious Governors Awards this year as a "scrum for votes" and complained in its lead paragraph that "The movie academy’s Governors Awards, typically one of the classier prizefests, teetered on the brink Saturday of becoming the Golden Globes, one of the gabbier — and grabbier — galas on Hollywood’s annual pre-Oscar circuit." Furthermore, it pictured Redmayne being "parked" at the ballroom entrance, while Weinstein "held court" with Cumberbatch and Keira Knightley. Certainly, Cumberbatch will be seen at important events, but the way he is portrayed--including through candid camera shots and on-camera interviews--is starting to show a difference in style that says as much about the actor as it does the campaign process that is becoming ever more social media savvy and publicly broadcast.
Both Redmayne and Cumberbatch were highly visible at the Hollywood Film Awards last night, which provided an excellent opportunity for the American mainstream television audience to see them and learn about their competing biopics about Alan Turing (Cumberbatch in The Imitation Game) and Stephen Hawking (Redmayne in The Theory of Everything). Redmayne chatted amiably with King during his brief red carpet interview, mentioning that he was looking forward to being reunited with friends attending the awards [Indeed, one photo shows the smiling trio of Cumberbatch, Knightley, and Redmayne], finding such events nerve wracking [even though the award winners knew in advance that they would be on stage], and showing off his shiny black shoes, which, as King noted, were fancier than the shoes he wore during a pre-recorded interview. Cumberbatch, on the other hand, talked very briefly with Mo Rocca. I usually like Rocca's laidback, friendly-guy style, but I agreed with Cumberbatch that the interviewer should not have asked about Cumberbatch being cast as Dr. Strange. That role is far from a done deal, and, after unsuccessfully evading Rocca's persistent attempt to get him to say something about casting, Cumberbatch instead looked irritated. "Check your notes," he dismissed Rocca twice before the interview was cut short.
Fortunately, Cumberbatch talked sincerely and smoothly about Alan Turing at the top of the interview, and his comments, while nothing he hasn't said during other Imitation Game interviews, nonetheless showed his devotion to the film and his insistence that Turing receive the recognition he deserves.
However, most U.S. television audiences are used to stars coyly teasing potential casting news or laughingly asking if the interviewer wouldn't love to see the actor in that as-yet-unannounced role. Cumberbatch didn't play that game. He clearly wanted to stick to the topic of The Imitation Game and resented Rocca's focus on Dr. Strange. I respect Cumberbatch for his choices, but his tone and the abrupt ending of the interview (King was heard on air to ask if Rocca was sending the camera back to her) might not have seemed as appealing to mainstream America used to seeing only happy, flirtatious, project-teasing stars.
During his acceptance speech for receiving the Hollywood Breakout Performance award, Redmayne joked about his early years of being a broke "Brit abroad" in Hollywood and making the rounds of auditions. He thanked his benefactors, including Stephen Hawking. He showed he is sincere, humble, and grateful--all the traits that audiences and award voters like in their winners.
During his acceptance speech for receiving the Hollywood Actor award, saved for next-to-last as one of the evening's main accolades, Cumberbatch led with a quip about short microphones and the time zone back home. He referenced Mathew McConaughey's "All right, all right, all right" HFA speech upon winning last year ("as we say . . . 'oh my, oh my, oh my'") that the audience didn't seem to get, possibly because, as the host and several winners noted, the crowd had been drinking a lot all evening. When Cumberbatch turned more serious, he talked about Turing, once again seeming sincere and well spoken. He also looked a bit nervous, rubbing his cheek and lip as he spoke. Whereas Redmayne charmed the audience, Cumberbatch expressed his sincerity and wit, but not everyone may have been as wowed because it was "typical Cumberbatch"--honest, direct, well spoken, but, in this case, not as over-the-top enthusiastic as audiences might have expected. Whereas Cumberbatch perhaps inadvertently referenced his Britishness (e.g., "where I'm from," "over here"), Redmayne talked about his early time trying to make it in Hollywood and seemed to show more interest in being one of the Hollywood crowd.
The best bits for me, who likes to hear interviews in which actors say something interesting or insightful, were the clips preceding an award being presented. Cumberbatch looked relaxed, happy, and knowledgeable in the interview clips within the segments dedicated to Knightley, director Morten Tyldum, and himself. When, in her acceptance speech, Knightley acknowledged her "lovely friend" who is "excellent on and off camera," Cumberbatch beamed, one of the few times the camera caught him genuinely smiling.
I was disappointed that the CBS "after party" special focused only on a few actors, Redmayne among them, in lengthier pre-recorded interviews. Cumberbatch was left out, probably for a variety of reasons--limited broadcast time, emphasis on stars most mainstream Americans know (in segments mostly featuring American actors), Cumberbatch's work or travel schedule. Nevertheless, Redmayne was featured, and Cumberbatch was not. Viewers had yet one more opportunity to get to meet Redmayne, who, for all his success, doesn't typically receive the same kind of media attention as Cumberbatch. Neverthelss, for all his fame, Cumberbatch may not be on a name-recognition basis with lots of Americans who, based on their introduction to The Imitation Game, might buy a ticket.
What did I like about the way Benedict Cumberbatch was portrayed during the Hollywood Film Awards? He remains his own man, who doesn't suffer fools (or interviewers prodding him for information he doesn't want to give). He looks incredibly styled without seeming to be overstyled--he wears clothes very well but seems equally confident and natural in clips showing him in a t-shirt on set. His acceptance speeches are always interesting and informative. What I worry is that he may not come across as charismatic as Redmayne during some promotional events, and his work schedule and focus on multiple projects at once may not allow him to be seen in the same light as other actors campaigning for Oscar. Cumberbatch has said that he doesn't play the politics of awards--but Harvey Weinstein expertly does and frequently wins. Fortunately for those fans in the U.S., Cumberbatch will be on television a lot more in the next week, as well as attending high-profile promotional events. His fans are already sold on Cumberbatch's talent and charm, but mainstream audiences deciding whether to see The Imitation Game on Thanksgiving weekend may not yet be on board with Cumberfame.
In an insightful recent article in Forbes, film reviewer Scott Mendelson praised Cumberbatch's performance in The Imitation Game and noted that the actor "is such an engaging presence that it’s obvious why he is so coveted by Hollywood for this big role or that big movie. In a purely artistic sense, he is a movie star through-and-through." Here's hoping that U.S. media this week provide a better showcase for this star to shine.
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