Brits make war, not love & war at awards

Staff Sgt. William James (Jeremy Renner) having a horrible day in "The Hurt Locker."

(Summit Entertainment)

If anyone chooses to use the British Academy Awards as an Oscar measuring stick, it looks like a long night for "Avatar" supporters when this country's Academy Awards are handed out on March 7.

Kathryn Bigelow's "don't touch that" Iraq War bomb deactivation drama "The Hurt Locker" exploded at the Orange British Academy Awards on Sunday, walking off with best film, best director (Bigelow), best original screenplay, best cinematography, best sound and best editing.

Bigelow's ex, James Cameron, looked good going in.  "Avatar," which may have to settle for box-office gold instead of Academy Award golden statuettes, scored only twice out of eight chances.  The technically innovative tale of love and war in a far-off world in the future mustered wins only for special visual effects and production design.

The Orange British Academy Film Awards -- the only major kudos extravaganza I know of with a designated favorite color (or is it a fave fruit?) -- were handed out in a rain-pelted Royal Opera House in London.  (OK, Orange is actually a huge European telecommunications company, for those who don't know.)

"My heart's beating so fast I can barely talk," she (Bigelow) said as she took the podium to accept the best director award," according to an article posted on the Hollywood Reporter Web site.

"I think the secret to directing is collaboration, and I was so lucky to have an incredible cast and crew. This is deeply moving -- we all felt an incredible responsibility to honor the courage of the men and women in the field," the Web article added.

Click here to read more of the Hollywood Reporter piece and for a list of other winners.