• March 06, 2006
• Vol. 65
• No. 9

A Foreign Affair

By Michelle Tan, Ashley Williams

At London's Bafta Awards, a Pack of Oscar Contenders Bring Serious Hollywood Sparkle to a Rainy British Night

Forget fish-and-chips and double-decker buses. For Charlize Theron, a sure sign that she's hopped the pond is when her Fendi heels go squish. "A soggy red carpet is very English," says Theron. As are the BAFTAs—Britain's answer to the Oscars—where American imports such as best picture winner Brokeback Mountain dominated. "It's just awesome!" said best supporting actor Jake Gyllenhaal, who earned top honors alongside winners Philip Seymour Hoffman, Reese Witherspoon and Thandie Newton. It wasn't the British damp that got Gyllenhaal down, but the radio. "In the car, I was looking for a little hip-hop to get me fired up. I didn't find any." Luckily he didn't really need it.

• Contributors:
• Caris Davis/London,
• Jill Martin/London,
• Katie Pisa/London.