Brits cast their votes for cowboy love tale

“Brokeback Mountain,” already a hot favorite for next month’s Hollywood Oscars, was the big star of the night at the British film competition Sunday, receiving four BAFTAs from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts.

The gay cowboy love story won the coveted best film award, Ang Lee was picked as best director, Jake Gyllenhaal was chosen as best supporting actor, and the film also won the best adapted screenplay statuette.

“Brokeback Mountain,” which had taken Lee seven years to bring to the screen, faced tough competition from “Capote,” “The Constant Gardener,” “Crash” and “Good Night, and Good Luck” to be picked as best film.

Philip Seymour Hoffman took home the best actor BAFTA for his mesmerizing portrayal of writer Truman Capote in “Capote,” and Reese Witherspoon was selected as best actress for her role in the Johnny Cash biopic “Walk the Line.”

The best supporting actress award went to Thandie Newton for her role in the low-budget racial drama “Crash.”

The British film industry had high hopes for the stylish political thriller “The Constant Gardener,” which garnered 10 nominations. But its stars Ralph Fiennes and Rachel Weisz went home empty-handed.

Another disappointed star was George Clooney, who had been nominated four times in recognition of his directing, acting and writing skills in the McCarthy-era drama “Good Night, and Good Luck” and the Middle East thriller “Syriana.”

“Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit,” another in line for Oscar glory in Hollywood next month, was chosen as the best British film of the year.

“Memoirs of a Geisha,” the tale of a penniless child who is transformed into an elegant geisha, won three awards, for its cinematography, costume design and the John Williams musical score.

The BAFTAs were shifted in 2001 from April to February to fall between the Golden Globes and the Oscars, which will be held March 5, with organizers hoping to capture some Hollywood glitter in the packed awards calendar.

But winning a top U.K. film industry award is certainly no guarantee of Oscar success.

Last year, Clint Eastwood’s boxing drama “Million Dollar Baby” failed to score at the BAFTAs after distributors refused to send out copies of the film to voters amid fears of piracy, but swept the board at the Oscars.