Breaking Baz: Christopher Nolan Lauded By UK Premier Rishi Sunak, Who Cracks A Few Risqué Gags At Prestigious BFI Fellowship Event
deadline.comUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was the surprise warm-up act at a prestigious film industry event in London on Wednesday night that saw Oppenheimer director — and BAFTA and Oscar front runner — Christopher Nolan receive the British Film Institute Fellowship Award for his outstanding contribution to cinema.
The premier hailed Nolan — whose credits also include the Dark Knight trilogy, Inception and Dunkirk — as “undoubtedly one of our preeminent filmmakers.” However, before doing so, he delivered quips with an aplomb that had guests seated in the ballroom of London’s Rosewood Hotel in stitches. “Politics is showbusiness for ugly people,” Sunak declared.
The room liked that one, even though the line’s a golden oldie. “So, I was pleasantly surprised,” he continued, “when I was recently mistaken for Timothée Chalamet.” Then with a well-timed pause, he added, “At least, I think that’s why they were shouting ‘Wonka’ at me.” The room welcomed that ‘zinger’ with a peal of wicked laughter.
Addressing the “luminaries” of British film and TV, including Tom Hiddleston and Kenneth Branagh, Sunak set in motion a nice swipe at Boris Johnson, his former boss. “Tom Hiddleston… who played Loki the lord of mischief and chaos, and Kenneth Branagh, who played a very similar role [in This England] last year as Boris Johnson.” He was also excited, he said, to meet with Bond franchise producer Barbara Broccoli. “Barbara, I hear you might be casting for a special vacancy.
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