Smiley time as it’s Tinker Tailor Soldier Gong

The thrilling adaptation of John Le Carré’s famous novel won the awards for Outstanding British Film and Adapted Screenplay at the ceremony at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden.

But its main star, Gary Oldman, missed out on the Leading Actor award, which went to a previously unheralded Frenchman, Jean Dujardin, who won plaudits for his role in enchanting silent movie The Artist.

Octavia Spencer won the Supporting Actress award for The Help.

Dujardin’s prize was one of seven gongs for the French comedy-drama, which also won awards for Best Film, Original Music, Cinematography, Costume Design, Original Screenplay and Director.

The show began in booming fashion with veteran singer Tom Jones performing his theme tune to James Bond movie Thunderball more than 40 years after he first recorded the song.

It marked half a century of Bond’s cinematic adventures, which began when Sean Connery played the spy in Dr No in 1962.

Host Stephen Fry then introduced Cuba Gooding Jr, who presented the award for Special Visual Effects to Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part 2 and paid tribute to late pop singer and actress Whitney Houston.

Next up were the awards for Short Animation and Short Film which were won by A Morning Stroll and Pitch Black Heist, respectively.

The award for Make Up and Hair went to The Iron Lady and the prize for Film Not In The English Language was given to Pedro Almodovar’s The Skin I Live In.

Actor-turned director Paddy Considine and Diarmid Scrimshaw won the gong for Outstanding Debut By A British Writer, Director or Producer for their film Tyrannosaur.

Senna, Asif Kapadia’s film about the late Brazilian racing driver Ayrton Senna, won the Documentary award.

The film also won the Editing award, while the awards for Sound and Production Design went to Hugo, acclaimed director Martin Scorsese’s first children’s film.

The only gong voted for by the viewing public – The Orange Wednesdays Rising Star Award – was given to Kidulthood actor Adam Deacon by Mad Men star Christina Hendricks.

Two men certain of receiving a trophy were director Scorsese, who was awarded the Bafta Fellowship, and John Hurt, who was handed the Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema award for a glittering career including appearances in The Elephant Man, Midnight Express and The Field.

Hurt’s award was presented by Billy Bob Thornton, who called him an “actor’s actor”.

Hurt received a standing ovation and said: “Who would have thought all those years ago that I would have been sharing the stage of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, with Billy Bob Thornton? How fabulous.”

He revealed his wife had advised him to bin the speech he had prepared because when he gives speeches he sounds “like somebody else”.

Celebrities who graced the red carpet before the event included Meryl Streep, Brad Pitt, George Clooney and Michelle Williams.

Also posing for photographs and signing autographs were Shame actor Michael Fassbender and Eddie Redmayne of Birdsong, who was among the nominees for the Rising Star award.

Pitt, a Leading Actor nominee for his performance in baseball drama Moneyball, said it was “an honour” to be recognised in the “land of Olivier”, a reference to the late Lord Olivier, who won two Oscars and received 12 nominations.

The Baftas are widely seen as a reliable guide to which films will enjoy Oscar success.

George Clooney, nominated for Leading Actor for his role in The Descendants, said the event’s prestige had grown in the last decade.

“This has become a much bigger deal in the last 10 years or so and it makes a big difference,” said Clooney, whose film Ides of March was also nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay.

“It helps films, particularly smaller films like We Need To Talk About Kevin. If they get award nominations, they get to keep making films like that so it’s good.”

Sustainability, film star fashion

Much attention was focused on the actors’ daring gowns and smart suits – and a handful of stars came to the ceremony in environmentally-friendly attire.

Leading Actress nominee Viola Davis, shortlisted for her role in The Help, wore Valentino’s first ever custom-made “eco gown”, made from recycled plastic bottles, as part of a campaign called the Green Carpet Challenge.

Davis was joined by Oscar-winning actor Colin Firth and Shame star Michael Fassbender, who wore the first sustainable menswear pieces – tuxedos made by Giorgio Armani from organic wool with accents in recycled plastic bottles.

Firth’s wife Livia, the campaign’s founder, looked stylish in a Paul Smith trouser suit made from ethical and organic New Zealand wool and silk.