BAFTAs 08: The Scoop

Daniel Day-Lewis took the best actor prize at the BAFTAs but Britain's leading ladies were left empty-handed as a little-known French actress stole the limelight.

Marion Cotillard was the surprise winner of the best actress award for her portrayal of singer Edith Piaf in La Vie En Rose.

Julie Christie had been odds-on favourite to win for Away From Her and Atonement's Keira Knightley was not far behind.

But the BAFTA judges plumped instead for 33-year-old Marion, rewarding a performance which has already earned her a Golden Globe win and an Oscar nomination.

She is believed to be the first French actress to win the best actress BAFTA.

It was a bad night for Atonement, although it did win the big prize of best film.

The lavish adaptation of Ian McEwan's best-selling novel was nominated for 14 awards, but came away with just two - the other was for production design.

There were no surprises in the best actor category, which went to Day-Lewis for There Will Be Blood.

The 50-year-old plays oil baron Daniel Plainview in the film and is tipped to scoop an Oscar later this month, having already won a Golden Globe and a Screen Actors' Guild Award.

The Oscars now look set to go ahead after the Writers' Guild of America reached a "tentative deal" over an end to strike action.

It is the second BAFTA for Daniel, who won in 1990 for My Left Foot.

This time he beat the likes of James McAvoy for Atonement and George Clooney for Michael Clayton.

Oscar-winning star Sir Anthony Hopkins received the BAFTA Fellowship.

The Welsh actor, whose films include The Silence of the Lambs and Remains of the Day, was hailed as "one of the UK's most loved and admired performers whose contribution to the film industry, both in the UK and abroad, is unrivalled".

Presenters at the ceremony included Kate Hudson, Thandie Newton, Bond girl Eva Green, Sylvester Stallone, Emily Blunt, Orlando Bloom and Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe.