British out in force on Oscar red carpet

LOS ANGELES, Feb 22 (Reuters) British talent will be out in force on the Oscar red carpet on Sunday after a bumper year for UK actors, writers and directors who have made small and quirky a virtue in an industry better known for big and brash.

Twenty nominations at this year's Academy Awards involve UK talent or films that range from the quintessentially British royal drama ''The Queen'' to the subversive humor of ''Borat'' and British director Paul Greengrass's take on the ultimate US story of the doomed 9/11 flight in ''United 93''.

''It has been a stunning year for us,'' said Tina McFarling head of industry relations at the UK Film Council. ''The Oscar nominations are the icing on the cake after a wave of optimism that has been flowing with awards at Cannes, Venice, Toronto and the Golden Globes.'' Helen Mirren, a hot favorite for best actress for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth, leads the British assault along with Kate Winslet and Judi Dench, directors Stephen Frears and Paul Greengrass, ''Borat'' screenwriter and creator Sacha Baron Cohen, and screenwriters Peter Morgan (''The Queen'') and Patrick Marber (''Notes on a Scandal'').

''The Queen'' has six nominations, including best picture. ''The Last King of Scotland'', which stars American best actor nominee Forest Whitaker, was partly financed by British national lottery money, as was ''Venus'' which stars British best actor nominee Peter O'Toole.

Steeped in Shakespeare and strong on theater, Britons have long been ambivalent about Hollywood, resenting its box-office dominance, ill at ease with its glitz and yet irked at being sidelined on the movie industry's most prestigious night.

The James Bond franchise apart, British movies struggle to compete at the box-office against Hollywood's action thrillers although its actors and screenwriters are in high demand.

BRITISH FLAVOR Instead film makers have turned to what they know best smaller movies with a uniquely British flavor.

''Britain has finally divested itself of that feeling that it needs to compete with Hollywood. Where we excel is in producing high quality films at all different budget levels and which are true to our own culture,'' said McFarling.

''The Queen'' is a perfect example. The movie, which examines the reserved British royal family's response to the emotional public outpouring over the death of Princess Diana, has been embraced by US film critics partly because of American fascination with royalty.

But admiration for the movie won't be enough to win the coveted best picture Oscar, although Mirren is seen as a shoo-in for the best actress award.

''The Queen' is not the kind of movie to win the best picture, not because it is British but because it is a bit small in terms of scope and scale. I think the Academy voters will go for something that is more uniquely American,'' said film critic Emanuel Levy of emanuellevy.com.

''Chariots of Fire'' (1981) and ''Gandhi'' (1982) were the last predominantly British productions to win Best Picture.

But the perception that Britons are always the bridesmaids, never the bride on Oscar night is mistaken, Hollywood experts say, although the movies they appear in may not be draped in the Union Jack.

Recent British Oscar winners include directors Sam Mendes for ''American Beauty'' and Anthony Minghella for ''The English Patient,'' actors Anthony Hopkins for ''The Silence of the Lambs,'' Emma Thompson for ''Howards End,'' Rachel Weisz for ''The Constant Gardener,'' Catherine Zeta-Jones for ''Chicago,'' Michael Caine for ''The Cider House Rules,'' Judi Dench for ''Shakespeare in Love'' and a 2002 honorary award for Peter O'Toole.

''The Academy, like Hollywood itself, has always liked the British and has treated them pretty kindly. Americans have an enormous respect for British acting and writing,'' said film historian David Thomson, author of the Biographical Dictionary of Film.

Even if British nominations do not translate into armfuls of statues on Sunday, recognition in Hollywood builds investor confidence in UK films and helps secure foreign distribution, said McFarling.

''The British sensibility, which did used to go 'if we don't win the Oscar we must be a failure', truly has gone away.'' ''For us, having this number of nominees, the UK film industry is already a winner,'' McFarling said.

Reuters SY DB0920