Blighty’s own Film Academy BAFTA unveils the films it has picked to be included in this year’s ceremony, hot on the heels of last night’s National Television Awards, which was Stephen Fry aside, one of the most excruiaitingly depressing things I have ever laid eyes on. Made me feel shitty to be British frankly. The BAFTAs however go some way to making up for this, with a list of nominations which mix up the familliar names with some more left-field, but wholly welcome, choices.
While I am not going to go into detail on every category, I will now take a look at some of the big ones.
BEST FILM
Avatar
An Education
The Hurt Locker
Precious
Up In The Air
Well this category essentially mirrors predictions for the Oscars though hopefully the inclusion of An Education may see that get in the Oscar’s list of 10. The British Academy are, to put it bluntly, fairly snooty about what wins their big prizes and so to be honest I can see Avatar getting shut out here. If it wins, I would say the Oscar race is over, though I can very much see An Education getting this, just as Atonement did a couple of years back. Up In The Air has also been warmly received by UK critics though, as has The Hurt Locker while Precious is a slightly unknown quantity seeing as it comes out over here in a weeks time.
What Will Win: An Education
What I Want To Win: The Hurt Locker
OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM
An Education
Fish Tank
In The Loop
Moon
Nowhere Boy
4 very well received films and 1 disappointment which if you ask me is in there as a “well done, hope you do better next time” nomination for Sam Taylor-Wood’s Nowhere Boy, a film which just was not good enough. I have not seen Fish Tank though I hope to before these awards and I am reliably informed it is fantastic (and director Andrea Arnold’s last film Red Road was tremendous) and because An Education is battling in both categories I see this coming down to a 3 way dogfight between the aforementioned Fish Tank, Moon and In The Loop. To be honest, the overwhelming love for In The Loop, and the industry love for its writer/director Armando Iannucci might be unstoppable for this category but I would go for Moon any day of the week. I just don’t think it is as well respected among Academy members as it is on the net and the fact that Sam Rockwell has been shut out is a clear indication that if Moon has a chance, it’s in its other category. And just for the record, I thought In The Loop was an overhyped disappointment which often times forgot to be funny while being oh so clever…
What Will Win: In The Loop
What I Want To Win: Moon
OUTSTANDING DEBUT BY A BRITISH WRITER, DIRECTOR OR PRODUCER
Lucy Bailey, Andrew Thompson, Elizabeth Morgan Hemlock, David Pearson Directors, Producers – Mugabe And The White African
Eran Creevey Writer/Director –Â Shifty
Stuart Hazeldine Writer/Director –Â Exam
Duncan Jones Director –Â Moon
Sam Taylor-Wood Director –Â Nowhere Boy
This is the one that I think is going to make the internet happy. I can honestly say I have not heard of Mugabe & The White African so I am going to discount that automatically. Shifty was well liked by those who saw it but Noel Clarke certainly made more of an impression with Kidulthood and Adulthood, Stuart Hazeldine will be thrilled with his nomination but I think that’s all his set in one room potboiler should be expecting and Nowhere Boy was both a critical and commercial disappointment a combination which should see it be shoved aside in favour for Duncan Jones’ Moon which made enough of an impression with the critical community for it to be noticed and the “son of Bowie wins” story could be irresistible for certain members of the Academy also. In terms of how the films have been seen critically, this is Jones’ award to lose. I will be watching the ceremony for this category more than any other.
What Will Win: Moon
What I Want To Win: Moon
BEST DIRECTOR
James Cameron – Avatar
Neill Blomkamp – District 9
Lone Scherfig – An Education
Kathryn Bigelow – The Hurt Locker
Quentin Tarantino – Inglourious Basterds
Now this has come as a bit of a surprise to me I must say, as we see a couple of the Best Film nominations get swapped out, and judging by the new inclusions probably deservedly. The nomination for Neill Blomkamp has come at just the right time for the film’s Oscar chances and I am damn well thrilled to see him on the list. He won’t win in a million years but this nomination is surely more than he expected while making the film. I’m also pleased to see Quentin Tarantino return to the land of critical love and his presence at the ceremony, I hope, should bring some fun moments certainly, but the film is just not flashy/worthy enough to get this prize. Lone Scherfig has an outside chance for sure but this is going to be a battle of the divorcees as Cameron and Bigelow go at it.
What Will Win: Kathryn Bigelow
What I Want To Win: Neill Blomkamp/Quentin Tarantino
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Jon Lucas, Scott Moore – The Hangover (My nomination for WTF nomination of 2010)
Mark Boal – The Hurt Locker
Quentin Tarantino – Inglourious Basterds
Joel Coen, Ethan Coen – A Serious Man
Bob Peterson, Pete Docter – Up
Well like I said above, I am staggered that BAFTA feel that The Hangover has one of the best screenplays of the year. While it’s reveals of what exactly happened the night before are quite clever, surely there were better screenplays this year. The writers must be thrilled, and fair play to them and the Academy as its not exactly an Awards film but… really? I’m also not a fan of Up but it is well liked and may even have a chance. The screenplay for The Hurt Locker was not one of that film’s shining lights for me, too much stuff in it was way too on the nose for my liking, but I think the tussle will be between QT and the Coen’s here as 3 of cinema’s best current writers turned in some of their best work this year and I think this will be acknowledged.
What Will Win: Quentin Tarantino
What I Want To Win: Quentin Tarantino (Coen’s are a very close 2nd)
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Neill Blomkamp, Terri Tatchell – District 9
Nick Hornby – An Education
Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, Tony Roche – In The Loop
Geoffrey Fletcher – Precious
Jason Reitman, Sheldon Turner – Up In The Air
Well I haven’t seen Precious, though the screenplay doesn’t seem to be one of the areas people are shouting about, and District 9 did involve a lot of improvisation, particularly on the part of Sharlto Copley, so I would say this a battle between the 3 remaining. The screenplay is one of the stronger aspects of Up In The Air but I have a feeling the Brit bias may show out here, though Nick Hornby is a very well respected writer, but then In The Loop’s screenplay is one thing that film is being raved about for. This one is difficult.
What Will Win: In The Loop (By a margin)
What I Want To Win: An Education
ANIMATED FILM
Coraline
Fantastic Mr Fox
Up
For me there is no contest but for the Academy this could be tight. Fantastic Mr Fox is actually more well liked by US critics and I think that has the potential to upset Up at the Oscars but over here this is Coraline vs Up and it could come down to if voters actually see Coraline. While I did not care for it, many did and its story mixed with the old school animation may beat Up which in any other year would walk this one. A friend of mine has a theory that Up will win here and at the Oscars just because of the large contingent of older voters and frankly, I am going with him on this one. That’s right Brad, for once I agree with you.
What Will Win: Up
What I Want To Win: Fantastic Mr Fox
So the other big ones? Well, Foreign Language is going to be a straight up dogfight between The White Ribbon, A Prophet and Let The Right One In but Haneke’s film is adored by so many critics that THE WHITE RIBBON gets this one for me. Leading Actor is an odd one with a surprise nomination for Andy Serkis but for me JEFF BRIDGES gets this one, as it is apparently a remarkable performance. I can see the Brit angle coming into play with actress though as Meryl Streep will battle it out but CAREY MULLIGAN will take the win, and a deserved one at that. Supporting Actor is one of the only real locks as CHRISTOPH WALTZ dances away with the award and while I would love to see Anna Kendrick get Supporting Actress, that one is going to MO’NIQUE who seems to be the one element of Precious that everyone agrees on.
The rest of the nominations are listed all over the film news web this morning so if you want to know, go ahead but those are my thoughts. Actually far more comfortable with those nominations than I was expecting.
Your thoughts please!
