Film The Bafta Nominations were announced a couple of days ago and as ever I've seen about two of the films on offer; as ever I offer no excuse for this other than the usual about how going t'cinema isn't what it used to be; and as ever I'm going to try and predict the winners sight unseen.
Best Film
Avatar
An Education
The Hurt Locker
Precious
Up in the Air
Avatar is receiving this year's innovation nomination and will probably win, but I think An Education may be a stalking horse -- only British film on the list and lots of good will.
Outstanding British Film
An Education
Fish Tank
In the Loop
Moon
Nowhere Boy
While Nowhere Boy had its moments, not least the near perfect rendition of the first handshake between John and Paul, as poisonous and cynical as it should have been, it didn't quite hold together for, though that could have been because it was depicting the places where I was born and brought up. In The Loop on the other hand didn't have that problem and was just about perfect. Perhaps I'll change my mind when Amazon send the copy of Moon I've just ordered.
Director
Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
Neill Blomkamp, District 9
James Cameron, Avatar
Lone Scherfig, An Education
Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds
Probably James Cameron because in the back of the heads of the voters will be the fear that he's the new David Lean.
Actor
Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
George Clooney, Up in the Air
Colin Firth, A Single Man
Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker
Andy Serkis, Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll
It'd be nice for Serkis to win an award for acting, even though his best work will never receive recognition because it's obscured by animation.
Actress
Carey Mulligan, An Education
Saoirse Ronan, The Lovely Bones
Gabourey Sidibe, Precious
Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia
Audrey Tautou, Coco Before Chanel
Carey Mulligan because I'm biased. This is the "Who's in it from Doctor Who?" category.
Supporting Actor
Alec Baldwin, It's Complicated
Christian McKay, Me and Orson Welles
Alfred Molina, An Education
Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones
Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds
Christian McKay. His Welles is eerie.
Supporting Actress
Anne-Marie Duff, Nowhere Boy
Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air
Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air
Mo'Nique, Precious
Kristin Scott Thomas, Nowhere Boy
Presumably Mo'Nique will win this due to split voting. But my votes with Scott Thomas. Duff was spectacular as John's mother, but Kristen had to simultaneously be a dragon and also show that it's because she believes she's doing the best for her nephew. That's not easy but she carries it off with ease.
Original Screenplay
The Hangover
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
A Serious Man
Up
It would be nice to see PiXAR win something for writing, confirming that the scripts above all others elements are what set their films apart from some other digimations (Monsters Vs Aliens).
Adapted Screenplay
District 9
An Education
In the Loop
Precious
Up in the Air
Well that's interesting. Presumably In The Loop is in there because it's the film version of The Thick Of It, which isn't the same as turning out a version of a novel, it's still an all new narrative and it was mostly new characters.
Film not in the English Language
Broken Embraces
Coco Before Chanel
Let the Right One In
A Prophet
The White Ribbon
"Clearly Let the Right One In" as Mark Kermode might say.
Animated Film
Coraline
Fantastic Mr Fox
Up
Up will win this presumably.
Cinematography
Avatar
District 9
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
The Road
As you know I recently finished reading a book on film style in which David Bordwell spends pages describing the meticulous processes of directors and cinematographers in creating shots which combine storytelling and giving the actor room to work. I do wonder about the validity of this category when its nominating films were the shot length is less than a nanosecond. The Road on the basis that its bound to have lots of long shots.
Costume Design
Bright Star
Coco Before Chanel
An Education
A Single Man
The Young Victoria
I've always thought that like screenplays, the costume design category should be split into two, encompassing work that is truly new designs -- fantasy and sci-fi -- and adapted fashions of the kind we see here.
Editing
Avatar
District 9
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Up in the Air
Why does Up in the Air merit an editing nomination and not The Road. I'm intrigued.
Make-Up & Hair
Coco Before Chanel
An Education
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
Nine
The Young Victoria
I refer you to my comments on costume, although I suppose in both cases the award is also being given for the accuracy of the recreations.
Music
Avatar
Crazy Heart
Fantastic Mr Fox
Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll
Up
Is this original music?
Production Design
Avatar
District 9
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
Inglourious Basterds
Avatar's going to romp through the technical categories; The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus doesn't really compare -- budget cuts led to the effects looking charmingly unfinished.
Sound
Avatar
District 9
The Hurt Locker
Star Trek
Up
Just for recreating then developing the soundscape of my youth.
Visual Effects
Avatar
District 9
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
The Hurt Locker
Star Trek
Obviously.
Short Animation
The Gruffalo
The Happy Duckling
Mother of Many
... because of the infectious excitement from Polly Hill, the Head of Independent Drama for BBC England, at the panel yesterday. This was her commission and she was very proud of it.
Short Film
14
I Do Air
Jade
Mixtape
Off Season
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 Creevy (writer-director, Shifty)
Stuart Hazeldine (writer-director, Exam)
Duncan Jones (director, Moon)
Sam Taylor-Wood (director, Nowhere Boy)
Duncan Jones and Sam Taylor-Wood are already known for other things and that might count against them.
Orange Rising Star Award
Jesse Eisenberg
Nicholas Hoult
Carey Mulligan
Tahar Rahim
Kristen Stewart
Remember the collective audible sigh in the auditorium when Shia LaBeouf won this in 2008? Since this is a public vote and Twiglet is still huge, Kristen Stewart would seem like the equivalent this year. But it should be Carey Mulligan. Vote here, vote now.
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