The BAFTA nominations are out. Hopefully they can restore my faith (not that I ever had much) in awards after the debacle that was the Golden Globes. I am a little disappointed to see so many films nominated that aren’t out in the UK yet but fortunately most of them are coming out soon so I will get to see them before the awards are given out. Here are the nominations with a few of my thoughts on the subject:
BEST FILM
- Avatar
- An Education
- The Hurt Locker
- Precious: Based on the novel Push by Sapphire
- Up In The Air
Inglorious Bastards really deserved a nomination ahead of Avatar. I’m note sure what loophole got Precious a nomination as it isn’t released in the UK for another week. For me a clear winner is The Hurt Locker but I fear Avatar may do it.
OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM
- An Education
- Fish Tank
- In The Loop
- Moon
- Nowhere Boy
I didn’t see In the Loop, all the others were good, it’s a close call between Fish Tank and An Education for me.
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
No contest, it has to be Duncan Jones for Moon.
DIRECTOR
- James Cameron – Avatar
- Neill Blomkamp – District 9
- Lone Scherfig – An Education
- Kathryn Bigelow – The Hurt Locker
- Quentin Tarantino – Inglourious Basterds
Great to see Tarantino nominated but again for he it has to be Kathryn Bigelow for The Hurt Locker
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
- Jon Lucas, Scott Moore – The Hangover
- Mark Boal – The Hurt Locker
- Quentin Tarantino – Inglourious Basterds
- Joel Coen, Ethan Coen – A Serious Man
- Bob Peterson, Pete Docter – Up
Clear winner: Tarantino and his Basterds.
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: Based on the novel Push by Sapphire
- Jason Reitman, Sheldon Turner – Up In The Air
Two things stood out about An Education the acting and how well written it was so has to be Nick Hornby.
FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
- Broken Embraces
- Coco Before Chanel
- Let The Right One In
- A Prophet
- The White Ribbon
My movie of the year last year Let The Right One in. The White Ribbon was also really good and could be in with a strong chance.
ANIMATED FILM
- Coraline
- Fantastic Mr Fox
- Up
I have to go for Fantastic Mr Fox as it is the only one of the three I saw but I suspect it will be Up.
LEADING 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
Of the nominations I have only seen The Hurt Locker and Up in the Air. Crazy Heart and A Single Man are not out yet and although Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll is out it is on very limited release and I haven’t seen it. The two I have seen were both excellent performances and I would be happy for it to go to either of them.
LEADING ACTRESS
- Carey Mulligan – An Education
- Saoirse Ronan – The Lovely Bones
- Gabourey Sidibe – Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire
- Meryl Streep – Julie & Julia
- Audrey Tautou – Coco Before Chanel
Precious comes out next week and The Lovely Bones next month. I missed Julie & Julia at the cinema. Coco Before Chanel was a very average film but Audrey Tautou was very good in it but a clear winner has to be Carey Mulligan for An Education.
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
One of the few the golden globes got right, Christoph Waltz for Inglourious Basterds.
SUPPORTING ACTRESS
- Anne-Marie Duff – Nowhere Boy
- Vera Farmiga – Up in the Air
- Anna Kendrick – Up in the Air
- Mo’Nique – Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire
- Kristin Scott-Thomas – Nowhere Boy
I will reserve judgment until I have seen Precious but have seen the other two films that make up the other four nominations and can say they are all great with Kristin Scott-Thomas just edging it.
MUSIC
- Avatar – James Horner
- Crazy Heart – T-Bone Burnett, Stephen Bruton
- Fantastic Mr Fox – Alexandre Desplat
- Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll – Chaz Jankel
- Up – Michael Giacchino
I haven’t seen enough of the films to have an opinion.
CINEMATOGRAPHY
- Avatar – Mauro Fiore
- District 9 – Trent Opaloch
- The Hurt Locker – Barry Ackroyd
- Inglourious Basterds – Robert Richardson
- The Road – Javier Aguirresarobe
A close call, but The Hurt Locker just edges out The Road for me.
EDITING
- Avatar – Stephen Rivkin, John Refoua, James Cameron
- District 9 – Julian Clarke
- The Hurt Locker – Bob Murawski, Chris Innis
- Inglourious Basterds – Sally Menke
- Up In The Air – Dana E. Glauberman
The Hurt Locker Again.
PRODUCTION DESIGN
- Avatar
- District 9
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
- The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
- Inglourious Basterds
Inglourious Basterds was brilliantly designed but it was the one thing that Avatar was faultless on s I have to say Avatar.
COSTUME DESIGN
- Bright Star
- Coco Before Chanel
- An Education
- A Single Man
- The Young Victoria
My choise Inglourious Basterds isn’t nominated so I will reserve judgment as I haven’t seen the film that I have been told should win it, A single man.
SOUND
- Avatar
- District 9
- The Hurt Locker
- Star Trek
- Up
Avatar will probably clean up with the technical awards but I would go with The Hurt Locker.
SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS
- Avatar
- District 9
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
- The Hurt Locker
- Star Trek
Has to be Avatar.
THE ORANGE RISING STAR AWARD (voted for by the public)
- Jesse Eisenberg
- Nicholas Hoult
- Carey Mulligan
- Tahar Rahim
- Kristen Stewart
I have already blogged on this subject. My vote has already been cast for Carey Mulligan.
“Inglorious Bastards really deserved a nomination ahead of Avatar” … Fandango, I so want to high-five you right now! But since the cyber-up-top hasn’t been invented, words will have to do.
I’m going to see “Avatar” this weekend so I can’t say yet whether I’ll like it or not, but I doubt it could overtake “IG” in my book. From what I hear it’s got stunning visuals and that’s it. I really believe a movie needs more than one element to nab a “best picture” award from anyone. But I have this fear that “Avatar” will steamroll every category at the Oscars just like “Slumdog Millionaire” did.