Today the slightly-hysterical Hollywood back-patting which is Awards
Season officially kicked up a notch with the announcement of this
years Bafta nominations. Actually this opening is a
tad disingenuous of me; as a certified Film Buff (or maybe that
should just read “certifiable”), I love Awards Season. I
mean actually, properly love it. I will sit and coo over the dresses
for hours, and you really don’t want to be anywhere near me
if a film or actor I’ve been championing doesn’t get the
recognition I think they deserve. Banshees have nothing on me; those
unfortunate enough to be in the vicinity in 2012 when Michelle Williams was
blatantly robbed at the Oscars (why would you give
anyone an award for trying to ‘humanise’ Maggie Thatcher?
WHY?!!) will ever truly get over the experience; I’m still
apologising for the eardrum piercing which resulted from my outrage. Sorry. Really,
really sorry…but you know I was right…
I digress.
So, yes, today was the day the Bafta nominations were made. With the
Golden Globes happening this weekend and the Oscars looming on the
horizon, the Baftas have gone from being something of a poor relation
to an actual player in the industry, sandwiched nicely between the
twin giants of the American industry. I have to admit I haven’t
seen all the films nominated; a combination of my local cinema’s
bizarre scheduling habits, the often-irritating way films will have
been released in America months before they come out over here and a
general lack of time, but I’ve been casting my eye over the main
nominations and have garnered some form of opinion…
Best film: Birdman; Boyhood; The Grand Budapest Hotel; The
Imitation Game; The Theory of Everything
I want – desperately want – Boyhood to win this. It’s
one of the most extraordinary, ambitious and, in my humble opinion,
profoundly moving films I have ever seen; Richard Linklater’s
vision is astonishing and the cast were sublime. That said –
probably because I like it so much – I can see this going to
something else entirely; either The Imitation Game or The Theory of
Everything. If it’s the latter, all well and good; if it’s the
former, however, I may scream…
Outstanding British film: '71; The Imitation Game; Paddington;
Pride; The Theory of Everything; Under The Skin
Again, I can see this going to either The Imitation Game or The
Theory of Everything, although I have to confess for a bit of a soft
spot for ’71, which was amazing…
Actor: Benedict Cumberbatch - The Imitation Game; Ralph Fiennes -
The Grand Budapest Hotel; Jake Gyllenhaal – Nightcrawler; Michael
Keaton – Birdman; Eddie Redmayne - The Theory of Everything
I want Eddie Redmayne to get it. In my mind it’s a no-brainer; of
course he’s going to get it, he has to get it. Which
probably means he won’t and it’ll go to Benedict Cumberbatch
instead, just to spite me…
Actress: Amy Adams - Big Eyes; Felicity Jones - The Theory of
Everything; Julianne Moore - Still Alice; Rosamund Pike - Gone Girl;
Reese Witherspoon – Wild
Wild hasn’t come out here yet, so I can’t actually comment on
Reese Witherspoon’s performance and how good/bad/indifferent it
might be. Nor has Big Eyes, although as Amy Adams’ long-lost
sister I am naturally rooting for her to win everything she’s
nominated for, even if that’s just “Best Person Named Amy Adams”.
(She’s a shoe-in. Seriously). As to the rest, I am torn between
the sublime Felicity Jones and the legendary Julianne Moore. I
haven’t seen Still Alice yet, though, so in spite of hearing
nothing but good things all round about her performance, I’m going
to have to go with Felicity.
Supporting actor: Steve Carell – Foxcatcher; Ethan Hawke –
Boyhood; Edward Norton – Birdman; Mark Ruffalo – Foxcatcher; JK
Simmons – Whiplash
Foxcatcher doesn’t interest me in the slightest, so even though it
comes out today I have absolutely no intention of seeing it, thus
rendering me useless at judging the quality of Steve Carell and Mark
Ruffalo’s performances. A pity, seeing as I usually like Ruffalo’s
work. Besides, I think Ethan Hawke should get it. He won’t, but
he should…
Supporting actress: Patricia Arquette – Boyhood; Rene Russo –
Nightcrawler; Keira Knightley - The Imitation Game; Imelda Staunton –
Pride; Emma Stone - Birdman
Again, I really want Patricia Arquette to win for Boyhood, but
because the rest of the world refuses to realise how right I am about
these things, it’ll be someone else. I couldn’t call it between
the rest of the field, but I’d like it if Imelda Staunton won…it’ll
probably be Keira, won’t it?
Director: Wes Anderson - Grand Budapest Hotel; Damian Chazelle –
Whiplash; Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu – Birdman; Richard Linklater
– Boyhood; James Marsh - The Theory of Everything
Amazing though The Theory of Everything is, this award should by
rights have Richard Linklater’s name already etched into the
base…If not, why not, Bafta? Don’t make me come down there…
Rising Star award: Gugu Mbatha-Raw; Jack O'Connell; Margot Robbie;
Miles Teller; Shailene Woodley
If Jack O’Connell doesn’t win this, I will not be held
responsible for my actions…
Then we get onto the rest of the awards which, let’s be honest,
most people either don’t know enough about, don’t care about, or
both. Some of these are easier to call than others…ish…
Adapted screenplay: American Sniper - Jason Hall; Gone Girl -
Gillian Flynn; The Imitation Game - Graham Moore; Paddington - Paul
King; The Theory of Everything - Anthony McCarten
It would be amazing if Paddington won, purely for the fact I loved
the books as a child. No chance in hell though…I’d like it to be
The Theory of Everything (currently reading Jane Hawking's book which it's based on and oh my god...), but it’ll
probably be Gone Girl or The Imitation Game in actuality. Le sigh…
Original screenplay: Birdman - Alejandro G. Inarritu, Nicolas
Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris Jr, Armando Bo; Boyhood - Richard
Linklater; The Grand Budapest Hotel - Wes Anderson; Nightcrawler -
Dan Gilroy; Whiplash - Damien Chazelle
Birdman was bizarre, but this should be Boyhood’s. Hell,
everything should be Boyhood’s, even the award they aren’t
nominated for.
Speaking of which...
Animated film: Big Hero 6; The Boxtrolls; The Lego Movie
Oh come on, like the all-conquering, “everything is awesome” Lego
Movie isn’t going to get this. Sorry, Boxtrolls…you were cute though...
To be completely honest, the rest of the award nominations mean
nothing to me. I haven’t seen any of the documentaries (20 Feet
from Stardom [which won the documentary award at the 2014
Oscars, so now I’m really confused]; 20,000 Days on Earth;
Citizenfour; Finding Vivian Maier; Virunga), although I wanted to see
the Vivian Maier one and just haven’t got around to seeing if it’s
on DVD yet. Foreign film…nope, not a clue about any of them (Ida;
Leviathan; The Lunchbox; Trash; and Two Days, One Night, in case
you’re interested…) Equally, not having seen any of the British
Short Animation or British Short Film nominees (has anyone, apart
from Bafta?) I am hardly qualified to comment.
Moving on to the “technical” categories…pfft! Again, like I’m
qualified to form an objective opinion! Cinematography means nothing to me, nor does
editing or sound. Costume design, hair-and-make-up, production
design…nah, means nothing. I’d like Johann Johannsson to win the
music award for The Theory of Everything, though, and think the
Visual Effects category is a pretty close-run thing this year.
Actually, any one of the five nominees (Dawn of the Planet of the
Apes; Guardians of the Galaxy; The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five
Armies; Interstellar; X-Men: Days of Future Past) could conceivably
win this and it would be a good thing. Guardian had Groot and Rocket
though. That’s all I’m saying…Finally, the uniquely-Bafta
“Outstanding debut by a British writer, director or producer”
award should, in my mind, go to Gregory Burke and Yann Demange
(writer and director '71), or Stephen Beresford and David Livingstone
(writer and producer Pride).
Honestly, I don’t even know why I bother predicting these things.
I’m never right because nine times out of ten the
films/actors/directors/whatever I love get heinously overlooked by
all and sundry at awards time, often in favour of something/someone
guaranteed to make me foam at the mouth in outrage. When I do
occasionally get it right (last year’s “12 Years a Slave”
triumph, for example, although I still maintain they were robbed in
the Director and other acting categories), it’s usually only
because a particular film/person has had critics, fellow
professionals and the public practically bestowing the Oscar on them
from the moment of its release. It’s probably just as well it’s
not me who decides these things, really.
That said, come Bafta night, you might want to keep some earplugs
handy. Just in case.
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