Best Film
No surprises then that the silent film THE ARTIST leads the way with 12 nominations including this one, for Best Film. If it wins the best picture at The Oscars, it’ll be the first silent film to do so since 1929!
It’s a real mixed bag of genres this category, with a stylish neo-noir thriller, (NICHOLAS WINDING REFN’s DRIVE), an intimate family dramedy (ALEXANDER PAYNE's THE DESCENDANTS) emotional civil-rights drama THE HELP, and of course, my favourite, the outstanding, electrifying TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY.
I was very disappointed that MARTIN SCORSESE's wonderful HUGO wasn’t in the running, as was the case for BRUCE ROBINSON's brilliant THE RUM DIARY.
As much as I would have loved to see RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES or THE THREE MUSKETEERS on the list, I’m not surprised that neither made it, as is the case with comedies, big, effects-laden blockbusters almost never obtain recognition. I think they should include a Best Blockbuster category.
Who I’d like to win: TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY
Who I think will win: THE ARTIST
Who I think will win: THE ARTIST
Best British Film
To help increase TINKER TAILOR’s chances, it’s included again here, though I feel it may be foreshadowed by either the gritty SHAME or the disturbing WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN.
Not including THE IRON LADY here is as surprising as it is interesting, again reinforcing the general, much-publicised consensus that Streep’s performance is far stronger than the film itself. It’s nice to see MY WEEK WITH MARILYN included.
Just because a film has won Best Film, it doesn’t necessarily guarantee the double-whammy of also going on and winning Best British Film. But that’s not to say that a film can’t equally go on to win both, as THE KING’S SPEECH did last year. I found this category the most difficult to choose.
Who I’d like to win: TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY
Who I think will win: WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN
Best Animation
Who I’d like to win: ARTHUR CHRISTMAS
Who I think will win: RANGO
Best Director
Interestingly, BAFTA have favoured NICHOLAS WINDING-REFN’s DRIVE over SHAME, so there’s no entry for the popular STEVE MCQUEEN. Thank goodness MARTIN SCORSESE is deservedly nominated for HUGO, MICHEL HAZANAVICIUS is once again up for THE ARTIST, probably being the most likely contender, but don’t underestimate TOMAS ALFREDSON for TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY or, LYNNE RAMSEY, on stylish form in WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN.
Who I’d like to win: MARTIN SCORSESE for HUGO.
Who I think will win: MICHEL HAZANAVICIUS for THE ARTIST
Best Original Screenplay
Ironically, silent film THE ARTIST has no dialogue but is still nominated for its screenplay. It may win on the merit of that novelty. There’s three more unusual comedic entries for WOODY ALLEN’s MIDNIGHT IN PARIS, BRIDESMAIDS and THE GUARD, and the interesting choice of ABI MORGAN for her unique account of THE IRON LADY.
Who I’d like to win: ABI MORGAN for THE IRON LADY.
Who I think will win: MICHEL HAZANAVICIUS for THE ARTIST
Best Adapted Screenplay
ALEXANDER PAYNE’s THE DESCENDANTS won big at the Golden Globes, and seems to be edging ahead of THE IDES OF MARCH. AARON SORKIN and STEVEN ZALLIAN have had high praise indeed for MONEYBALL’s freight-train-like, rat-a-tat-tat dialogue that’s now become their trademark. In my mind however, TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY had a truly brilliant adapted screenplay.
Surprisingly, THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO, THE RUM DIARY and HUGO weren’t nominated.
Who I’d like to win: BRIDGET O’CONNER and PETER STRAUGHAN for TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY.
Who I think will win; STEVEN ZALLIAN and AARON SORKIN for MONEYBALL
Best Actor
THE ARTIST’s JEAN DUJARDIN is already firm favourite to win, but surely GARY OLDMAN’s faultless portrayal of Goerge Smiley is in with a chance. All the other three also have a very equal chance of winning: MICHAEL FASSBENDER in SHAME, GEORGE CLOONEY in THE DESCENDANTS and BRAD PITT in MONEYBALL. There’s no real outsider.
There are four big names that I was quite shocked to see weren’t included for best actor, all fantastic in their very different films: JOHNNY DEPP for THE RUM DIARY, BEN KINGSLEY as film auteur George Melies in HUGO, JAMES FRANCO in RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES and JOSEPH GORDON-LEVITT in 50/50. I thought they all had a real chance.
Who I’d like to win: GARY OLDMAN for TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY
Who I think will win: JEAN DUJARDIN for THE ARTIST
Best Actress
Probably the easiest one of them all to call, surely MERYL STREEP will win for her beyond-uncanny portrayal of Margret Thatcher in THE IRON LADY. VIOLA DAVIS has also received good reports for THE HELP and MICHELLE WILLIAMS was magnificent in MY WEEK WITH MARILYN as was TILDA SWINTON in WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN. BERENICE BEJO in THE ARTIST is probably the outsider.
There are four actresses who unfairly, didn’t make the list, most notably KEIRA KNIGHTLEY for A DANGEROUS METHOD, and several of my fellow critics couldn’t believe OLIVIA COLMAN wasn’t nominated, brilliant in TYRANASOUR. It’s surprising that neither JODIE FOSTER nor KATE WINSLET were nominated for CARNAGE.
Who I’d like to win: MERYL STREEP for THE IRON LADY
Who I think will win: MERYL STREEP for THE IRON LADY
Best Supporting Actor
CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER has already received a Golden Globe for BEGINNERS, and is probably the favourite to win, although KENNETH BRANAGH can’t be far behind, hilarious as Sir Lawrence Olivier in MY WEEK WITH MARILYN. JIM BROADBENT does well as Denis Thatcher in THE IRON LADY, and the outsider in the category is probably JONAH HILL in MONEYBALL
There are five brilliant actors that I really thought should have made it onto the list and didn’t, all in completely different roles. ORLANDO BLOOM made a truly great return to the mainstream, stealing the show in THE THREE MUSKETEERS, GIOVANNI RIBISI was just inspired as drunken reporter Moburg in THE RUM DIARY, and three great supporting roles in TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY totally slipped under the radar; those of JOHN HURT, COLIN FIRTH and TOM HARDY.
Who I’d like to win: KENNETH BRANAGH for MY WEEK WITH MARILYN
Who I think will win: CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER for BEGINNERS
Best Supporting Actress
CAREY MULLIGAN has been nominated for DRIVE and not SHAME, the one that seemed the more likely contender. JESSICA CHASTAIN seems to have had an incredibly busy year, and impressed in THE HELP, but I’ve a feeling she may get pipped to the post by her co-star OCTAVIA SPENCER in the role of Minnie, probably the favourite to win. But you never know, our very own DAME JUDI DENCH was splendid in MY WEEK WITH MARILYN...
The trio of actresses I each expected to make the list didn’t – it’s a great shame, they're three great character actresses in entirely different roles. HELEN MCRORY gave the best performance in HUGO as Jean Melies, ZOE WANAMAKER stole the show in MY WEEK WITH MARILYN as Paula Strasberg, Monroe’s acting coach, and KATHY BURKE made a triumphant return to acting as Connie Sachs in TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY.
Who I’d like to win: DAME JUDI DENCH in MY WEEK WITH MARILYN
Who I think will win: OCTAVIA SPENCER in THE HELP
To Conclude…
THE ARTIST leads the way with 12 nominations, with TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY hot on its heels with eleven, HUGO with nine and MY WEEK WITH MARILYN has eight.
My top three films out of those nominated, are TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY, HUGO and THE ARTIST. I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed for those three in particular! :)
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