79th BAFTA Nominations Reaction

Nominations for the 79th BAFTAs were unveiled five days after the Academy revealed their list. The Brits equivalent of the Oscars can often indicate which nominees and pictures are (or aren’t) having momentum in the general awards space.

Overall I went 92 for 122 (75%) in the feature-length categories. Let’s walk through each race with the hopefuls in contention, how I did, and some initial thoughts.

Best Film

Hamnet, Marty Supreme, One Battle After Another, Sentimental Value, Sinners

How I Did: 5/5 (!)

No surprise here as One Battle led all nominees with 14 and Sinners right behind with 13. It will probably come down to those two pics with Battle having an edge. I would say Hamnet is a spoiler but it missed some key races.

Best Director

Paul Thomas Anderson (One Battle After Another), Ryan Coogler (Sinners), Yorgos Lanthimos (Bugonia), Josh Safdie (Marty Supreme), Joachim Trier (Sentimental Value), Chloé Zhao (Hamnet)

How I Did: 6/6 (!)

The best film five and Lanthimos as I predicted. PTA is the favorite.

Best Actress

Jessie Buckley (Hamnet), Rose Byrne (If I Had Legs I’d Kick You), Kate Hudson (Song Sung Blue), Chase Infiniti (One Battle After Another), Renate Reinsve (Sentimental Value), Emma Stone (Bugonia)

How I Did: 5/6

I gotta stop leaving out Kate Hudson. She’s in over my upset selection of Andrea Riseborough (Dragonfly). Bet on Buckley.

Best Actor

Robert Aramayo (I Swear), Timothée Chalamet (Marty Supreme), Leonardo DiCaprio (One Battle After Another), Ethan Hawke (Blue Moon), Michael B. Jordan (Sinners), Jesse Plemons (Bugonia)

How I Did: 5/6

Aramayo gets in over Pillion‘s Harry Melling. Chalamet could continue his sweep unless DiCaprio or Hawke upset.

Best Supporting Actress

Odessa A’Zion (Marty Supreme), Carey Mulligan (The Ballad of Wallis Island), Inga Ibsdotter Lilleass (Sentimental Value), Wunmi Mosaku (Sinners), Teyana Taylor (One Battle After Another), Emily Watson (Hamnet)

How I Did: 5/6

A genuine surprise as Amy Madigan (Weapons) is left out in favor of Mulligan. This is likely between Lilleass and Taylor.

Best Supporting Actor

Benicio del Toro (One Battle After Another), Jacob Elordi (Frankenstein), Paul Mescal (Hamnet), Peter Mullan (I Swear), Sean Penn (One Battle After Another), Stellan Skarsgård (Sentimental Value)

How I Did: 5/6

I had Stellan’s son Alexander Skarsgård (Pillion) joining the sextet and not Mullan. It’s Stellan who probably has the best odds.

Best Original Screenplay

I Swear, Marty Supreme, The Secret Agent, Sentimental Value, Sinners

How I Did: 4/5

The Secret Agent over Blue Moon. This is a Value v. Sinners derby.

Best Adapted Screenplay

The Ballad of Wallis Island, Bugonia, Hamnet, One Battle After Another, Pillion

How I Did: 4/5

Ballad over Frankenstein with OBAA out front.

Best Animated Feature

Elio, Little Amélie or the Character of Rain, Zootopia 2

How I Did: 1/3

I whiffed here. First of all, this race typically has four nominees. I had Arco, Demon Slayer, and KPop Demon Hunters and not Elio or Amélie (which was frankly an oversight on my part). It could win and so could Zootopia 2 which is the only flick I correctly called.

Best Documentary

Apocalypse in the Tropics, Cover-Up, Mr. Nobody Against Putin, The Perfect Neighbor, 2000 Meters to Andrivka

How I Did: 4/5

Some retribution after my 1/5 showing at the Oscars. I had Ocean with David Attenborough and not Cover-Up. I wouldn’t assume Neighbor takes this even though it’s the Oscar frontrunner. I actually think all five are viable.

Best Film Not in the English Language

It Was Just an Accident, The Secret Agent, Sentimental Value, Sirāt, The Voice of Hind Rajab

How I Did: 5/5 (!)

This matches the Academy’s quintet and, like that show, this is probably Agent or Value.

Best Casting

I Swear, Marty Supreme, One Battle After Another, Sentimental Value, Sinners

How I Did: 3/5

Hamnet (in a notable miss) or Sirāt are out with I Swear and Supreme in. A likely Sinners trophy.

Best Cinematography

Frankenstein, Marty Supreme, One Battle After Another, Sinners, Train Dreams

How I Did: 4/5

Frankenstein and not Hamnet in another interesting omission. I’ll note this is the only nom for Train Dreams as this should come down to Battle or Sinners.

Best Costume Design

Frankenstein, Hamnet, Marty Supreme, Sinners, Wicked: For Good

How I Did: 4/5

Unlike Oscar, Wicked managed to get some BAFTA attention (albeit limited). I had Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale and not Supreme (which had a solid day). Frankenstein may take this.

Best Editing

F1, A House of Dynamite, Marty Supreme, One Battle After Another, Sinners

How I Did: 3/5

Another Battle/Sinners race as F1 and Dynamite show up over Bugonia and (you guessed it) Hamnet.

Best Make Up and Hair

Frankenstein, Hamnet, Marty Supreme, Sinners, Wicked: For Good

How I Did: 3/5

A strange quintet as Hamnet gets an unexpected mention as does Supreme and not One Battle or (more surprisingly) The Smashing Machine. This should go to Frankenstein.

Best Original Score

Bugonia, Frankenstein, Hamnet, One Battle After Another, Sinners

How I Did: 5/5 (!)

Sinners is the frontrunner.

Best Production Design

Frankenstein, Hamnet, Marty Supreme, One Battle After Another, Sinners

How I Did: 3/5

I had Bugonia and Wicked instead of Marty and Battle. Another probable win for Frankenstein.

Best Sound

F1, Frankenstein, One Battle After Another, Sinners, Warfare

How I Did: 3/5

Frankenstein/Warfare over Avatar: Fire and Ash/Wicked. Think Sinners with F1 spoiler possibility.

Best Special Visual Effects

Avatar: Fire and Ash, F1, Frankenstein, How to Train Your Dragon, The Lost Bus

How I Did: 4/5

Dragon, not Superman as Avatar is ahead.

Outstanding British Film

28 Years Later, The Ballad of Wallis Island, Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, Die, My Love, Hamnet, H is for Hawk, I Swear, Mr. Burton, Pillion, Steve

How I Did: 7/10

I went with Ballad of a Small Player, The Choral, and Warfare over Jones, Burton, and Steve. One would think Hamnet takes this though I Swear is viable as an upset pick.

Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director, or Producer

The Ceremony, My Father’s Shadow, Pillion, A Want in Her, Wasteman

How I Did: 3/5

Ceremony/Want over Oceans with David Attenborough and Urchin. Pillion should win.

Best Children’s + Family Film

Arco, Boong, Lilo + Stitch, Zootopia 2

How I Did: 2/4

Grow and How to Train Your Dragon miss and not Boong and Lilo with Zootopia out front.

That works out to the following movies getting these numbers of nominations:

14 Nominations

One Battle After Another

13 Nominations

Sinners

11 Nominatons

Hamnet, Marty Supreme

8 Nominations

Frankenstein, Sentimental Value

5 Nominations

Bugonia, I Swear

3 Nominations

The Ballad of Wallis Island, F1, Pillion

2 Nominations

The Secret Agent, Wicked: For Good, Zootopia 2

1 Nomination

28 Years Later, 2000 Meters to Andrivka, Apocalypse in the Tropics, Arco, Avatar: Fire and Ash, Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, Cover-Up, Blue Moon, Boong, The Ceremony, Die, My Love, Elio, H is for Hawk, A House of Dynamite, How to Train Your Dragon, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, It Was Just an Accident, Lilo & Stitch, Little Amélie or the Character of Rain, The Lost Bus, Mr. Burton, Mr. Nobody Against Putin, My Father’s Shadow, The Perfect Neighbor, Sirāt, Song Sung Blue, Steve, Train Dreams, The Voice of Hind Rajab, A Want in Her, Warfare, Wasteman

The BAFTAs air February 22nd and you can expect a recap on the blog when that happens.

79th BAFTA Nominations Predictions

Nominations for the 79th BAFTAs (the British equivalent of the Oscars) are out tomorrow prior to the February 22nd ceremony hosted by Alan Cumming. Unlike previous years, BAFTA nods are hitting after the Academy’s picks which were out last week.

For a blogger who concentrates primarily on the Oscar derby, it makes this announcement a tad anticlimactic since I’m not weighing them against what I anticipate will occur on Oscar nom morning. Nevertheless I’m giving you my forecast for all feature-length races with an alternate named in each. For the directing and acting competitions, BAFTA goes with six nominees. For Outstanding British Film, it is ten. There are four in Animated Film and Children’s & Family Film. In all others (including Best Film), we’re talking five. Got all that? Good. Let’s get to it!

Best Film

Hamnet

Marty Supreme

One Battle After Another

Sentimental Value

Sinners

Alternate – Bugonia

Best Director

Paul Thomas Anderson, One Battle After Another

Ryan Coogler, Sinners

Yorgos Lanthimos, Bugonia

Josh Safdie, Marty Supreme

Joachim Trier, Sentimental Value

Chloé Zhao, Hamnet

Alternate – Kaouther Ben Hania, The Voice of Hind Rajab

Best Actress

Jessie Buckley, Hamnet

Rose Byrne, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You

Chase Infiniti, One Battle After Another

Renate Reinsve, Sentimental Value

Andrea Riseborough, Dragonfly

Emma Stone, Bugonia

Alternate – Kate Hudson, Song Sung Blue

Best Actor

Timothée Chalamet, Marty Supreme

Leonardo DiCaprio, One Battle After Another

Ethan Hawke, Blue Moon

Michael B. Jordan, Sinners

Harry Melling, Pillion

Jesse Plemons, Bugonia

Alternate – Joel Edgerton, Train Dreams

Best Supporting Actress

Odessa A’Zion, Marty Supreme

Inga Ibsdotter Lilleass. Sentimental Value

Amy Madigan, Weapons

Wunmi Mosaku, Sinners

Teyana Taylor, One Battle After Another

Emily Watson, Hamnet

Alternate – Brenda Blethyn, Dragonfly

Best Supporting Actor

Benicio del Toro, One Battle After Another

Jacob Elordi, Frankenstein

Paul Mescal, Hamnet

Sean Penn, One Battle After Another

Alexander Skarsgård, Pillion

Stellan Skarsgård, Sentimental Value

Alternate – Andrew Scott, Blue Moon

Best Original Screenplay

Blue Moon

I Swear

Marty Supreme

Sentimental Value

Sinners

Alternate – It Was Just an Accident

Best Adapted Screenplay

Bugonia

Frankenstein

Hamnet

One Battle After Another

Pillion

Alternate – Train Dreams

Best Animated Film

Arco

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle

KPop Demon Hunters

Zootopia 2

Alternate – Elio

Best Documentary

Apocalypse in the Tropics

Mr. Nobody Against Putin

Ocean with David Attenborough

The Perfect Neighbor

2000 Meters to Andrivka

Alternate – Becoming Led Zeppelin

Best Film Not in the English Language

It Was Just an Accident

The Secret Agent

Sentimental Value

Sirāt

The Voice of Hind Rajab

Alternate – No Other Choice

Best Casting

Hamnet

One Battle After Another

Sentimental Value

Sinners

Sirāt

Alternate – Marty Supreme

Best Cinematography

Hamnet

Marty Supreme

One Battle After Another

Sinners

Train Dreams

Alternate – Frankenstein

Best Costume Design

Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale

Frankenstein

Hamnet

Sinners

Wicked: For Good

Alternate – Marty Supreme

Best Editing

Bugonia

Hamnet

Marty Supreme

One Battle After Another

Sinners

Alternate – F1

Best Make Up & Hair

Frankenstein

One Battle After Another

Sinners

The Smashing Machine

Wicked: For Good

Alternate – Bugonia

Best Original Score

Bugonia

Frankenstein

Hamnet

One Battle After Another

Sinners

Alternate – Marty Supreme

Best Production Design

Bugonia

Frankenstein

Hamnet

Sinners

Wicked: For Good

Alternate – One Battle After Another

Best Sound

Avatar: Fire and Ash

F1

One Battle After Another

Sinners

Wicked: For Good

Alternate – Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning

Best Special Visual Effects

Avatar: Fire and Ash

F1

Frankenstein

The Lost Bus

Superman

Alternate – Wicked: For Good

Outstanding British Film

28 Years Later

Ballad of a Small Player

The Ballad of Wallis Island

The Choral

Die, My Love

Hamnet

H is for Hawk

I Swear

Pillion

Warfare

Alternate – Steve

Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director, or Producer

My Father’s Shadow

Ocean with David Attenborough

Pillion

Urchin

Wasteman

Alternate – The Ceremony

Best Children’s & Family Film

Arco

Grow

How to Train Your Dragon

Zootopia 2

Alternate – Little Amélie or the Character of Rain

That works out to these movies nabbing these numbers in terms of nominations:

14 Nominations

One Battle After Another

13 Nominations

Hamnet, Sinners

8 Nominations

Sentimental Value

7 Nominations

Bugonia, Frankenstein, Marty Supreme

5 Nominations

Pillion

4 Nominations

Wicked: For Good

2 Nominations

Arco, Avatar: Fire and Ash, Blue Moon, F1, I Swear, Ocean with David Attenborough, Sirāt, Zootopia 2

1 Nomination

Apocalypse in the Tropics, Ballad of a Small Player, The Ballad of Wallis Island, The Choral, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle, Die, My Love, Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale, Dragonfly, Grow, H is for Hawk, How to Train Your Dragon, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, It Was Just an Accident, KPop Demon Hunters, The Lost Bus, Mr. Nobody Against Putin, My Father’s Shadow, The Perfect Neighbor, The Secret Agent, The Smashing Machine, Superman, Train Dreams, 28 Years Later, 2000 Meters to Andrivka, Urchin, The Voice of Hind Rajab, Warfare, Wasteman, Weapons

Oscar Predictions: Pillion

Harry Melling and Alexander Skarsgård enter into an unconventional relationship in the British drama Pillion. From writer/director Harry Lighton in his feature debut, costars include Douglas Hodge, Lesley Sharp, Jack Shears, and Anthony Welsh.

After screening at Cannes last month, A24 picked up stateside distribution rights. At the French fest, the film won the Best Screenplay prize. Melling and Skarsgård are both being praised. It will be interesting to see if they’re both campaigned for in lead Actor.

A24 might be preoccupied with other titles including Marty Supreme and The Smashing Machine. I wouldn’t completely discount an Original Screenplay nod, but its distributor would need to make it a priority and that remains to be seen. Pillion should perform stronger at BAFTA where Outstanding British Film, Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director, or Producer, and writing and acting noms could occur. My Oscar Prediction posts will continue…

The Old Guard Review

There’s a grounded Unbreakable vibe that permeates parts of Gina Prince-Bythewood’s The Old Guard. In a cinematic universe where comic book adaptations are hurled at us every couple of months, this R-rated Netflix pic manages to frequently feel fresh and captivating. There’s a less is more spirit as the screenplay (from Greg Rucka based on his own graphic novel) sets the table for inevitable sequels. That’s not to say there aren’t a fair share of shoot-em-up video game style battles. There are and they’re a cut above some others.

Andy (Charlize Theron) leads a group of fighters as we open on their assignment to rescue abducted young girls in Sudan. Her teams consists of Booker (Matthias Schoenaerts) and Joe (Marwan Kenzari) and Nicky (Luca Marinelli), who are also a couple. Their assigner is CIA contact Copley (Chiwetel Ejiofor). If Danny Glover’s Roger Murtaugh complained about being too old for his job (he put it another way), he should’ve met this squad. The quartet is immortal. Andy can’t even remember her age (we’re talking thousands of years) while the others mark their existence in centuries. They’re not famous like The Avengers and the modern world makes it trickier for them to stay inconspicuous. The group can be riddled with machine gun fire and bounce back within a few seconds. That makes them, of course, lethal weapons.

Their latest gig turns out to be a double cross involving pharmaceutical company CEO Steven Merrick (Harry Melling). We know he’s bad because his company logo is often ominously panned to before he lays out his plans. They involve capturing the immortals to study their priceless DNA. Merrick only has profit on his mind even if that means locking up his subjects with his private army guarding them. His associate Copley’s reasonings are a bit more noble.

The eternal foursome becomes a quintet with American soldier Nile (KiKi Layne). After her tour of duty ends violently, she miraculously recovers and confounds her coworkers. Andy and team come to the rescue as they must explain her new undying circumstances (she’s the first new member of the exclusive club in over 200 years). With Merrick attempting to prescribe their captures, the well-choreographed action sequences commence.

Rucka’s script weaves in occasional flashbacks of Andy’s past that reveal other associates. It turns out nothing may last forever even though our main warrior probably fought alongside Alexander the Great and Genghis Khan and partied with Keith Richards. These callbacks to history succeed in elevating anticipation for future installments.

If there’s as flaw in The Old Guard, it’s the most common of its sort. Melling’s villain isn’t exactly fleshed out. We’ve become used to the antagonists being a weak link. The preachy tone about the industry he works for can sometimes come across as clumsy and there’s the lingering knowledge that these heroes have likely fought far more interesting foes.

Yet I welcomed the approach of letting the vast backstory of the main characters have gradual reveals that are surely still formulating. Some origin stories play like the duller forward to more enticing chapters. That’s not the case here and with the talented Theron leading the charge, The Old Guard could turn out to be an enduring title in the 21st century’s preeminent genre.

*** (out of four)

Oscar Predictions: The Pale Blue Eye

Scott Cooper’s The Pale Blue Eye opens in select theaters this weekend prior to its January 6th Netflix bow. Set in 1830, the mystery casts Christian Bale as a detective working alongside Harry Melling’s Edgar Allan Poe. The supporting cast includes Gillian Anderson, Lucy Boynton, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Toby Jones, Timothy Spall, and Robert Duvall.

Marking the third collaboration between Cooper and Bale after Out of the Furnace and Hostiles, this is being greeted with decidedly mixed notices. The Rotten Tomatoes score is currently 57% with some writers praising the production value while criticizing the gloomy vibe.

Netflix clearly had no real plans to mount an awards campaign for this. They probably could’ve tried for Production and/or Costume Design. It showed up nowhere in the Globe or Critics Choice mentions. The Academy is highly likely to follow suit. My Oscar Prediction posts will continue…

Oscar Predictions: The Tragedy of Macbeth

The veil has lifted for a major awards hopeful with Joel Coen’s The Tragedy of Macbeth. This version of the Shakespearian tragedy casts Denzel Washington as Lord Macbeth and Frances McDormand as Lady Macbeth and it is kicking off the New York Film Festival. Between the two leads, they have five Oscars between them. Do they need to find more room on their shelves?

With Denzel, news from the Big Apple indicates yes. Some early reviews are calling it among his career best work. In the Best Actor derby, it’s likely that Benedict Cumberbatch (The Power of the Dog) and Will Smith (King Richard) have already punched their tickets to the dance. I believe we can add a third today with Mr. Washington.

With McDormand, it’s a bit more complicated. The answer may come down to whether distributor A24 elects for a campaign in lead or supporting. Based on the buzz, it sounds like a case could be made for either. My hunch is that Supporting Actress (which appears fairly wide open at the moment) will be the play. If so, McDormand probably stands a better chance for inclusion. I question whether her recent Best Actress victories (in 2017 for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri and last year’s Nomadland) make her vulnerable to newcomers. Yet in Supporting Actress, I could easily see the Academy making room for her.

As for the rest of the cast, both Corey Hawkins and Kathryn Hunter are generating solid notices. However, their screen time could be a hindrance to make the cut (for Hunter, this definitely holds true if McDormand goes supporting).

Beyond Denzel, the cinematography is being heralded and it’s a safe bet Macbeth gets recognized there. Other techs like Production Design and Sound are feasible. Adapted Screenplay from Mr. Coen (making his first pic without brother Ethan) is in the cards. On the other hand, it’s said to deviate very little from the Shakespeare text and that may leave it off some ballots in that particular category.

Moving to the largest race of all, I’ve included Macbeth in my top ten for Best Picture all along. I don’t think it’s guaranteed a slot, but I don’t see myself moving it out based on the current buzz. Coen’s placement in Best Director is questionable but possible.

Bottom line: The Tragedy of Macbeth has elevated its lead actor and put itself in position for numerous other races. My Oscar Prediction posts for the films of 2021 will continue…