Movie News
BAFTAs Announced: What Does This Mean for Oscar?
Posted by Josh Radde (josh@filmschoolrejects.com) on February 11, 2008
The British Academy of Film and Television Awards (BAFTAs) were announced last night. The BAFTAs are essentially the British Oscars and are sometimes a good indicator of what will take home the little golden man. According to the Los Angeles Times, Joe Wright’s Atonement won Best Picture, besting what has become the Academy Award’s frontrunner, No Country for Old Men. Atonement, which led all films with 14 nominations, was also nominated for Best British Film, but lost to This Is England. Question: How does a film win the British Academy’s award for best overall film, but not the regional award? Also, does anyone else find it strange that they consider The Bourne Ultimatum a British film as well, considering its producers are mostly American and the first film was directed by American Doug Liman?
Those crazy Brits. Anyway…
As far as other notable wins—Daniel Day Lewis, Diablo Cody, and Javier Bardem kept their streaks alive with wins for There Will Be Blood, Juno, and No Country for Old Men, respectively. The Coen Brothers took home the award for Direction, mirroring their recent win at the DGAs.
Where things get interesting is when you look at the actresses. Marion Cotillard beat legendary British actress Julie Christie for Best Actress for La Vie En Rose. Christie and Cotillard had both won Golden Globes, but Christie took home the SAG. Cotillard’s win here evens the table as far as major awards, and also makes Ellen Page’s chances of winning for Juno seem that much more slim.
The other interesting race, for Supporting Actress, got a little tighter with Tilda Swinton taking home the award for Michael Clayton, a movie that seems to be getting all the important nominations this year, but a film that no one considers a major threat. Swinton’s win makes the Supporting Actress race wide open. With Cate Blanchett (I’m Not There) winning the Globe and various critics awards and Ruby Dee bringing home the SAG for American Gangster, this is a fun category to keep your eye on—it’s like the Democratic primaries; too close to call. I have a wager going with my girlfriend on this category. She’s pulling for Blanchett, thinking that she HAS to take home one of her two Oscar nominations (I reminded her to look at what happened to Julianne Moore in 2003); I’m pulling for Amy Ryan to be the upset for Gone Baby Gone.
Another note about the BAFTAs is that last year they predicted who would win all 4 acting award. In other words, they were the only other Awards show that picked Alan Arkin for Little Miss Sunshine over Eddie Murphy.
Talking Point: What do you think of the BAFTA winners?
Read more articles by Josh Radde
5 Comments
February 11th, 2008 at 4:53 pm
Josh, do your homework. Bourne Ultimatam was directed by Paul Greengrass, who happens to be BRITISH. He also hates tripods, the lousy bastard.
February 11th, 2008 at 5:17 pm
I don’t understand the fascination with Atonement. Is this some elaborate prank?
February 12th, 2008 at 9:11 am
Zap–
I know Greengrass is British, I was very careful with how I phrased it. But it’s not a BRITISH production. American producers, and not shot in England. Bourne is an American series, I just don’t get it. Greengrass is not the main producer here either, and Liman serves as Executive Producer and was nominated for the BAFTA, not Greengrass.
February 12th, 2008 at 10:42 am
What is this fascination with the sleeper (I mean I literally fell asleep) Atonement? That movie couldn’t hold a candle to There Will Be Blood, or No Country, or Hannah fucking Montana!
February 12th, 2008 at 11:27 am
1. I like the idea of Atonement being an elaborate joke. I don’t get the hype otherwise.
2. I’m not PULLING for Blanchett, I just think the Academy’s love affair with her doesn’t end with this nomination.
3. The Bourne Ultimatum? Really?