Saturday 20 February 2010

BAFTA Predictions

So it's the BAFTAs tomorrow and here's my predictions, most of which I expect to be completely wrong, of the films I think will win tomorrow.

Best Film, Best Actress and Best Adapted Screenplay - An Education
Any British film that does well in the American awards usually will scoop the Best Film BAFTA, The Queen and Atonement both did this as did Slumdog Millionaire last year (but that was Oscar bound anyway). I think that An Education is the most likely film to win the award and rightfully so it is beautifully presented and there are some brilliant performances in there most notably from Carey Mulligan who is one of the only certanties to win tomorrow. As Oscar favourite Sandra Bullock didn't even garner a nomination, Mulligan has to be the favourite here and as she's a Brit its more than likely she'll win. The third award I reckon the film will get is a Best Adapted Screenplay award for Nick Hornby. Having just read Lynn Barber's memoir from which the film was adapted I think Hornby's done a wonderful job adapting one chapter of the book into an entire 90 minute film. If An Education doesn't win Best Film it will probably go to The Hurt Locker and An Education will win Best British Film instead.

Best British Film - Fish Tank
Another tight category and as I just said if An Education doesn't win Best Film it will win this award. Of the other films I don't think Nowhere Boy will win and even though Moon was one of my favourites of the last year I don't think it will triumph here. Instead I think it's between satirical The Thick of It spin-off In the Loop or social realism council flat set drama Fish Tank. I enjoyed both of them but judging by previous winners which include East is East, My Summer of Love and This is England BAFTA usually recognises films depicting real issues in Britain rather than comedy films which never fare well at awards shows.

<Best Actor - Andy Serkis (Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll)
There are two possible winners of this award. Oscar favourite Jeff Bridges may win but as the big British favourite this awards season is Colin Firth he'll most likely win. But I think it's worth taking a punt on Serkis who totally captures the role of troubled rock icon Ian Dury in this biopic. He inhabits the role and makes it his own, not a total impersonation but adding elements of Dury's character and some of Serkis' own magic. Maybe it's just because I've just seen the film (review coming soon) and really enjoyed it or because BAFTA sometimes surprises us but I think Serkis is in with a shot.

Best Supporting Actor - Christian McKay (Me and Orson Welles)
I am also taking a punt with the Supporting Actor Category, while Christoph Waltz is destined to win the Oscar for his role as the scary Nazi in Tarrantino's Inglourious Basterds I reckon this award may go to one of the Brits who has been overlooked in this category elsewhere. As much as I loved Alfred Molina as the fuddy duddy father in An Education my instict tells me that McKay is more likely to win for portraying Orson Welles in this charming, if a little light, story. As with Serkis' Dury, McKay's Welles is more than an impersonation and McKay really makes you feel like you're watching Orson Welles. His Welles is brash, loud and not always easy to like but at the same time McKay is able to make Welles the most compelling character in the film and for that I think he may win the BAFTA and it's just a shame that Oscar overlooked him.

Best Supporting Actress - Mo'Nique (Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire)
I don't think there's any contest here, while Up in the Air's Anna Kendrick and Vera Farmiga have been nominated elsewhere they don't stand a shot here. Similarly the British contigent Nowhere Boy duo Ann-Marie Duff and Kristen Scott Thomas are also here to fly the flag for the Brits. But as the abusive and tortorous mother in Precious, stand-up comedienne Mo'Nique was absolutely horrifying and terrific in equal measure and I don't think there's anyone else who can win this awad.



Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography and Best Editing - The Hurt Locker
While I think An Education will edge Katherine Bigelow's Iraq movie out of the Best Picture award, Bigelow should, and I think, will beat An Education's director Lone Sherifg to this award Bigelow's confident directing was the making of this movie while Mark Boal's screenplay perfectly captured the lives of the bomb disposal unit depicted in the film (although I think Tarrantino's screenplay for Inglorious Basterds may also been in with a shot). I also thought the film's camera work and editing were substansially excellent enough to win the other awards but as I'm not that big on the technical side of things one or both of those awards may go to Avatar.



Best Production Design, Best Sound, Best Film Music and Best Visual Effects - Avatar
Although I wasn't big on Avatar as an all round movie there's no denying that the planet of Pandora was brilliantly constructed and you are totally immersed in the world. The sound in the film was also particuarly impressive as were the effects while James Horner's powerful score was one of the best of the year. Avatar may win other awards for cinematography and editing but I think it's a safe bet that the awards will be shared out between the three films with the most nominations.


Best Costume Design - A Single Man
Onto the awards I know little about in this category there are two period dramas - The Young Victoria and Bright Star. One about a fashion designer - Coco Before Chanel and one showing the designs of the early sixties - An Education. But as A Single Man is directed by fashion designer Tom Ford I think there's a good chance that it will win this award.

Best Make-up/Hair - Nine
I'm quite surprised that Nine wasn't up for Costume Design as I think that the costumes were by far the best thing in that movie. But the actresses were also well designed visually and their hair was superb, that is especially true for Judi Dench's wig. Again the award could go to An Education, Coco Before Chanel or The Young Victoria who knws? But nine is my prediciton


Best Film not in the English Language - Let the Right One In
Surprisingly there were no Oscar awards for this Swedish kiddie vampire movie but as it was one of my favourites of last year and it was absolutely fantastic I'm swayed by it's inclusion in the list so much I'm going to predict a win for it. Although French prison drama, A Prophet, is equally impressive and may give this movie a run for its money. But both The White Ribbon or Broken Embraces could also win this and the only one that I don't think has a shot is Coco Before Chanel. But I'm sticking with my initial pick.


Best Animated Film - Up
Again another certantity. Although I did enjoy both Coraline and Fantastic Mr. Fox, Pixar's brilliant coming-of-old-age film will definitely pick up the award no doubt about it.



Orange Rising Star - Kristen Stewart
As this is voted for by the public and Stewart is one of the biggest grossing films of last year - New Moon, she's got to be the favourite here. As the last two winners have been Transformers' Shia LeBeouf and Doctor Who's Noel Clarke it is clear that whoever has the biggest audience will win. That's not to say that Stewart doesn't deserve it although I don't care for the vampire franchise I did enjoy her work in Adventureland and Into the Wild and fully expect her to give an energetic performance play Joan Jett later this year. Although if I were voting I would be inclined to go for Carey Mulligan but she'll win the Best Actress award so I may've gone for Jesse Eisenberg who impressed in the two lands both Adventure and Zombie. The other two contenders are A Prophet''s Tahir Rahim who was incredible in that film and Nicholas Hoult best known for his roles in About a Boy and Skins but nominated here for A Single Man.

Oustanding Debut by a British Writer, Director of Producer - Duncan James (Moon)
This could go either of two ways. While Nowhere Boy's Sam Taylor-Wood has a good shot at this I thought Moon was so well directed and presented that it was surely directed by someone with experience. But David Bowie's son Duncan James gave us a film full of intrigue and compassion and therefore fully deserves this accolade.



So that's it I reckon I've got at least five right but we'll just have to see on the night.
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