Thoughts on the BAFTA Nominations

What do I think about the recently announced British Academy Film Award Nominations? First of all, I think they'll have little effect on what ends up on the Oscar short lists, especially since AMPAS ballots have already been mailed. Beyond that, I think a lot of other things, of course.

I think it's good that a film that's not "Benjamin Button," "Slumdog," "Frost/Nixon," "Dark Knight," or "Milk" cracked their big top five, but I don't think "The Reader" was the right one to do it. I think the Brits are either trying to impress Americans by nominating Eastwood or the Clint Fever has just gone airborne and spread across the pond because "Changeling," while okay, was, comparitively, his worst movie since "Blood Work." I think I like their original screenplay nominees although I think I'm about sick of Jenny Lumet getting screwed. I think the adapted screenplay noms could be mirrored by the Academy but I'm still crossing my fingers for the brilliant words and nuances of "Doubt." I think "Film Not in the English Language" sounds ridiculous. I think Dev Patel really was a lead in "Slumdog" but I also think that makes him even less deserving of a nod given the competition. I think I've finally numbed myself to the prickliness of Angelina Jolie's endless recognition for one of the year's most overblown performaces -- oh!, I guess not. I think I love their supporting actor lineup. I think the fact that Freida Pinto beat out Viola Davis and Rosemarie DeWitt is absolutely insane. I think that if out of all the films in Britain they felt the need to select "Mamma Mia!" as one of their FIVE BEST, I won't be going to London anytime soon. Long story short, I think I'll be skipping this year's BAFTA telecast.

THE (MOSTLY) SCREWY NOMINEES:

BEST FILM
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON Kathleen Kennedy / Frank Marshall / Ceán Chaffin
FROST/NIXON Tim Bevan / Eric Fellner / Brian Grazer / Ron Howard
MILK Dan Jinks / Bruce Cohen
THE READER Anthony Minghella / Sydney Pollack / Donna Gigliotti / Redmond Morris
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE Christian Colso

DIRECTOR
CHANGELING Clint Eastwood
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON David Fincher
FROST/NIXON Ron Howard
THE READER Stephen Daldry
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE Danny Boyle

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
BURN AFTER READING Joel Coen / Ethan Coen
CHANGELING J. Michael Straczynski
I’VE LOVED YOU SO LONG Philippe Claudel
IN BRUGES Martin McDonagh
MILK Dustin Lance Black

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON Eric Roth
FROST/NIXON Peter Morgan
THE READER David Hare
REVOLUTIONARY ROAD Justin Haythe
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE Simon Beaufoy

FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
THE BAADER MEINHOF COMPLEX Bernard Eichinger / Uli Edel
GOMORRAH Domenico Procacci / Matteo Garrone
I’VE LOVED YOU SO LONG Yves Marmion / Philippe Claudel
PERSEPOLIS Marc-Antoine Robert / Xavier Rigault / Marjane Satrapi / Vincent Parannaud
WALTZ WITH BASHIR Serge Lalou / Gerhard Meixner / Yael Nahl Ieli / Ari Folman

LEADING ACTOR
FRANK LANGELLA Frost/Nixon
DEV PATEL Slumdog Millionaire
SEAN PENN Milk
BRAD PITT The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
MICKEY ROURKE The Wrestler

LEADING ACTRESS
ANGELINA JOLIE Changeling
KRISTIN SCOTT THOMAS I’ve Loved You So Long
MERYL STREEP Doubt
KATE WINSLET The Reader
KATE WINSLET Revolutionary Road

SUPPORTING ACTOR
ROBERT DOWNEY JR. Tropic Thunder
BRENDAN GLEESON In Bruges
PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN Doubt
HEATH LEDGER The Dark Knight
BRAD PITT Burn After Reading

SUPPORTING ACTRESS
AMY ADAMS Doubt
PENÉLOPE CRUZ Vicky Cristina Barcelona
FREIDA PINTO Slumdog Millionaire
TILDA SWINTON Burn After Reading
MARISA TOMEI The Wrestler

OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM
HUNGER Laura Hastings-Smith / Robin Gutch / Steve McQueen / Enda Walsh
IN BRUGES Graham Broadbent / Pete Czernin / Martin McDonagh
MAMMA MIA! Judy Craymer / Gary Goetzman / Phyllida Lloyd / Catherine Johnson
MAN ON WIRE Simon Chinn / James Marsh
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE Christian Colson / Danny Boyle / Simon Beaufoy