BAFTA 2013: the nominations laid bare

BAFTA once again both went with the flow and showed an independent streak: many of the expected contenders got their nominations, but several did not.

Let’s start with the bare numbers: Lincoln leads the pack with 10 nominations, ahead of Life of Pi and Les Mis on nine each, and Skyfall on eight. Next up is Argo with seven, Anna Karenina with six and Django Unchained and Zero Dark Thirty with five each.

However, if we focus on the seven awards that can make a difference to whether people go to see a movie – Film (or British or Foreign Film), Director, Actor, Actress, Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress, and the Screen play categories (Original and Adapted) a different picture emerges:

• Argo and Lincoln both have five
• Amour, Les Mis, The Master, and Zero Dark Thirty have four
• Django Unchained, Life Of Pi, Silver Linings Playbook and Skyfall have three
• Rust And Bone with two

But this doesn’t get close to telling the story of the surprises:

·     Steven Spielberg not nominated for Best Director

·     John Hawkes not nominated for The Sessions

·     The Impossible received no nominations whatsoever

·     The Master nominated in acting and script categories, but not Film or Director

·     Judi Dench not nominated for Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

·     Maggie Smith not nominated for that nor Quartet

·     No nominations for Ben Wheatley’s Sightseers, but Seven Psychopaths gets a Best British Film nom

·     Michael Haneke’s Amour snares four noms, including for him as Best Director

·     The brilliant Headhunters nominated for Best Foreign Film

·     Ben Affleck doing the double: nominated for Best Director and Best Actor

There were also non-surprise omissions: Tom Hooper not nominated for Best Director for Les Mis (perhaps members reflected on their mad decision to reward him two years ago for The King’s Speech); and Anthony Hopkins not being nominated for playing Alfred in Hitchcock, but his co-star Helen Mirren securing her berth in Best Actress.

So, predictions:

• Best Film is a fight between Lincoln and Zero Dark Thirty; Spielberg’s lack of recognition in the Director list makes Zero the favourite. That same absence will hold back Les Mis.
• Best British Film: Best Exotic Marigold Hotel versus Les Mis versus Skyfall.
• Best Foreign Film: Amour
• Best Director: Ang Lee versus Kathryn Bigelow versus Michael Haneke
• Best Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis versus Joaquin Phoenix
• Best Actress: Emmanuelle Riva in Amour versus Helen Mirren in Hitchcock
• Best Supporting Actor: Philip Seymour Hoffman in The Master versus Tommy Lee Jones in Lincoln
• Best Supporting Actress: Anne Hathaway in Les Mis versus Judi Dench in Skyfall
• Original Screenplay: Zero versus The Master versus Amour
• Adapted Screenplay: Life Of Pi versus Lincoln

Meanwhile, at the other end of the spectrum, one film dominated the Razzies: Breaking Dawn Part 2 secured 11 nominations from 10 categories…