06th Feb2015

BAFTA Predictions – Film

by timbaros

baftasThis Sunday night the BAFTA’s will be handed out live from London’s Royal Opera House in Covent Garden. This year’s races don’t seem to be as hotly contested as in years past, but there are a couple categories that could pull off surprises. Here are my predictions:

BEST FILM

BIRDMAN Alejandro G. Iñárritu, John Lesher, James W. Skotchdopole

BOYHOOD Richard Linklater, Cathleen Sutherland

THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL Wes Anderson, Scott Rudin, Steven Rales, Jeremy Dawson

THE IMITATION GAME Nora Grossman, Ido Ostrowsky, Teddy Schwarzman

THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Lisa Bruce, Anthony McCarten

Boyhood has the momentum in this category. It’s won practically every Best Picture award and continues to pick up steam. There’s no stopping Boyhood, and none of the other Best Picture nominees even comes close. Though I would say The Theory of Everything is a much much better film.

OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM

’71 Yann Demange, Angus Lamont, Robin Gutch, Gregory Burke

THE IMITATION GAME Morten Tyldum, Nora Grossman, Ido Ostrowsky, Teddy Schwarzman, Graham Moore

PADDINGTON Paul King, David Heyman

PRIDE Matthew Warchus, David Livingstone, Stephen Beresford

THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING James Marsh, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Lisa Bruce, Anthony McCarten

UNDER THE SKIN Jonathan Glazer, James Wilson, Nick Wechsler, Walter Campbell

I’m hoping The Theory of Everything wins in this category. It’s the best film of the lot, much better than the slightly disappointing The Imitation Game. I’m not even sure why Pride is a nominee – Mr. Turner was much much better. Shame on the Academy for leaving this one out.

OUTSTANDING DEBUT BY A BRITISH WRITER, DIRECTOR OR PRODUCER

ELAINE CONSTANTINE (Writer/Director) Northern Soul

GREGORY BURKE (Writer), YANN DEMANGE (Director) ’71

HONG KHAOU (Writer/Director) Lilting

PAUL KATIS (Director/Producer), ANDREW DE LOTBINIÈRE (Producer) Kajaki: The True Story

STEPHEN BERESFORD (Writer), DAVID LIVINGSTONE (Producer) Pride

Again, not too sure what Pride is doing on this list, but Gregory Burke should take it for his excellent retelling of a young British soldier in the army in Ireland in 1971. And it’s starring the hot Jack O’Connell who’s on everyone’s radar at the moment.

FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE

IDA Pawel Pawlikowski, Eric Abraham, Piotr Dzieciol, Ewa Puszczynska

LEVIATHAN Andrey Zvyagintsev, Alexander Rodnyansky, Sergey Melkumov

THE LUNCHBOX Ritesh Batra, Arun Rangachari, Anurag Kashyap, Guneet Monga

TRASH Stephen Daldry, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Kris Thykier

TWO DAYS, ONE NIGHT Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne, Denis Freyd

Two Days, One Night is lead by a powerful performance by Marion Cotillard, though Ida could take it because of it’s story about the Holocaust.

DOCUMENTARY

20 FEET FROM STARDOM Morgan Neville, Caitrin Rogers, Gil Friesen

20,000 DAYS ON EARTH Iain Forsyth, Jane Pollard

CITIZENFOUR Laura Poitras

FINDING VIVIAN MAIER John Maloof, Charlie Siskel

VIRUNGA Orlando von Einsiedel, Joanna Natasegara

I’ve not seen all of the nominees but I think that 20,000 Days on Earth (about a couple days in the life of Nick Cave) is a masterpiece. But Citizen Four, a documentary about Edward Snowden), looks like it will win, plus it just won at the London Critic’s Circle Awards back in January.

ANIMATED FILM

BIG HERO 6 Don Hall, Chris Williams

THE BOXTROLLS Anthony Stacchi, Graham Annable

THE LEGO MOVIE Phil Lord, Christopher Miller

The Boxtrolls was dark and grimy, so I would give this one to The Lego Movie, which has made tons of money for Warner Bros.

DIRECTOR

BIRDMAN Alejandro G. Iñárritu

BOYHOOD Richard Linklater

THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL Wes Anderson

THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING James Marsh

WHIPLASH Damien Chazelle

Give this one to Richard Linklater – he (and his cast) devoted 12 years to making this film – talk about dedication. And Linklater has won almost every Director trophy award this season. However Iñárritu’s directing in Birdman was so different, and Marsh did a beautiful job bringing Stephen Hawking’s life to the big screen in The Theory of Everything.

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

BIRDMAN Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris Jr, Armando Bo BOYHOOD Richard Linklater

THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL Wes Anderson

NIGHTCRAWLER Dan Gilroy

WHIPLASH Damien Chazelle

Birdman is the most original film of the five nominees, though Boyhood could take it as it’s expected to sweep the night.

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

AMERICAN SNIPER Jason Hall

GONE GIRL Gillian Flynn

THE IMITATION GAME Graham Moore PADDINGTON Paul King

THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING Anthony McCarten

The best film of 2014 is The Theory of Everything, and it’s screenplay adaptation of the book by Stephen Hawking’s ex-wife Jane was beautifully told in every aspect of the film.

LEADING ACTOR

BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH The Imitation Game

EDDIE REDMAYNE The Theory of Everything

JAKE GYLLENHAAL Nightcrawler

MICHAEL KEATON Birdman

RALPH FIENNES The Grand Budapest Hotel

The best performance of the five nominees is Redmayne’s. Michael Keaton comes a distant second but Redmayne’s performance is more memorable and moving.

LEADING ACTRESS

AMY ADAMS Big Eyes

FELICITY JONES The Theory of Everything

JULIANNE MOORE Still Alice

REESE WITHERSPOON Wild

ROSAMUND PIKE Gone Girl

Moore should and will win in this category in her portrayal of a woman stricken with Alzeihmer’s. It’s the kind of performance that many an actress could not pull of, but Moore does, and it’s a devastating performance.

SUPPORTING ACTOR

EDWARD NORTON Birdman

ETHAN HAWKE Boyhood

J.K. SIMMONS Whiplash

MARK RUFFALO Foxcatcher

STEVE CARELL Foxcatcher

Sentiment may be with popular actor Hawke who plays the father in Boyhood, but Simmons has wowed many a film critic as the bullying and sadistic music teacher in Whiplash. It’s a true actors acting role. So Simmons will win, just like he won the Golden Globe.

SUPPORTING ACTRESS

EMMA STONE Birdman

IMELDA STAUNTON Pride

KEIRA KNIGHTLEY The Imitation Game

PATRICIA ARQUETTE Boyhood

RENE RUSSO Nightcrawler

Arquette will win for Boyhood. And while the performances in this category are not as strong as last years (Lupita Nyong’o in 12 Years a Slave shockingly lost out to Jennifer Lawrence for American Hustle), Arquette gives the most eloquent and memorable performance, though Stone was excellent as the messed up daughter in Birdman.

EE Rising Star in 2015

Gugu Mbatha-Raw

Jack O’Connell

Shailene Woodley

Margot Robbie

Miles Teller

This award has to go to Jack O’Connell. Not only was he excellent in both ’71 and Starred Up, but he was handpicked by Angelina Jolie to star in her film Unbroken, which shockingly received no nominations.

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