Two Close-Up Film writers give their personal (and often tongue-in-cheek) opinion on who will be leaving clutching the golden mask on Sunday night.
Julia Smith:
BEST FILM
THE CONSTANT GARDENER - Simon Channing Williams
Because the other three are American, because as much as they love Ang Lee, The Constant Gardener is one of the few breakthrough British films in years. And you get an award for that.
THE ALEXANDER KORDA AWARD for the Outstanding British Film of the Year
PRIDE & PREJUDICE - Tim Bevan/Eric Fellner/Paul Webster/Joe Wright/Deborah Moggach
Because it’s as British as you get, because they don’t like Michael Winterbottom and The Constant Gardener can’t get two awards. May go to Wallace & Gromit for the fact that it did so well in America.
THE CARL FOREMAN AWARD for Special Achievement by a British Director, Writer or Producer in their First Feature Film
DAVID BELTON (Producer) - Shooting Dogs
THE DAVID LEAN AWARD for Achievement in Direction
BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN - Ang Lee
Because they love Ang Lee and they love controversy.
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
CRASH - Paul Haggis/Bobby Moresco
Because it was better than the others plus it was depressing enough for the British.
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
PRIDE & PREJUDICE - Deborah Moggach
Because it’s British, it’s literature and no one else can get it.
FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
DE BATTRE MON COEUR S'EST ARRÊTÉ (The Beat That My Heart Skipped) - Pascal
Because BAFTA like depressing films with long titles (I’m not kidding).
ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN – Capote
Because he’s a good actor, and BAFTA’s kind of guy.
ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
ZIYI ZHANG - Memoirs of a Geisha
Because they like supporting someone who they think won’t get the Oscar.
ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
GEORGE CLOONEY - Syriana
I just get that impression. Who wouldn’t want to give Clooney a BAFTA, plus it’s a political film so it’s right up their street.
ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
THANDIE NEWTON – Crash
Because they like being proud of their own (and she was great in it).
THE ANTHONY ASQUITH AWARD for Achievement in Film Music
BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN - Gustavo Santaolalla
Because it’s gentle and very American, which will appeal to their Britishness. Plus, I like it.
CINEMATOGRAPHY
MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA - Dion Beebe
Because they like to give this award to an artistic film.
EDITING
GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK - Stephen Mirrione
Because the editing is glaringly obvious in this film (I haven’t seen it).
PRODUCTION DESIGN
BATMAN BEGINS - Nathan Crowley
British director, British set. And they just love to throw sand in the face of Oscar.
COSTUME DESIGN
MRS. HENDERSON PRESENTS - Sandy Powell
Because it’s British, but not overly costumed.
SOUND
KING KONG - Hammond Peek/Christopher Boyes/Mike Hopkins/ Ethan Van der Ryn
Because I think it’s probably the best. Plus, they love Peter Jackson… and Andy Serkis is British.
ACHIEVEMENT IN SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS
HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE - Jim Mitchell/John Richardson
Because it has to get at least one.
MAKE UP & HAIR
THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE - Howard Berger/Gregory Nicotero/Nikki Gooley
Because of Tilda Swinton’s make-up, and they have to get at least one.
SHORT ANIMATION FILM
KAMIYA'S CORRESPONDENCE - Sumito Sakakibara
SHORT FILM
ANTONIO'S BREAKFAST - Howard Stogdon/Amber Templemore-Finlayson/Daniel Mulloy
Hemanth Kissoon:
BEST FILM
Awards, in general and movie awards in particular, are rarely about rewarding quality, they are more about politics and money. BAFTA skew towards British films (who can forget a travesty like Four Weddings and a Funeral beating Pulp Fiction?). The closest film to a UK movie is The Constant Gardener which has not won any significant Best Picture awards this season but the voters will look too tokenistic to go there in light of the runaway favourite (not that that has stopped BAFTA before – The Full Monty over Titanic and L.A. Confidential anyone?). I predict that the only possible winner on the night will be Brokeback Mountain.
THE DAVID LEAN AWARD for Achievement in Direction
Ang Lee should, and probably will, win. Not only does he jump from genre to genre with ridiculous ease, he pushes the boundaries of film further than what has gone before – suburban angst (The Ice Storm), martial arts (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon), comic book (The Hulk), civil war (Ride with the Devil), family drama (Eat Drink Man Woman), and now the Western.
ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Everyone in this category is awesome. BAFTA like to be different to the Oscars, which seem likely to award Hoffman. I predict Ledger will win.
ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Weisz is British and has been accumulating awards and praise for her role in The Constant Gardiner. I reckon she will take home the trophy.
ACHIEVEMENT IN SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS
This award should go to Sin City for its ground-breaking use of a tool that not only highlights the story but facilitates it. When was the last time that happened? As it’s not nominated however, King Kong’s King Kong is pixel perfection and has this one in the bag.
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