181 Responses for "Bafta Nominations – Slumdog, Button Lead"

1. adam January 15th, 2009 at 2:19 am 1

   Well The Dark Knight didn’t much love apart from tech awards and supporting actor.

2. Jack Martin January 15th, 2009 at 2:22 am 2

   Yay! Go Heath Ledger, In Bruges, Burn After Reading, Robert Downey Jr, Kate Winslet, Slumdog Millionaire, David Fincher, Brangelina, WALL-E and (dare I say it) Indiana Jones!

   WTF?!?! No Dark Knight for Best Film/Director?

3. Ryan Hoffman January 15th, 2009 at 2:22 am 3

   How do u have that many nominations in all those fields and not be a best picture nominee

4. Daniel January 15th, 2009 at 2:23 am 4

   Interesting, Kate Winslet for The Reader in lead, also 2 nominations in that category.

   Glad to see some Changeling love but also sad that TDK didn’t get a Best Film nomination. I’m assuming Slumdog will pretty much sweep.

5. RichardA January 15th, 2009 at 2:23 am 5

   TDK with 9 nods missed BP.

   My much touted late surge of The Reader happens. It could be too late for the Oscars.

   Frieda Pinto for Supporting Actress!

6. Steven January 15th, 2009 at 2:24 am 6

   Freida Pinto for “Slumdog”? I have to draw the line right there… that’s pretty ridiculous.

   ~Steven

7. elias January 15th, 2009 at 2:25 am 7

   are you sure Tilda isn’t up for her perf in TCCOBB ?

   Oh and isn’t it ironic that Hawkins is snubbed in her own country ?

   I guess the Brits find the character too annoying

   Is Jolie almost a lock ? I still think Leo and/or Hawkins will make the cut at the Oscars

8. Steven January 15th, 2009 at 2:26 am 8

   Also, Amy Adams over Viola Davis… interesting…

   ~Steven

9. Mikec January 15th, 2009 at 2:27 am 9

   The BAFTAs are often WTF?! in a good way. Some of these are just They seem so “blah…..”

   Sucks to be Hawkins, Fiennes and Davis.

   Pitt double?! Jolie over Sally Hawkins?! Gah!

   Highlights are Kristin Scott Thomas, Winslet double and Gleeson.

10. RichardA January 15th, 2009 at 2:29 am 10

    Lotsa love for Changeling.

11. Red January 15th, 2009 at 2:30 am 11

    Ugh…

12. Steven January 15th, 2009 at 2:31 am 12

    Freida Pinto over Viola Davis. Clearly, support for this film has gotten out of hand just a tad.

    ~Steven

13. Charles January 15th, 2009 at 2:32 am 13

    No sally hawkins?

    ugghhh the BAFTAs suck this year!

    like srsly Swinton for BAR?…..if there gonna give her a nod do it for TCCOBB

14. SaltireFlower January 15th, 2009 at 2:34 am 14

    Ridiculous. Enough with the Eastwood nominations. Freida Pinto getting a nomination but no Taraji Henson is a travesty. Ugh. The only thing that is preventing my total disgust are the nominations for Dev Patel and Brendan Gleeson.

15. Dominik January 15th, 2009 at 2:35 am 15

    I wonder, cut Dev Patel do a “Keisha Castle-Hughes” this year and get a leading actor- nominee at the Oscars? “Slumdog” is overwhelmingly beloved, it´s really possible, I think. There are only three locks with Langella, Rourke and Penn…
    The Brits are not into “Happy-go-lucky”. A lack of humor, I suppose…

16. Steven January 15th, 2009 at 2:35 am 16

    Love the love for “The Reader.” One of my favorites this year. I hope it happens a week from today as well!

    Stephen Daldry for the lone director? Wouldn’t be the first time he pulled it off..

    ~Steven

17. Mikec January 15th, 2009 at 2:36 am 17

    The way these nominations have gone, I’m just glad Julie Walters didn’t get nominated for her gurning.

18. Dominik January 15th, 2009 at 2:37 am 18

    damn, it´s early in the morning: I wanted to write: “Could Dev Patel do…” I´m not that retarded…I hope!

19. Jose January 15th, 2009 at 2:38 am 19

    I’ve lost all hope for any surprises at the Oscars.

20. Marty-O January 15th, 2009 at 2:39 am 20

    Wow, I didn’t even notice the Freida Pinto nom at first… that’s going a little far, no? ; p
    I mean, no offence meant to either young actor, but, to me anyways, both her and Dev Patel were the definition of ‘adequate’. I’m sorry, but all the supporting robots in ‘Wall-E’ had much more emotional nuance, as far as I’m concerned…
    No one will be able to convince me that Patel’s performance was more impactful and affecting than Richard Jenkins or Colin Farrell or Leo Dicaprio or or or or or…

21. Steven January 15th, 2009 at 2:43 am 21

    Agreed, Marty-O. Serviceable, but best of the year? Seriously?

    ~Steven

22. Frida January 15th, 2009 at 2:43 am 22

    Well deserved for Frieda Pinto. She stole the show in Slumdog. I hope the Oscars follow suit, and that she wins!

23. elias January 15th, 2009 at 2:47 am 23

    The Brits don’t like Black actors, we alread knew that

    They only tolerate “Indian” or “Pakistani” ones

24. Markie27 January 15th, 2009 at 2:47 am 24

    i did not expect MILK to enter the BP race at the BAFTA’s…. i thought it would have been too much of an american film to get recognize abroad… even though it didn’t do well i’m glad they still recognize my favorite movie…

    i really like slumdog and like i said before – i will not be disappointed if Milk gets beaten by Sludog (or TDK) at the oscars…. but i cannot understand WHY THE HELL FREIDA PINTO got nominated?!?!?!?!?!!?!?! wow- her performance (though good) wasn’t overwhelming and it was also not even challenging to begin with. i refuse to believe that the brits heavily favored british films (by nominating “milk”) but c’mon man!!!! i have nothing against the beautiful pinto….but i really cannot understand amongst all really really excellent performances – why her?!?!?!

25. Marty-O January 15th, 2009 at 2:49 am 25

    Shows how much sleep I’m lacking, but comment 22 made me giggle, what with the Freida love, and the commenter name, but perhaps typed a bit hastily?
    Hee! : )

26. Zach January 15th, 2009 at 2:54 am 26

    The Dark Knight omissions are annoying, but do we care/worry? For The Reader? Hmm.

    The Best Actress nominees are not surprising in and of themselves, but still…NO SALLY HAWKINS! NO HAPPY-GO-LUCKY AT ALL?!?!?!?!?

    WHAT GIVES? NY & LA & the HFPA like Sally better than her own country does!

    Kristin Scott Thomas is in a good position now, but so is Angelina, with all the Clint love. I’m not surprised that she got in, as I’ve said CHANGELING did better overseas, and it’s Britain’s favorite kind of muted melodrama…

    But still…the outpouring of Changeling love was too much. Screenplay? SOUND?

27. Zach January 15th, 2009 at 2:55 am 27

    elias they like whites in blackface apparently

28. SaltireFlower January 15th, 2009 at 2:57 am 28

    UGH! And no Ralph Fiennes, Colin Farrell, or DiCaprio. WTF is this nonsense?

29. Mark January 15th, 2009 at 2:57 am 29

    Hurrah for the Elegant and Lovely Kristin Scott Thomas!
    I had a chance to see “The Reader” a second time around today because of a friend and Ms. Winslet continues to astonish me with that performance. I would not be surprised if the Academy nominates her for Lead Actress in that film instead of RR.

    Who knows? Frieda Pinto could be a surprise supporting actress nominee here in the U.S. Dev Patels’s performance would not be complete if not for Pinto after all. I also have a feling that Brendan Gleeson and/or Colin Farrell could make it in for In Bruges.

    Where is the love for Emma Thompson in Brideshead Revisited?
    Just saw Last Chance Harvey at a screening and both Hoffman and (especially) Thompson are magnificent. Two naturalistic, unrehearsed and unforced performances that still manages to captivate due to the sheer honesty of it.

30. dario January 15th, 2009 at 2:57 am 30

    Anyone notice a certain Anne Hathaway missing? MMMM. Vote splitting for the WINSLET a possibilty which I hope does not happen. … I hope itsa tie btw WINSLET and WINSLET… No sally, yeay…

    If the READER wins best pic , it will be a total slap in the of SCOTT Rud…

31. Zach January 15th, 2009 at 3:03 am 31

    And is it not interesting — Amy Adams over Viola Davis (who was on the longlist)?

    I think it’s interesting, and deserving. Viola was fine, but the acting itself was nothing revolutionary, while Adams brought a lot to her role.

    Apparently they didn’t find her as annoying as Poppy.

    ??

32. Emma January 15th, 2009 at 3:10 am 32

    I, for one, am slightly annoyed with this list. Sure, I’m thrilled for Milk scoring BP!!
    But What about Michael Fassbender? Surely, if there had to be a surprise, couldn’t they have awarded him with a nod instead of Dev who fulfilled his limited screen time with naive whimsy.

    And no Hawkins or Hathaway? errr!

    As for Pinto, I’ve nothing against the gorgeous girl, but are you kidding me? I’m on the west coast of the States and its quite late here (excuse me if I don’t make much sense =] ), so I’m too tired to come up with a proper excuse as to why she does not deserve the nod over the likes of Viola Davis, Taraji P. Henson, Rosemarie Dewitt, and even Elsa Zyllberstein (I’ve loved you for so long). She was barely on screen and perfected her role as inspirational pretty girl.

    I’d wish that the Oscars could honor some truly deserving, nuanced, mature performances: there have been so many this year.

    Hopefully Melissa Leo will score a nod for Frozen River!!

    One surprise nomination that would thrill me is that of David Kross, whose first English language performance in The Reader left me in awe. If the academies are keen on recognizing new talent, well there you have it.

    I may be young, but I still hope for a avoidance of political choices.

33. Lee January 15th, 2009 at 3:10 am 33

    I find the nomination and final vote process of BAFTA very interesting. The general membership vs. branch/juries at different points in the voting makes a lot of sense (certainly more than AMPAS). It’s a shame the actors split on Kate’s performances.

    I was surprised (but pleased) to see “Milk” nominated for Best Film. I didn’t think it would resonate with BAFTA.

    Overall, it’s an interesting list. I liked watching the BAFTA ceremony when Stephen Fry hosted it. I haven’t watched since he stopped, but I may make an effort again this year.

    ETA: Michael Fassbender is nominated for the Rising Star Award.

34. Jim January 15th, 2009 at 3:11 am 34

    The Brits are crazy :-p. Viola Davis is not nominated although Winslet let one more seat free by going lead. And Amy Adams.. She is kind of a surprise throughout this season. She was nominated for everything!

    Glad to see The Reader getting nominated for Best Picture.

35. Robert Hamer January 15th, 2009 at 3:14 am 35

    Since I know there are a lot of die-hard Benjamin Button fans out here in AwardsDaily, I won’t even get into all the nominations it doesn’t deserve. I’ll just lament the lack of love for Samantha Morton and Sally Hawkins from their OWN COUNTRY.

    And what’s with this sudden love for The Reader? I loved the book and Winslet’s (lead) performance, but the movie itself was overblown and hackneyed. It left me with the sense that this movie was clearly made with awards in mind and not passion for the story.

36. Zach January 15th, 2009 at 3:16 am 36

    SALLY HAWKINS is the most polarizing performer of the year.

    She won both the NY and LA Film Critics *and* the Golden Globe (over double nominee Meryl Streep) — a very difficult accomplishment.

    But she missed out on the nominations for SAG (too British?), BFCA (instead of Kate Beckinsale (also British btw)? Random!), and now BAFTA!!

    Have we ever seen something like this? I know there’s the Golden Globe-winning performance in a Comedy/Musical that often misses out on SAG just to get the GG – e.g. Johnny Depp. He also missed out on the BAFTA, but he is Depp. And his strongest rivals for the 4th or 5th slot were not even nominated by the BAFTA.

37. BENITO January 15th, 2009 at 3:16 am 37

    Sally Hawkina should be nominated for best actress!!!
    and there’s no noms for Happy Go Lucky?? it’s weird…
    is that too much to have two leading role noms for kate ?

38. Steven January 15th, 2009 at 3:16 am 38

    David Kross > Dev Patel whichever way you look at these two films. Where’s the love?

    ~Steven

39. Juanito January 15th, 2009 at 3:18 am 39

    Dev Patel over Colin Farrell for Lead Actor. Dev was really good but Colin Farrell was GREAT in “In Bruges” and what about Leo DiCaprio…Glad Brendon Gleason got a nomination tho.

40. Ross January 15th, 2009 at 3:18 am 40

    These nominations simply don’t deliver for me. It’s a question of personal taste here, so don’t start attacking me. If somebody is in for a discussion, I’m into that, but no offensive talk.

    Anyway, nominating Clint Eastwood for directing the awful and mediocre CHANGELING – which, come on, was really overly long, manipulative and even unappealing visually – while snubbing Christopher Nolan for THE DARK KNIGHT, Gus Van Sant for MILK and Darren Arronofsky for THE WRESTLER – is simply a joke.

    And what’s the love for THE READER? It was an okay film, but nothing more. At least they didn’t embrace REVOLUTIONARY ROAD, which to me was a really disappointing film.

    And the BIGGEST SNUB – they nominated TILDA SWINTON for BURN AFTER READING & AMY ADAMS for DOUBT, but VIOLA DAVIS (the cast standout alongside Streep for me) and the one who’s getting notice all the time – is SNUBBED. Come on! AFTER ALL – FREIDA PINTO got nominated! For what???! They don’t have to feel obligated to nominated every cast member of SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE. And DEV PATEL for leading – over LEONARDO DICARPIO, MICHAEL SHEEN, MICHAEL FASSBENDER – what’s that??!

    MAMMA MIA! for music! Oh, come on! And the absurd nomination for CHANGELING for film editing. Every scene of this film felt long – overly long – and not as complex as it could have been.

    The list IS DISAPPOINTING.

    Anyway, at least we have some good things:
    - BRENDAN GLEESON for supporting actor in IN BRUGES! I think he stole the show (from Farrell), though I enjoyed Fiennes the most in a hilarous turn. But Gleeson’s character had the humanity, this weird humanity, which I loved.

    - IN BRUGES for original screenplay.

    - the FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM line-up.

    And of course, ANIMATED FEATURE FILM: the best possible line-up ever!

41. Andre January 15th, 2009 at 3:21 am 41

    Why is there no DiCaprio in there??? And no BP for The Dark Knight???? Kate Winslet should get a category of her own. She’ll probably lose and it’s a shame.

42. Steven January 15th, 2009 at 3:21 am 42

    I don’t think Sally Hawkins is necessarily out of the Oscar race. People obviously love her performance on this side of the Atlantic. Plus, Keira Knightley was nominated for “Pride & Prejudice” without BAFTA or SAG (although she was nominated by the BCFA and HFPA).

    ~Steven

43. kjgkjdf January 15th, 2009 at 3:26 am 43

    What a joke!Dev patel and no leonardo dicaprio!Well done!Tilda swinton in burn after reading?Really?No sam mendes?Revolutionary road keeps snubbed!

44. Ziyad Abul Hawa January 15th, 2009 at 3:27 am 44

    So much Changelinga love! Yey!

    Frieda Pinto?

45. Red January 15th, 2009 at 3:30 am 45

    You know, I can probably live with a TDK snub for BP, but not nominating Nolan and giving a nod to Eastwood for Changeling is simply retarded. And I’m really scared that the stupid Clint love will continue at the Oscars.
    He’s one of the most overrated actors/directors ever. Changeling was mediocre, Gran Torino is awful and people are praising his performance in that piece of shit movie where he does the same thing Bale does as Batman – sound like a rabid dog. When he dies, I say the Academy retire the Best Director category, in his honor.

46. Tipu January 15th, 2009 at 3:43 am 46

    Why wasnt Slumdog not nominated for Make-up, Visual effects and Costumes??

    I like slumdog but DevPatel and FriedaPinto is too much to digest!, also Mamma Mia for music and clint eastwood for direction! What the heck?

47. Steven January 15th, 2009 at 3:46 am 47

    Tipu, it was robbed! Just like it was robbed in the Film Not in the English Language, Leading Actress, and Short Animation categories.

    ~Steven

48. Emre January 15th, 2009 at 3:47 am 48

    i don’t like it when i see some ancient movies in the BAFTA nominations. persepolis??? come on people, we are in 2009! watch them on time, or at least make some regulations to make it possible.

49. JD January 15th, 2009 at 3:52 am 49

    WALL-E might lose its Best Animated for either Persepolis or Bashir! Truly the craziest lineup ever, after last year WTF? inclusion of Shrek 3 and The Simpsons Movie.

    I thought Persepolis was snubbed but turned out it hadn’t been released yet. Now is it finally its time or it will split the vote with Bashir and WALL-E will still win everything?

50. Waltizzle!!! January 15th, 2009 at 3:52 am 50

    Such a shame that SM didn’t get nominated for Hair & make up, visual effects, short animation, and costume Design!!!!!

    honestly, these are vile!!!!!!!! i’ve never seen such egregious omissions or inclusions in my life!!!!!

51. Paddy M January 15th, 2009 at 4:10 am 51

    This list is something of an aberration for the BAFTAs. It’s shite.

    WHERE were the following?:
    Viola Davis
    Michael Fassbender
    Colin Farrell
    Sally Hawkins
    Anne Hathaway
    John Malkovich
    Rosemarie DeWitt
    Taraji P. Henson
    The Dark Knight
    Gus van Sant
    Christopher Nolan
    Leonardo DiCaprio
    Rachel Getting Married
    Ralph Fiennes
    Melissa Leo
    Cate Blanchett
    Josh Brolin
    James Franco
    Rebecca Hall

    WHY were the following there?:
    The Reader for Picture
    Dev Patel
    Kate Winslet for two leading noms
    Mamma Mia! for music
    Tilda Swinton for the wrong nom
    Amy Adams over Viola Davis
    Freida Pinto (another example of completely unnecessary BAFTA Brit-love)
    The Duchess for Make-Up
    Slumdog Millionaire for Production Design (re: Brit-love)
    I’ve Loved You So Long for Screenplay
    The Reader for Screenplay

    Where has the BAFTAs’ credibility gone? What do they think they’re doing? I’m British and, alongside the daft appointment of Jonathan Ross as presenter yet again having done a woeful, stilted job these last two years, never mind having been suspended from the BBC and publicly shamed…The BAFTAs are a joke this year.

    Considering the huge influence they seemed to have on the race last year (Marion Cotillard and Tilda Swinton…), this was their chance to cement their influence on the American awards season. They have failed outright. I’m British myself, and i don’t know that I’ll bother to watch the BAFTAs this year.

52. nick January 15th, 2009 at 4:12 am 52

    Milk?Why?Frost/nixon?

    I think both movies have nothing new we haven’t seen for years now.
    Dev patel instead of Dicaprio?Really?
    Where is roger deakins for revolutionary road?
    Brad pitt for Burn and no Shannon.
    Where is sam mendes?Cild Eastwood instead.Well done!
    I’m thinking that the awards shows are going nuts or very much money have influenced their nominations.

53. Joschi January 15th, 2009 at 4:12 am 53

    PATEL BETTER THAN DICAPRIO, DEL TORO, EASTWOOD, JENKINS?
    sry, but THAT’s ridiculous!

54. nick January 15th, 2009 at 4:15 am 54

    Of course!He was funny i admit…this slumdog love is going to far!I loved it as a movie but in acting terms it wasn’t anything special!

55. Chris Price January 15th, 2009 at 4:15 am 55

    Holy shit, those acting nominations are all kinds of fucked up. The BAFTAs are insane.

56. Matthew W January 15th, 2009 at 4:17 am 56

    A decent list, I don’t think the BAFTA’s can be accused of Brit-love when they shut out arguably the most British movie out there, Happy-Go-Lucky (rightfully so in my opinion).

    Everyone has their favourites, but for me the only real disappointment is the love for Brangelina, three nods between them suggests to me that the BAFTA’s are desperate for an appearance this year!

57. nick January 15th, 2009 at 4:19 am 57

    The list is garbage!I don’t care if they are brits or not…but some things can’t happen.There is something behind that we can’t see.

58. Chris Price January 15th, 2009 at 4:21 am 58

    Paddy M is very thorough in listing all the stuff that should’ve been there. Here’s a couple more:

    Let The Right One In, Tell No One, The Edge Of Heaven and JCVD for Foreign Film
    Michael Shannon, Bill Irwin and Eddie Marsan for Supporting Actor

59. ike January 15th, 2009 at 4:28 am 59

    No Best Picture and Best Director for The Dark Knight? Total travesty.

60. Raed January 15th, 2009 at 4:37 am 60

    How could Anne Hathaway and Rachel Getting Married be snubbed for actress and screenplay? With the Winslet and Jolie love, the BAFTAs have ignored two of the best performances this year, Hathaway and Hawkins in Happy-Go-Lucky. What’s with Changeling and BAF for screenplay, when Rachel and Vicky Christina Barcelona deserve those slots? Is Rachel Getting Married ineligible this year? If not, then the snub was just absurd. How could Eastwood and Daldry make best director this year with Demme and Nolan making greater achievements? What’s with the Viola Davis and Taraji P. Henson snubs for Adams and Pinto. I love Amy Adams and Frieda Pinto but this is out of the question. Why are RR and The Reader up for adapted screenplay when Doubt deserves a nod more than both these movies?

    It seems like the BAFTAs, like the Globes, are choosing Winslet, Eastwood and Brangelina over far more deserving candidates with a little less “Star power.”

61. Jonathan Spuij January 15th, 2009 at 4:40 am 61

    Heh, finally some Changeling love. Something which I expected some more at the Oscars, particularly with the techs. Mamma Mia is a joke of course with anything. Especially the music. Well if we´re at it we might as well nominate anything that uses old (and brilliant!) music.

62. melissa January 15th, 2009 at 4:45 am 62

    Why is there no love for leonardo dicaprio. First the SAG’s, now this. C’mon. I don’t think he would have won them anyway but I think he at least should be nominated. Hopefully the academy can see the light but i doubt it now.

63. Emma January 15th, 2009 at 4:54 am 63

    All I wanna do is bang bang bang and take the BAFTA voters’ money.

64. Weliton January 15th, 2009 at 4:56 am 64

    I don’t think that the Academy let TDK out of BP.

    Last year American Gangster was in BP nominations of British Academy but failed in BP nonimation of Academy.

    Don’t forget that BAFTA is a britanic awards and have to include britanics in nominations.

65. aghr January 15th, 2009 at 5:08 am 65

    While I completely and understand that Pinto shouldn’t have been nominated (especially since she was the weakest part to Slumdog and there are so many other deserving supporting females) I can’t agree on Dev Patel not being worthy. I don’t think he was necessarily “the best”, but he certainly carried that film as lead and gave an incredibly heartfelt performance. Perhaps it’s more that others more deserving lost out.

    Very dissapointed regarding Anne Hathaway and that film altogether. I do however like the BAFTA’s final cut for Foreign Film. Much better than Oscars.

    The love for Mamma Mia is a travesty. If Mamma Mia’s box office got it those nominations then The Dark Knight should have been nominated for Best Picture. That film was successful with both critics and audiences alike. A feat Mamma Mia couldn’t pull off.

66. limeymcfrog January 15th, 2009 at 5:15 am 66

    Dev Patel nominated for LEAD actor over…. well anybody is ridiculous and the notion that Freida Pinto should have even been considered for an award of any kind is truly horrifying. I hate this trend of award shows to want to bunch their nominations together ergo nominating vastly inferior work because that work happens to be in a film they like.

    Tell me with a straight face that Freida Pinto’s acting job of “look beautiful, look worried, look beautiful some more” even approaches that of the snubbed Viola Davis. Hell, I’d prefer they nominate Cate Blanchett from Indiana Jones than Freida effing Pinto. I’m not saying she’s a wooden actress, but if she goes to pleasure island then there’s no way she’ll become a real boy.

    Even the biggest Slumdog fan has to admit that this nomination is utter hogwash. What a crappy slate.

67. Paulo January 15th, 2009 at 5:38 am 67

    I just saw Changeling and I have to admit that Jolie is absolutly magnificent on it. One of teh best performances of the year.

68. Simone January 15th, 2009 at 5:41 am 68

    WTH? So Michael Fassbender is to settle for the Orange Rising Star award instead of an acting award? I thought the BAFTAs would show more respect towards Hunger. Obviously I was wrong. This is bullshit!

69. Matt January 15th, 2009 at 5:42 am 69

    What an almost perfect list! Haven’t seen Revolutionary Road yet, but my gut is that I’d swap Leonardo for Brad Pitt. Pitt was much better in Burn and deservedly nominated. Thrilled to see The Reader in the BP lineup. My favorite NGNG pick is Amy Adams over Viola Davis for Supporting Actress. Everyone is raving over Viola Davis, and she’s fine, but it’s too small a part to be deserving of a nomination. Most of the raves I’ve read are over the character reaction – how shocking a mother would respond the way she did. That’s how the character was written. Davis performed it well, but I think the reviewers are drawn in more by the mother’s reaction than by Viola Davis’s performance, imho. Glad that Burn got some much deserved love in the Original Screenplay category. I wish this list would be read next Thursday morning. I’d throw in Sally Hawkins for the 2nd Kate spot, replace Angelina with Anne, and replace Brad with Leo, but other than that – perfect! Yay for In Bruges love.

70. Joao Mattos January 15th, 2009 at 5:49 am 70

    The Happy-Go Lucky Hawkins snub is very, very surprising. Can’t remember when is the last time a Mike Leigh so well received abroad was snubbed in the BAFTA. When was it?

71. lingling January 15th, 2009 at 5:49 am 71

    Wow, no Sally Hawkins is really a surprise. The Europeans didn’t like Happy-Go-Lucky as much as the Americans I guess. And they are the only ones who recognized that Anne Hathaway is MUCH too overrated. ONE good performance doesn’t make a good actor!

72. lingling January 15th, 2009 at 5:51 am 72

    the oscar for best actress will be between Kate Winslet and Meryl Streep

73. carol January 15th, 2009 at 6:21 am 73

    let’s said in this way…
    best british film: mamma mia! nominated; happy-go-lucky not.

    yeah, bafta sucks hard.
    but that’s no surprise.

74. Manos January 15th, 2009 at 6:40 am 74

    Congratulations Sasha! IMDB.COM has posted this article in the Headlines of ‘Movie and TV News’ and links this site.

75. Tufas January 15th, 2009 at 7:00 am 75

    Too much love for Changeling

    Surprisingly too little love for Happy-go-lucky and In Bruges

    Where is Gus Van Sant?

    Mamma Mia for Music? Really?

    Sure hope the Oscars don’t offer these nominees. Congrats to Dev Patel aka Sexiest Teen Alive ™ and Freida Pinto

    T.

76. Matthew W January 15th, 2009 at 7:06 am 76

    Lets get some perspective people. For those saying its a travesty Michael Fassbender isn’t nominated by BAFTA, lets wait and see if he gets an Oscar nod (I highly doubt it).

    Also, Paddy M, if all of the people in your list were included then many other deserving candidates would have to miss out, I think you have three best supporting actress noms and three leading actors noms there and you cannot say that only two on BAFTA’s list deserve to be there in each category.

77. David January 15th, 2009 at 7:53 am 77

    Someone asked above how TDK could get 9 noms and no BP… it’s simple… Like the Critics Choice and Golden Globes…it isn’t “hip” to like a big blockbuster super hero movie, regardless of it’s strong tech, directing, and acting (at least in best supporting actor) quality.

    Now if TDK had made $150,000 instead of $150,000,000 in it’s opening weekend and was labled an “indie”…. it would get love fromt the “critics and industry types”… the same love the movie is getting from the general population.

    As for Slumdog… wth… Milk, Button, and TDK are much stronger stories and are much better made movies.

    I know it’s the big hip thing to like Slumdog…but in the snob rush (no not all who like it are snobs ) to support it…they are giving it some awards it doesn’t deserve.

78. w.j. January 15th, 2009 at 8:03 am 78

    I guess we should consider this a very weak year for films when a movie that is a Rotten Tomato (Changeling) and one that is very close to being one (The Reader) are nominated for best picture. Marley and Me has more critics on its side than Changeling!! How could either film be recognized ahead of The Dark Knight? Admittedly, the most surprising omission is Sally Hawkins, not that I necessarily feel she deserves a nomination, but because these ARE the BRITISH awards. I think it shows us that the Oscars could have quite a few surprises and/or disappointments in store for us.

79. David January 15th, 2009 at 8:07 am 79

    Hmm.. I wonder if Slumdog will get best animated feature and best Documentary or best foriegn language film oscar noms… I can see the “logic” now…

    It’s kind of like a documentary….

    They speak a foriegn language a few times….

    The credits were animated really really well….

    Why don’t they just take all the different awards from all the award shows and just melt them together and reforge it all into a giant gold statue of Danny Boyles @$$…then they can award it to the movie.

    That way, everyone can just skip to the after parties, where they could go around and talk about how cool they are that they voted for Slumdog.

    Serious. It is a very good movie… but the worship in catagories that it clearly isn’t qualified for really undercuts the respect for these awards.

80. daveylow January 15th, 2009 at 8:08 am 80

    Eastwood , Daldry, Howard over Van Sant?
    Scared of the Changeling love.

81. jorge January 15th, 2009 at 8:12 am 81

    The Anne Hathaway snub was almost always a certainty – the film hasn’t even opened in the UK yet. Plus they never nominate films with such an experimental/artsy/indy flare…

    Though she gave one of the best performances this year – and imo the best female perf this year – its not a surprise. But the BAFTA never gets the lead acting races right; they’re always off my at least 2 or 3

    The real shocker is that Sally Hawkins was shut out – seeing as she is the British breakthrough of the year, just won the Golden Globe, and did so well here in the states.

82. Ryan Hoffman January 15th, 2009 at 8:18 am 82

    Makes sense that BAFTA comes up with the most baffling nominations of the year.

83. David January 15th, 2009 at 8:18 am 83

    While I’m on a rant…

    Milk
    Org. Screenplay
    Actor
    Makeup/Hair

    TDK
    Best Supporting Actor
    Makeup/Hair
    Production Design
    Cinematogrraphy
    Costume Design
    Editing
    Music
    Sound
    Visual Effects

    And the BP nod goes to… (FYI I do think Milk is deserving..but)

    Anyone else think they might be trying a little hard to ignore TDK?

    They should have dropped this years “feel good Holocaust movie” the Reader and put the TDK in instead. What a joke.

84. Precursor Fanatic January 15th, 2009 at 8:20 am 84

    Why didn’t BAFTA whole-heartedly embrace Sally Hawkins who could have used this as her last push for an Oscar nomination. They are stupid for snubbing her & nominating Freido Pinto & Dev Patel. Pinto’s performance isn’t anything special or memorable in the least by itself. And Patel isn’t a lead in the least.

85. Manos January 15th, 2009 at 8:21 am 85

    @ David 78

    This is nonsense. If ‘The Dark Knight’ hadn’t made that much money, nobody would have predicted it the major Oscar categories. Sure it would score nominations for Ledger and technical departments, but Best Picture and Best Director? No way. Also it’s ridiculous when you consider the fact that ‘The Dark Knight’ is in the running for a screenplay nod. Come on now, a screenplay nod?

86. David January 15th, 2009 at 8:28 am 86

    @ Manos

    I never said screenplay… I said tech, directing, and Heath…

    I did say the story was strong…but I wasn’t talking about the screenplay…i was talking about he themes and the first 2/3rds of the movie.

    Regardless… a certain acting win and at least nominations in almost every tech catagory… a possible directing nom (many think Nolan deserves a directing nomination) and the biggest box office in over a decade…. and you still dont’ think it deserves at least a BP nom…

    What exactly does a movie of this genre actually have to do or win in order to be considered for BP? Seriously?

87. Matthew Davenport January 15th, 2009 at 8:31 am 87

    What a so-so bunch of nominations. Dev Patel for lead actor? Come on. Kate with 2 nominations in lead? Come on.

    Where is Sally Hawkins? Where is Christopher Nolan?

88. HaroldsMaude January 15th, 2009 at 8:33 am 88

    Glad to see the love for Tilda but her performance in Button was the best thing about the film. That’s the performance that deserves the nomination. And I’m with the Davis over Adams camp on Doubt. Happy again for PSH. He’ll lose to Heath, of course, but it adds another notch.

89. Alejo January 15th, 2009 at 8:33 am 89

    no Ralph Fiennes? hm

90. filmboymichael January 15th, 2009 at 8:36 am 90

    everyone scratching their heads about all the Changeling love….don’t be….this is a fine fine example of geographical tastes….remember that the europeans loved changeling….not so much in north america, but definitely was an admired piece abroad.

91. The Dude January 15th, 2009 at 8:38 am 91

    Tilda Swinton for Burn After Reading? And then some people say they don’t favour British films…

    Loved Clint Eastwood nominated for Changeling (but hated Jolie, which almost brought the entire movie down) and Pitt for Burn After Reading.

92. Dominik January 15th, 2009 at 8:42 am 92

    @ lingling: “Wow, no Sally Hawkins is really a surprise. The Europeans didn’t like Happy-Go-Lucky as much as the Americans I guess. ”

    That´s not true in genral. Sally Hawkins won last years Silver Bear for “Best Actress” at the Berlin Film Festival. She was loved very much, not only by the Jury, but by the Audience also.

93. Tipu January 15th, 2009 at 8:42 am 93

    Slumdog is way ahead of Button… Button was a stereotypical Hollywood emotional squeezer. Whats the thing with the reverse aging. I found no significance. It’s used just to make sure a normal biographical story boasts something different… borrows a lot from Forrest Gump too. It had just filled that Awards place where there needs to be a pretentiously moving film with an A-list cast and crew.

    I’ll consider this way below Fincher’s other works like Zodiac, Seven and FightClub.

    Slumdog too had a cliche’d story line… but that was how it was aimed to be. But the treatment was so energetic and pompous that you dont care. For people who link it to the likes of City of God.. accepted (i think its more the slums that give that thought) – even then that doesnt make you cringe whereas Button does.

    I think TDK missing out on the best picture is what hurts. Being a super-hero flick is in no way a criteria to filter out such a sensible and contemporary movie. Please, if not the movie atleast the Director!!!

94. The Dude January 15th, 2009 at 8:43 am 94

    Oh, and you Americans should be ashamed of yourselves for not loving Changeling like the rest of the planet. Hope that doesn’t mean Clint will revert to his condition in the 70’s or 80’s, when he was respected everywhere but in the US.

    And yet the awards are nominating Jolie, clearly the weakest point of it, for Best Actress. Go figure.

    Oh, and before the whining starts, I was being ironical on the “should be ashamed of themselves” part”

95. brainypirate January 15th, 2009 at 8:52 am 95

    I’m looking over the long list again and I have to agree that there are some very surprising omissions here.

    Where are Peter O’Toole, Judi Dench, John Malkovich, Charlotte Rampling, Keira Knightley, Christian Bale, and George Clooney?????

    Really? Dev Patel over George Clooney, Josh Brolin and COLIN FARRELL???

    Freida Pinto over Kathy Bates and JULIE WATERS??? Really?

    Kate Winslet’s second slot could easily have gone to Frances McDormand or Scarlett Johannson — or even Nicole Kidman!

    What a ridiculous list!

96. a-dog January 15th, 2009 at 8:53 am 96

    Nonsense.

    I’m sorry, ZERO nominations for Happy-Go-Lucky??

    Not even Sally Hawkins??

    Not even Eddie Marsan??

    Not even Screenplay??

    Really. Really?

    Shenanigans.

97. Jason January 15th, 2009 at 9:00 am 97

    @David 78/87

    If The Dark Knight doesn’t get in, then no comic book movie will ever get in. It got great reviews, has a surefire win in one of the acting categories, broke ground with its use of IMAX, earned $530 million at the box office. It did everything a blockbuster needs to do to get consideration for Best Picture, which is why it’s getting strong consideration.

    The indie movie comparison is off track. If it wasn’t a big budget blockbuster, it’s an entirely different movie. Half the things the Nolans wrote about would have to be thrown out. You couldn’t do Batman as an indie movie and have it be a contender for Best Picture.

    Money does have a lot to do with it. If it makes even $400 million, it’s still considered the best superhero movie ever, but it’s just a superhero movie. Put another $100 million on top of that, and it’s a lot harder to ignore. Only one movie has made over $500 million, and that was the biggest Oscar movie ever (14 nominations, 11 wins for Titanic). It made $200 million more than the #2 2008 blockbuster. The only other time that happened in the last 25 years was Titanic. The reason why TDK is under strong consideration is because it made enough money to build 100 batcaves.

    But the big reason why The Dark Knight made $500 million in this era and this political and economic climate is because it was a touchstone film for many people. Yes, morbid fascination because of Ledger’s passing was a big reason it broke every opening weekend record, but because plenty of blockbusters open gigantic and drop off in the following weeks. This one stayed at #1 for a month and made more money than all the other Oscar contenders combined. Curiosity over Ledger doesn’t factor in all the repeat business TDK received.

    It’s amazing that anyone considers the BAFTA nominations a snub. And it’s amazing that people cry out “Boring!” whenever TDK does show up in a guild nomination or when Ledger wins an award. The first Dark Knight trailer came out a little over a year ago. Did anyone think that a Batman movie would be getting this much attention at Oscar time?

98. Jason January 15th, 2009 at 9:07 am 98

    I think it’s safe to say now that Slumdog Millionaire is a juggernaut and hopefully when the Oscar nominations come out next week people don’t refer to it as an underdog. Refering to it as underdog because of the path it took to get to the Oscars is like saying that the Patriots were underdogs in last year’s Super Bowl because Tom Brady at one time was an unknown sixth round pick.

99. John January 15th, 2009 at 9:08 am 99

    (small voice) ‘Happy-Go-Lucky’ and Sally Hawkins annoyed the sh*t out of me. Shocked, yet happy it didn’t show up anywhere.

100. Dorothy Porker January 15th, 2009 at 9:08 am 100

     Bummed about a few things (DiCaprio’s omission mainly), but also that Kate was nodded twice in the same category. While an honor, this doesn’t bode well — there’s passionate support for BOTH performances, so she’ll surely split the votes. It seems like BAFTA liked “The Reader” much better than “Rev Road,” so maybe she’ll end up winning for that one. I can only hope.

     VERY happy to see “Changeling” doing well.

     No Hawkins? That’s a GLARING omission if I saw one.

     ETA: It occurs to me that only people who haven’t actually SEEN “The Reader” (or who didn’t pay close attention) can call it the “feel good holocaust film of the year.” This is one of the most relentingly depressing flims I saw in ‘08. What could have possibly made one feel good? It’s honestly bewildering.

101. brainypirate January 15th, 2009 at 9:14 am 101

     For those of you with H-wood connections:

     Do you think there’s enough love for Winslet that voters will agree to put The Reader in supporting in order to increase her chances?

102. Jason January 15th, 2009 at 9:18 am 102

     Dorothy, I think people are being sarcastic when they say that

103. Teddy January 15th, 2009 at 9:20 am 103

     I know this if off topic, but have you guys noticed that Danny Boyle looks remarkably like Timmy from South Park. The resemblence is uncanny.

104. Beth Brous. January 15th, 2009 at 9:21 am 104

     Dorothy,

     People can call The Reader the “feel good holocaust film of the year” because it seems every year there is yet another movie using the holocaust as a cheap dramatic plot device.Some like myself have no respect for films and books that continue to milk a tragedy like the holocaust for cheap emotional plot. I’ve heard the phrase before. I don’t think it’s meant to imply that the movie isn’t depressing.

105. Bill W. January 15th, 2009 at 9:31 am 105

     I think at the Oscars that Dark Knight will get a Best Picture nom, but then Stephen Daldry will be in Nolan’s place in Best Director. Or vice versa.

     Looks like Angelina Jolie will get a Best Actress nom. 2 bad 4 Melissa Leo. This makes me sad.

106. Rich January 15th, 2009 at 9:31 am 106

     Happy-Go-Lucky was the most affecting movie of the year, omitting Hawkins is just bizarre. I have to admit being pleasantly surprised by how good Changeling was, especially since I’ve found most of Clint’s recent work overrated, so I don’t really take issue there. Still, this is a pretty inexplicably poor list.

107. Balesupporter January 15th, 2009 at 9:39 am 107

     Kristin Scott Thomas!!!! Finally some love! YEAH

     Its funny that The Dark Knight got 9 noms and no best picture or director……hmmmm

     Too much:

     Kate Winslet
     Changeling
     Burn After Reading
     Slumdog Millionaire
     Frost/ Nixon

     And what about:

     The Wrestler
     Michael Fassbender
     Cate Blanchett
     Rachel Getting Married

108. Jaworski January 15th, 2009 at 9:41 am 108

     Okay a few of you need to get over yourselves; EVERYONE wants TDKto be nominated for Best Picture but if you really think about it, it has got a very slight chance, and the Academy will almost always go for the highly acclaimed drama picture over anything else, which pretty much means the Oscar race is tied between Benjamin Button and Slumdog Millionaire. Don’t get me wrong I loved the Dark Knight and it should get some best picture love, but just stop freaking out that it didn’t get a BAFTA nomination, because in all honesty, nobody gives a fuck about the BAFTAs except the British.

109. Dorothy Porker January 15th, 2009 at 9:44 am 109

     Thanks for the clarification, Jason. It’s just the phrase itself is a bit offensive when you think about it. Whatever issues one has with these type of films, it’s more ridiculous to even put the words “feel good” in the same sentence. But whatever, if people are comfortable doing that, that’s their issue.

     I thought the film was very well done, and not exploitive. But that’s my opinion.

110. Ryan January 15th, 2009 at 9:56 am 110

     Woke up way too late this morning. There’s already 100+ comments!

     Anyway as much as I LOVE (like LOOOOVE) Slumdog Millionaire, I agree that the nominations for Patel and Pinto are a bit too much. Then again I’m not complaining either. If it was me, I would’ve nominated the youngest Jamal.

     Other than that, I’m beaming from all of the Slumdog Millionaire love. It’s just such a fantastic movie and I’m so happy that almost every award is dying to tell us that they love it too. Couldn’t happen to a better movie this year.

     I’m also in love that they all love Kate Winslet so much! Yeah! I do hope she ties with herself. That’d be just awesome.

111. Doug January 15th, 2009 at 9:57 am 111

     9 noms for Batman: the Dark Knight, you have got to be kidding me. The only one it should have is costumes. I mean make up really, someone should have an award for smearing makeup on the Joker’s face? No that wasn’t really top notch makeup work. And it is good to know that the finger nails on chalk board soundtrack got a nom too. I really don’t understand the love for the worst comic book movie ever when Iron Man comes out with only a visual effects nom. I mean really not even sound?

     I am glad to see Kate Winslet with a leading actress for The Reader cause it was odd that the Golden Globes gave her supporting for it, when she had almost as much screen time as the lead actor. Also good to see Eastwood for the Changeling.

112. Grizzly January 15th, 2009 at 9:59 am 112

     They must’ve seen a different film than the Changeling I saw. I can take it getting some technical nominations, even Angelina Jolie getting nominated (though it’s an outright crime they picked her over Sally Hawkins).. But Best Director? Screenplay? What the flying f-ck?

     The Academy better now go down this same road.

113. Kelly January 15th, 2009 at 10:02 am 113

     So, The Dark Knight gets 9 noms… now add the 3 that The Reader stole from it (Picture, Director, Screenplay) and voila… you have 12 noms, our new leader.

     I still say come Oscar time… Best Director=Danny Boyle for Slumdog Millionair; Best Picture = The Dark Knight

114. Paul Outlaw January 15th, 2009 at 10:04 am 114

     Well, you can’t have everything…

115. Al January 15th, 2009 at 10:08 am 115

     KATE NOMINATION IN BOTH CATEGORIES SEEMS A OVERWEIGHT AND OMISSIONS IN THE CATEGORIES OF BEST ACTOR AND ACTRESS IN MAJOR Michael Sheen YOUR PLACE DEV PATEL, SALLY HAWKINS FOR NOMINATION OF EXCESS KATE AND IF NOT FOR A BET AND Brangelina GET BETTER HEARING AND THE LACK OF NOLAN AS DIRECTOR.
     FOR ALL THIS is A
     SHAME THESE AWARDS.

116. Kelly January 15th, 2009 at 10:11 am 116

     I am very excited that Mickey Rourke is getting the recognition he so deserves. I hope he sweeps this just like he did the Golden Globes!

117. Más perdidas y nominaciones a los Bafta 2008 » Flanagan dice… January 15th, 2009 at 10:22 am 117

     [...] que como cada año están copados por producciones Hollywoodienses … Os enlazo dichas candidaturas. Estoy cansado que de lo único que hacen referencias los medios de comunicación españoles es si [...]

118. Noah R. January 15th, 2009 at 10:25 am 118

     I don’t care about the rest of it; the love for In Bruges (especially Brendan Gleeson) made my day. Still, even I think a nod for Freida Pinto is a bit much.

119. Joey January 15th, 2009 at 10:40 am 119

     The Dark Knight should have had 12 nom’s, including Besy Actor, Best Director and Best Film. And a couple more for WALL E (not some piece of junk, like slum**** losernaire)

120. bridgie james rosenthal January 15th, 2009 at 10:42 am 120

     BAFTA noms Highs and Lows

     highs
     1. Kristin Scott-Thomas for Il Y A Longtemps Je t’aime
     2. lack of “Doubt” nod
     3. limited support for “The Dark Knight” (no Best Pic nod)
     4. strong support for country favorite “In Bruges”
     5. Kate Winslet: Golden Globes-redux (ah! retribution!)

     lows
     1. “Brangelina” fever (BAFTA needs a massive audience this year to win back its audience)
     2. Lack of “Happy-Go-Lucky” love (talk about insecurity over Mike Leigh and Sally Hawkins; for sure both will be nominated for Oscars next Thursday)
     3. Freida Pinto and Dev Patel as acting nominees? As in “acting”? Stupidity or good luck? You choose!
     4. The ‘Clint’ for Best Director and Jolie for Best Actress? Straczynski for Best Orig. Screenplay? The British Academy members must have been possessed by the spirit of Christine Collins while watching the screener copy of “Changeling”.
     5. “Slumdog Millionaire”. Too much love can kill you. I can see a backlash come post-Oscar nominations season. Mark my word.

121. Mgo January 15th, 2009 at 10:45 am 121

     Well we gotta remember that they love to nominate british actors, and Kate Winslet is definetely gonna win in her category, but im not that sure if this is helping her in her career to win her Oscar, why!, weeell…because in that case, supporting actress is gonna be Penelope Cruz, but in leading actress if they are giving to her for the Reader, it will be harsh decission in the Oscars :S, so it will be harsh, and Sally Hawkins :O OMG! biggest snub wooow, no Sag and no Bafta!!!, woow.
     Do you really think that the Academy will nominate her??! because if is not happening for her well we have a spot for Angelina and either Melissa Leo or Kristin Scott Thomas.
     And other think, so shocking for The Dark Knight, i tought they would be nominating Christpher Nolan, after all he’s british.

122. Bomba69 January 15th, 2009 at 10:48 am 122

     I bet Happy-Go-Lucky did not apply fot the awards or something. Its impossible that it wouldn’t get any nominations.

123. Joe Calahan January 15th, 2009 at 10:51 am 123

     Lots of love for Changeling. A lot more nominations for Wall-E. Waltz with Bashir should get nominated in 2 categories. One for animated feature, one for foreign language. Happy for Benjamin Button. Frost/Nixon has got to be one of the best films contending for the Oscar Race this year. I would see this movie over and over again. I haven’t seen Milk yet but I want to. The acting races are pretty much locked up. Heath Ledger for S. Actor. Kate Winslet for S. Actress and Actress. Mickey Rourke for Lead Actor. Anne Hathaway and Sally Hawkins got snubbed. Hurray for Indiana Jones. Not too much love for Iron Man. Somebody from this group likes Burn After Reading and In Bruges and last but not least, Congrulations for my favorite film of the year getting nominated for lots of awards: THE DARK KNIGHT!!!!!!!

124. Commonman January 15th, 2009 at 10:53 am 124

     Amy Adams nominated, that was a nice surprise. I wish Viola Davis had made the list also, but Adams was my key concern. Adams performance was such a contrast to Streep, I believed their scenes together were some of the most nerve racking of the season. Viola had been getting so much more press, and not to say she hasn’t deserved the coverage, I was afraid that Adams was going to be missed this year. Amy’s omission from the Doubt buzz, I just didn’t understand it after I saw the movie. I think that those who find her performance to be squemish did not understand the movie.

     I hope that they both pull a Oscar nomination.

125. Michael Greenwaldt January 15th, 2009 at 10:53 am 125

     Dev Patel and Freida Pinto being nominated for their acting in Slumdog is such a joke.

126. Alex January 15th, 2009 at 11:10 am 126

     These are the worst nominations I have ever seen from BAFTA. Seriously, Dev Patel was quite good, but not worthy of a nomination. Freida Pinto, although extremely beautiful, is not such a good actress. That scene in the kitchen where Jamal and Latika are talking…she is pretty awful.

     I loved Slumdog Millionaire, but not for the acting.

     No Sally Hawkins? What the hell? At least they nominated Kristin Scott Thomas who is bound to be forgotten Oscar morning.

127. The Natural January 15th, 2009 at 11:14 am 127

     What’s with all “The Dark Knight” delusion? It’s not that great of a picture in the first place, anyway, so I don’t see how it should have been nominated. Overlong, unnecessarily expository, talky, and dragged out, edited together in an incoherent and confusing fashion, a film that wishes to express these great “profound” messages creating ridiculous contrivances and self-aggrandizing what isn’t really there. A mess. Real films are supposed to convey things through visuals, not explaining everything to the audience in long, drawn-out scenes as Nolan has done here.

128. tmeBlog » Blog Archive » Bafta Nominations January 15th, 2009 at 11:15 am 128

     [...] See the Bafta nominations list for 2009 -> here [...]

129. Tim H January 15th, 2009 at 11:20 am 129

     Poor Poppy.

     And as for Kate Winslet splitting her votes, I don’t think that is necessarily a worry. Scarlett Johansson grabbed two of the Best Actress nominations a few years ago for Lost in Translation and The Girl With the Pearl Earring. She won for Translation.

     However, that’s where the comparison ends. Like Winslet, she also was double-nom’d by the HFPA but did not win for either. And she wasn’t nominated for either film by SAG.

     BTW, although she still has no Oscar, Kate does already have a BAFTA award (Supporting, for Sense and Sensibility).

     Finally, Stephen Daldry has done very well at the BAFTAs with Billy Elliott and The Hours. I don’t think The Reader, as much as I like it, will make it to the Oscar’s final five. I’m sure we’ll see The Dark Knight reclaim its spot on that roster.

130. Casey January 15th, 2009 at 11:25 am 130

     I am extremely HAPPY for the Changeling love, and I hope some of it leaks into the Oscar shortlist. For sure, Angelina Jolie, must and should be a lock for Oscar. She was phenomenal in the film, and has been recognized by nearly everyone! I hope she gets an Oscar nom.

     Also happy for Amy Adams, she was a high point in Doubt I thought. But sad that her co-star Viola Davis was ignored.

     Always happy for a Tilda Swinton nomination, no matter what for, because she is fantastic. Although I do think she should have been nommed for Benjamin Button (because she was terrific). But, the scene where you find out that her job is a childrens dentist, was so hilarious I am more than okay with the nomination.

131. Gareth January 15th, 2009 at 11:34 am 131

     When people are talking about BAFTA always nominating Brit actors, I agree its true most years, but only 5 of the 20 acting noms have gone to British actors, and 2 of those were for Kate Winslet!

     I think this year they have decided to share the noms out more equally… 11 Americans, 1 Indian, 1 Spaniard, 1 Australian and an Irishman…I think!

132. Tim H January 15th, 2009 at 11:36 am 132

     Granted, Tilda Swinton was very funny in Burn After Reading, but I’m still a little surprised that she earned a nomination for that rather than for her great couple of scenes in Button. Then again, given the many other surprises with this list, why am I surprised at all.

     For me, Brad Pitt was the best thing about Burn After Reading; if for any reason he doesn’t get the nomination for Button, I wouldn’t be too startled to see him get recognized for Burn…

133. jorge January 15th, 2009 at 11:37 am 133

     GO ANGIEEEEEEEEEEEEE GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YEAHHHHHHHHHHHH HER FIRST BAFTA NOMINATION EVER!!!!!!!!! GOOOOO!!!

134. Yvette January 15th, 2009 at 11:48 am 134

     At least Kate Winslet can only give 1 speech if she wins. Those speaches at the GG…..oh boy, a bit annoying even though I love her as an actress.

135. ML January 15th, 2009 at 11:52 am 135

     The Dev Patel nomination is like Daniel Radcliffe getting nominated for Potter or Elijah Wood for LOTR – there is nothing wrong with the performance, and while the whole “innocent, befuddled, blury-eyed cuteness” works well for the film, the role doesn’t have an ounce of difficulty.

136. Zach January 15th, 2009 at 11:54 am 136

     He’s totally getting nominated for Supporting, though.

137. Carlos Balbás-Espín January 15th, 2009 at 12:05 pm 137

     What’s with the lovefest for “The Reader” over the magnificent and very underrated “Revolutionary Road”? I guess the first is more British.

     But then again, seriously? All these nominations for “Changeling” and not a single one for the VERY British “Happy-Go-Lucky”?

     Oh well, I guess it truly is a mad, mad, mad, mad, mad world…

138. Alison Flynn January 15th, 2009 at 12:09 pm 138

     A double lead actress nod for Kate Winslet and an Anne Hathaway snub. Interesting. I wonder how this will bode for the Oscars – maybe Winslet will have a double nod in lead and supporting there.

     Can’t wait until the noms are announced.

139. forward2009 January 15th, 2009 at 12:11 pm 139

     I am loving the Changeling love, although some Jolie haters are going insane. LOL

140. pammy January 15th, 2009 at 12:53 pm 140

     I bet Happy go lucky didn’t apply this year as I doubt it’s come out anywhere in Europe yet.

     Very happy to see Persepolis get some love in 2 categories. It really should have been the French selection for best foriegn film at last years Oscars instead of “la vie en rose”

141. Ben January 15th, 2009 at 1:03 pm 141

     Best Nomination: Kristin Scott Thomas
     Worst Omission: Sally Hawkins

     The BAFTAs are much much better than the Oscars in recent years, with the likes of The Pianist over Chicago, Aviator over Million $ Baby, Brokeback Mountain over Crash, The Queen over The Departed and Atonement over No Country for Old Men (the last contest is the only close one, No Country is very good but overrated due to script flaws).

142. hugo January 15th, 2009 at 1:27 pm 142

     Unpleasant non BAFTA nomination, in his country, I think this perhaps many reasons, firstly desperately promote a double nomination for leading actress, then Kristin Scott Thomas is an actress beloved by the British Academy, I do not know that Angelina and the factor of “Brangelina” changelling which was well received in Britain.
     But when the British Academy wants someone he considers it and took into account Frieda Pinto and Dev Patel, their actions are considered better than Sally, not to say that Europeans did not like Happy go lucky because it was well received by the public in Berlin and winning.
     I really believe that by this evaluation in relation to Hawkins very painful and unjust and it is best to be silent BRITS members and not try to explain an unexplained reason and logic.

143. me January 15th, 2009 at 1:32 pm 143

     Brad should be removed from the best actor list and replaced with Colin or Leo. Brad was the worst thing about Benjamin.

144. me January 15th, 2009 at 1:35 pm 144

     forward2009, lmao. I love how angry Jolie makes some people. The reviews for Changeling were a lot better over there. They got it.

     I think she deserves her nod more than brad does. She carried the whole film without the help of other A lister, No cate, No tilda, no CGI etc…

145. Tia January 15th, 2009 at 1:53 pm 145

     OMG! why is the dark knight getting nominated for anything, its a horrible movie and Heath’s performance was not good. Jack Nichloson’s comedic jocker was better than Heath’s serious one. Yes, its sad that he’s not here, but that movie and his performance SUCKED! GO BENJAMIN BUTTONS!!!!!!

146. Alex January 15th, 2009 at 2:06 pm 146

     Tia…

     Can you explain why The Dark Knight and, in particular, Heath Ledger’s performance “sucked”? I really want to hear this one.

147. Carlos Balbás-Espín January 15th, 2009 at 2:27 pm 147

     Ugh… Let’s just not feed the trolls, Alex, really.

     As for all the Angelina and “Changeling” suck-ups, I’m 5 times the ‘Brangelina’ and Eastwood fan you people are. But you can’t let that get in the way: “Changeling” was middling at best and Brad in “TCCoBB” was fine, but it wasn’t that difficult a role, so get over it.

148. Casey January 15th, 2009 at 2:38 pm 148

     carlos, i respect your opinion but speak for yourself, I thought Changeling was FANTASTIC! And Angelina was fantastic in my opinion.

149. Carlos Balbás-Espín January 15th, 2009 at 2:48 pm 149

     Ehm, I am speaking for myself. Really, where was I trying to speak for you or anyone else?

     Either way, I stand by what I said: “Changeling” was middling. Even “Gran Torino” was better, and that’s not saying much. Neither of them are even in the same league as “Unforgiven”, “Million Dollar Baby” or “Letters from Iwo Jima”.

     And while Angelina was in fact good, she doesn’t particularly stand out when compared to so many other actresses this year, who were not just better than her, but plain superb: Anne Hathaway in “Rachel Getting Married”, Sally Hawkins in “Happy-Go-Lucky”, Melissa Leo in “Frozen River” or Michelle Williams in “Wendy and Lucy”.

150. me January 15th, 2009 at 3:03 pm 150

     Angelina was amazing in a mediocre film. Brad was dull- really bad in an almost amazing film. Should have been Leo playing button.

151. rachel getting oscared January 15th, 2009 at 3:24 pm 151

     This is appalling!
     No Happy-Go-Lucky?
     No Rachel?
     Dev Patel over DiCaprio? And Richard Jenkins?

     Freida Pinto?! Viola Davis did more acting in her 10 minutes of screentime than Pinto did throughout the whole movie, and probably her whole career.

     This just shows that people are really voting for the movie, rather than the category.

152. hugo January 15th, 2009 at 3:39 pm 152

     ALL THESE NOMINATIONS Obey ADVERTISING ONE THING IS LIKE SOMEONE SAID IN A COMMENT TOO DOUBLE NOMINATION IN BEST ACTRESS IN A YEAR AS COMPETITIVE AND CHARACTER OF THE WINSLET IN READER is original SECONDARY, THE NOMINATION OF DEV PATEL? LEONARDO WAS MUCH BETTER.
     ANGELINA QHE, Anne Hathaway SALLY HAWKINS AND WERE BETTER AND SHE DOES NOT RESPECT TO SALLY He was nominated because they are more people shopping Brangelina BETTER AS A DOUBLE NOMINATION more striking.
     THIS IS A shameful for THIS YEAR “AWARDS”

153. jorge January 15th, 2009 at 3:43 pm 153

     get a life hugo and dont hate angelina or brad just for the personal life,get over it, and my bad shitty sally

154. arte January 15th, 2009 at 3:53 pm 154

     pitt is perfect,fantastic.
     di caprio non good for playing benjamin button

155. Ard January 15th, 2009 at 3:55 pm 155

     What all these posts indicate is that it was a VERY diverse year, with a lot of plausible contenders but no glaringly obvious ones. Inevitably a lot of loved ones will be excluded from the nominations, which just represents a poll of couple of thousand reasonably well-informed people with some connection to the film industry.
     So there’s no point objecting. The question is – what do we learn? Brits were more irritated than charmed by Sally Hawkins and Happy-Go-Lucky. To many British eyes, the film was one long false note. I’m more surprised Eddie Marsan didn’t get nommed than Sally. He was the only real thing in the movie.
     Rachel Getting Married – ugh, unbearable to British sensibilities.
     Dark Knight – lots of tech skill, but really not all that, overall. I don’t think Brit critics or industry people bought the hype as much as the Americans did. I guess Heath will win supporting, but I don’t think he’s as much a lock as he is for Oscar.
     Mamma Mia – not art, but outrageous entertainment, and a very British achievement that Bafta folks needed to recognize in some form. But it won’t win anything.
     Everyone is right about the mad nods for Patel and Pinto. I loved Slumdog, for all its artfully disguised cheesiness, but I couldn’t vote for them. But it proves Slumdog will win best film.
     It’s just a shame Waltz with Bashir won’t beat WALL-E for animation. The animation chapter didn’t vote for it, it got a nomination on the general membership vote, but it’s the chapter that decides the winner. You gotta understand how the complicated Bafta voting system works.
     Of course Man on Wire and Hunger were greater than much of the Oscar bait on this list (Reader, Doubt, Rev Road, Changeling). But the Bafta membership is a broad church with multiplex tastes (a quarter of the voters are in the US, too), and stuff which has only connected with a rarified audience never gets through.
     And yet, to contradict myself, the love for I’ve Loved You So Long shows that Bafta is quite discerning, though only in this case because the film starred an actress we adore, Ms Scott Thomas.
     Brit love is an erratic thing, though. Notice the Cruz nomination ahead of Rampling, Dench, Walters, Hall, Thompson, who were all on the longlist.
     And look, why does everyone talk about Downey in Tropic Thunder, and not Cruise, who was at least equally brilliant? It’s cos of we loved Iron Man, of course, but couldn’t admit it.
     I’m just glad we all care so much about this stuff.

156. Jenny January 15th, 2009 at 3:58 pm 156

     di Caprio is a bad actor,revolutionay road is kate winslet show,
     kate the great,leo the mediocre…

157. Rose January 15th, 2009 at 4:17 pm 157

     I thought that all those who wrote their opinions were balanced and that people cast their opinions freely whatever it was, but who is this mad ¿? who told an actress shit, poor fan.
     Resentful.

158. moviegoer09 January 15th, 2009 at 4:23 pm 158

     Well at least someone knows that “Changeling” was truly a GREAT FILM and one of the best five of the year. Now lets see if the OSCAR academy has as much astute thinking as the Brits.

159. mouhamd January 15th, 2009 at 4:32 pm 159

     intersting for brad he deserve the nomination and sure for the amazing film curious case of benjamen button

160. Mary January 15th, 2009 at 4:41 pm 160

     Why is Benjamin Button getting so much love? That movie has more flaws than all these movies combined. Benjamin Button was a terrible film. Cate Blanchet in old person make-up acting like an old lady was one of the worst performances i’ve ever seen. And the movie was just a bore fest.

161. Mary January 15th, 2009 at 4:47 pm 161

     All you Dark Knight fans: For a movie to get nominated for best picture it has to have more than a billion dollar gross, more than a great supporting performance, more than great cinematography, more than great technical quality – it has to be good!

162. Mary January 15th, 2009 at 4:49 pm 162

     Kate Winslet getting naked.

     + Leonardo DiCaprio acting badly

     = Nominations

163. Carlos Balbás-Espín January 15th, 2009 at 5:03 pm 163

     Ard, seriously man, you lost whatever little credibility you might have had. You trash “Happy-Go-Lucky” as a “long, false note” AND hail Tom Cruise’s cameo in “Tropic Thunder” as “at least equally brilliant” as Robert Downey Jr.’s performance? What a joke.

     The “Changeling”, Angelina and Brad suck-ups in this site can be easily explained: these two are THE most popular actors in the whole world. Of course they’re going to have diehard fans (jorge, moviegoer09) who don’t know the first thing about what filmmaking or acting means and still stick up for them, no matter what. That’s all.

     That being said, Brad was excelent in “Burn After Reading”, MILES better than he was in “Benjamin Button” (my third favorite film of the year, BTW), and that’s only because Benjamin Button is not a difficult, demanding role at all, for which he doesn’t deserve to get nominations and/or awards over more deserving actors like Leo in “Revolutionary Road” or Richard Jenkins in “The Visitor”.

     Moreover, Angelina absolutely deserved an Academy Award nomination last year for “A Mighty Heart”, but Cate Blanchett, Brad’s costar in “Benjamin Button”, got in instead for her great performance in the mediocre “Elizabeth: The Golden Age”. Now, it’s very possible that she might do the same and steal a spot in the Best Actress Oscar lineup from some other actress who was simply better than her.

164. Nick January 15th, 2009 at 5:09 pm 164

     Hey Mary, “The Dark Knight” is good.

     Deal with it.

     And Carlos, I totally agree with you about Benjamin Banal. Pitt does not deserve to get nominated over someone like Richard Jenkins. If we lived in a perfect world, both Pitt and John Malkovich would be nominated for ‘Burn after Reading’.

165. Carlos Balbás-Espín January 15th, 2009 at 5:54 pm 165

     Thanks Nick, but I actually loved “Benjamin Button” as a film (again, my third favorite of the year), which apparently you didn’t, LOL.

     I just don’t think Pitt should be getting all these nominations and awards for it, because while he was as great as the part allowed him to be, it’s not a difficult role. In other words, he couldn’t have been any better than he was simply because that’s the way the story needed him, but there are actors in other films, like the ones I mentioned, that had more difficult parts and also delivered.

     Mary, you managed to trash my three favorite films (in order of preference: “Revolutionary Road”, “TCCoBB”, “The Dark Knight”) of the year (after the brilliant “Synecdoche, New York”, that is) in a row. So please, enlighten me, what were your favorites and, therefore, deem Oscar-worthy?

166. The Natural January 15th, 2009 at 6:01 pm 166

     Who’s to judge the “difficulty” of a role? That seems awfully silly. Pitt gave a beautiful, nuanced, extremely affecting performance in “Benjamin Button,” and whether it was difficult or not has nothing to do with it. As quiet, subdued, and mostly observant of a character as Benjamin Button is, Pitt pulled it off with wonderful conviction.

167. Carlos Balbás-Espín January 15th, 2009 at 6:19 pm 167

     The Natural says: “Who’s to judge the “difficulty” of a role? That seems awfully silly.”

     LOL!!! Really? Well, let’s just give awards to every actor who gives a somewhat good performance in every film ever made then, shall we? After all, they’re all in the same level! LOL!!!!!!!!!!

168. CindyLooWho January 15th, 2009 at 6:37 pm 168

     These BAFTA nominations make me want to BARF!!! (Sorry, I couldn’t resist.)

     I’m not a “The Dark Knight” fan, but the movie deserved plenty more tech nominations.

     Best Actor is a joke. Patel over DiCaprio, Jenkins and Farrell? WTF!

     Pitt gets two nominations? Maybe for “Burn,” but I can’t understand the love for him in “Button.” Medicre performance at best.

     Where’s Hathaway and Hawkins? Christ, Hawkins is British. You’d think the Brits would nominate one of their own!

     The love for “The Changeling” is beyond my comprehension.

     I thought the British had better taste than this.

     P.S. Mary, Winslet does not get naked in “Revolutionary Road” and DiCaprio’s performance is phenomenal.

169. Julianna January 15th, 2009 at 6:59 pm 169

     It’s a nice list, though a few things popped out to me (naturally) immediately.

     First of all… no In Bruges for feature debut? That’s quite an accomplishment.

     Second… much too little Hunger and Happy-Go-Lucky – they deserve more nominations especially in Britain for crying out loud.

     Third… poor Ralph Fiennes. Never wins anything, and he’s such a talented actor. He’s got three roles up this year that can be nominated for “supporting actor”… and everytime they DO nominate him he is BOUND to lose to Heath Ledger (who, don’t get me wrong, was also a fine actor). And now in his own country he doesn’t even get nominated? That’s just cold, man.

170. The Natural January 15th, 2009 at 7:26 pm 170

     ***LOL!!! Really? Well, let’s just give awards to every actor who gives a somewhat good performance in every film ever made then, shall we? After all, they’re all in the same level! LOL!!!!!!!!!!***

     Uh… what? We’re judging the outcome of an actor’s performance, the final result, as in – what we see in the film. What happened behind that and what it took to get there is something I couldn’t care less about; it could be a walk in the park for the actor, but as long as that final result is knock-it-out-the-park spectacular, that’s all that matters.

171. Oh no January 15th, 2009 at 7:55 pm 171

     Worst. Bafta. Ever.

172. Carlos Balbás-Espín January 15th, 2009 at 8:29 pm 172

     @The Natural:

     Ah, whatever. You just don’t get it.

173. valentin January 16th, 2009 at 1:19 am 173

     Where is Hathaway,Hawkins and Davis?Sucks…Where is the love for Happy-Go-Lucky?Lots of love for Changeling…

174. Why so Serious RRA? January 16th, 2009 at 1:27 am 174

     Carlos Balbás-Espín – It’s ironic how you are acting EXACTLY like the people you absolutely despise.

     “You just don’t get it.”

     Whatever, I at least “got” I WANT TO BELIEVE. Me and all 3 other people. *Sticks Tongue Out*

175. lingling January 16th, 2009 at 5:00 am 175

     I think it will get tuff for Sally Hawkins next thursday. Hmm, the one Winslet nomination will surely get to Anne Hathaway, and the european members of the academy will almost certainly vote for Kristin Scott Thomas.

     Remember, she won the European Film Award this november over Sally Hawkins, which shows us the Europeans indeed favour her more than Hawkins. (the award is given by members of the European film academy, whose members are also partly members of the AMPAS). And winner of this awards almost always get an academy nomination.(Cruz, Mirren, Staunton, Binoche, etc.)

     And it is true she won the Silver Bear, but afterwards there was a real discussion in the German press that the price at leasst should have been divided between her and Scott Thomas. The press and critics slowley turned against Happy-Go-Lucky in Europe during the year. So really, in Europe (and I live there) Poppy is not that celebrated as in America.

     Don’t get me wrong, I loved Happy-Go-Lucky and Sally Hawkins, but Scott Thomas deserves the nomination also. So we will see next Thursday. Best actress race is very interesting this year, this is for sure.

176. Tom January 16th, 2009 at 5:08 am 176

     The Baftas are fun to watch, they often follow no awards trend. So it could be anyone on that stage

177. Susan January 16th, 2009 at 11:57 am 177

     what! no HATHAWAY??
     I still think Anne Hathaway is the best actress of the year.
     ugh enough with Winslet, enough with her bad speech at GG.
     she’s so overrated this year.
     put Freida Pinto in best actress category is also ridiculous.

178. marypop January 16th, 2009 at 2:56 pm 178

     Could someone give a pointer to a good review of Button on this site? (the film, not the performances.) I’ve been trying to find something to help me understand what people love about it, but can’t really find anything substantive except people saying how they loved it and that it was a great film. I’m looking for a little more than that from this group.

179. Tia January 17th, 2009 at 10:00 am 179

     well Alex, the dark knight sucked because christan Bale’s voice was unbareable. Heath looked like a bum, his performance was not as great as people are pretending it was. it the film community wanted to give him an award they should have gave him one for…opps i forgot he hadn’t done anything worthy before his untimely death. oh well to late now. the only awards the dark knight should win are in the special effects department, or Aaron eckhart as two face and he only deserves it for his speech right before he fell to his death. that movie is crap, and if heath had not passed, everybody would be agreeing with me.

180. Carlos Balbás-Espín January 17th, 2009 at 10:24 am 180

     Tia, it’s pretty obvious you don’t know the first thing about filmmaking or acting so when you go around saying stuff like “…Heath… (’s) performance was not as great as people are pretending it was…”, or “…they should have gave him (an award) for…opps i forgot he hadn’t done anything worthy before his untimely death. oh well to late now.” or “that movie is crap, and if heath had not passed, everybody would be agreeing with me.”, you only make yourself look bad.

     Check out “Brokeback Mountain” and “I’m Not There” and then come back.

181. AfriKa January 18th, 2009 at 12:45 pm 181

     I don’t care much about the BAFTAs but Kate better win. I am not a big fan of Penelope’s overrated acting style which in my opinion is one-dimensional. She shines better in Spanish-speaking movies. She might win at the BAFTAS but I do hope Viola Davis wins the oscars. Penelope doesn’t even come close to Viola’s league…not even close.