The Baftas are on tonight! And I feel a little bit warmer towards them than I do the Oscars (I will explain my reasoning next week), so here’s a quick round-up of nominations. I’ve selected in Pink who MIGHT win and GREEN for who I would like to win because it’s all about me and my wants and desires! Small disclaimer: I won’t watch the Baftas, just as I don’t watch The Oscars as they make me uncomfortable to watch…and there’s no wine for when I inevitably get bored or to stave off the growing feeling as I watch that I have to get up in the morning because some of us work and are old and cranky and don’t have time for this shit! I will, however, update whether or not my predictions were spot on or total hogwash (probably the latter). So without further ado:

BEST FILM:
The Big Short
Bridge of Spies
Carol
The Revenant
Spotlight

While THE REVENANT looks spectacular, it is just that – spectacle. There was something fundamentally missing from the film and that was a soul. I felt like I was watching the Ultimate Race but set back in the day, with the exception of that famed bear attack, I could have taken or left the film. The commitment from Leo is obvious…and so is that thirst for an Oscar! The final shot of the film says it all…

OUTSTANDING BRITISH BEST FILM:
45 Years The Lobster
Amy
The Danish Girl
Ex Machina
Brooklyn

A genuine highlight of the festival BROOKLYN is simply a joy anchored by an extraordinary central performance from Saoirse Ronan. However, everyone appears to be in love with Eddie Redmayne and his weird mouth so his popularity might swing the vote. Also AMY has been on fire becoming one of the most successful documentaries of all time. I might have personally had issues with the film (SENNA is better in my opinion), but it seems Asif Kapadia can do no wrong. If BROOKLYN were not to win, I’d be happy for 45Years to nab it, even if a certain someone has a problem with too many of a certain kind of people being in the industry.

LEADING ACTOR:
Michael Fassbender – Steve Jobs
Bryan Cranston – Trumbo
Matt Damon – The Martian
Leonardo DiCaprio – The Revenant
Eddie Redmayne – The Danish Girl

This one will go to Leo so there’s no further point in discussing  this. Although I will say that I don’t love Steve Jobs (at all really) but I did love Fassbender and it would be nice for him to  get recognition. He’s becoming the new Leo – no one will look at him until he fights a bear and eats some meat – sushi-style.

LEADING ACTRESS:
Brie Larson – Room
Cate Blanchett – Carol
Alicia Vikander – The Danish Girl
Saoirse Ronan – Brooklyn
Maggie Smith – The Lady in the Van

Ronan’s performance in BROOKLYN single-handely exalted a film that could have easily been schmaltzy sentimentalism, into a gripping, honest, yes a little sentimental but more importantly a relatable tale of a young girl’s experience of overcoming sickness and finding love and home. But this is Larson moment and while I very much like her work, SHORT TERM 12 in particular and liked her well enough in ROOM, the film itself had its problems which especially in the second does Larson a bit of a disservice especially to her compelling work in the first half.

SUPPORTING ACTOR:
Mark Rylance – Bridge of SpiesChristian Bale – The Big Short
Benicio Del Toro – Sicario
Idris Elba – Beasts of No Nation
Mark Ruffalo – Spotlight

I may be in agreement with the Baftas if they are following the buzz of Ruffalo but Rylance too has been lauded for his work in BRIDGE OF SPIES and it doesn’t hurt that he’s a respected British character actor…

SUPPORTING ACTRESS:
Jennifer Jason Leigh – The Hateful Eight
Kate Winslet – Steve Jobs
Rooney Mara – Carol
Alicia Vikander – Ex Machina
Julie Walters – Brooklyn

I’ve already stated that I was mesmerized by Rooney Mara’s transformation in CAROL but because Winslet has won out already at the Golden Globes AND she’s British, she might snatch this one (although I was baffled by how her Polish accent in STEVE JOBS appeared to get stronger the more years she spent in the States. And was it Polish? It’s the same accent she uses in TRIPLE 9 as a Russian matriarch – it’s what I like to call the General Eastern Over There accent.

DIRECTOR:
Adam McKay – The Big Short
Steven Spielberg – Bridge of Spies
Todd Haynes – Carol
Ridley Scott – The Martian
Alejandro G. Inarritu – The Revenant

For all my issues with THE REVENANT, there’s some masterful direction. But my heart still belongs to Todd Haynes (it does in general) and his work on CAROL.

FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE:
The AssassinForce Majeure
Theeb
Timbuktu
Wild Tales

I genuinely like all the nominations for this year’s Foreign Language category and it’s nice that the Baftas is recognising the wonderful THE ASSASSIN whereas the Oscars didn’t. However, my big love this year is TIMBUKTU (also because I have a mad crush on Abderrahmane Sissako – he the thinking woman’s Denzel!) and I sincerely hope it wins.

DOCUMENTARY:
Amy
He Named Me Malala
Listen To Me Marlon
Cartel Land
Sherpa

This one is a given – not only because of the aforementioned runaway success of AMY but also because with the exception of SHERPA and somewhat CARTEL LAND, the rest of the documentaries aren’t great – LISTEN TO ME MARLON has its qualities but feels as if the director was restricted in what he was allowed to include and I’ve heard less than stellar things about MALALA (the doc not the young lady).

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY:
Room
Carol
The Big Short
Steve Jobs
Brooklyn
I wouldn’t be so sad if BROOKLYN won.

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY:
Ex Machina
Bridge of Spies
Inside Out
The Hateful Eight
Spotlight

SPOTLIGHT for the win please! Although I’d love for Bafta to go Keerraaazzy and go for a real outsider – a kid’s movie – INSIDE OUT!

Other Award notes:
I would like to see John Boyega repping it for Lundun in the EE Rising Star Award but I suspect it will go to Brie Larson. CAROL should win for make up, costume and production design because I’ve decided it should win all the awards however it’ll probably go to THE DANISH GIRL and STAR WARS/MAD MAX respectively. INSIDE OUT for Best Animated Feature, MAD MAX for Special Effects and Sound, HATEFUL EIGHT for Original Music (I suppose because CAROL IS MISSING FROM THIS AND I DO NOT KNOW WHY) THE BIG SHORT for editing and finally because I have been distributing them and seen them my thoughts on BAFTA SHORTS:

BEST SHORT ANIMATION:
EdmondManoman
Prologue

All three are astoundingly brutal in different ways but while I probably enjoyed MANOMAN initially for the black humour, EDMOND had more of a lasting effect.

BAFTA BRITISH SHORT FILM:Elephant
Mining Poems or Odes
Operator
Over
Samuel – 613

it was  a real toss between OVER and MINING POEMS OR ODES but OVER has a very unconventional narrative structure that will stick with you long after watching. MINING is pure poetry that I wouldn’t be surprised if it won but I’m sticking to my choice of OVER.

There it is folks! A “quick” rundown of my thoughts (only took an hour). The BAFTAS 2016 will take place tonight at 9pm on BBC1. Enjoy (and good luck) if you’re going to tune in and remember to come back so you can have a good chuckle at how misguided my predictions were.

NEXT WEEK:
Why I’m not into the Oscars this year (and it’s not entirely for the reasons you’d think)