The BAFTA Nominees...

[The Ü™]

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts announced the nominees today.

Which ones should win? More importantly, which film should win for Best Visual Effects?


Best Film
-- THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON -- Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall, Cean Chaffin
-- FROST/NIXON -- Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Brian Grazer, Ron Howard
-- MILK -- Dan Jinks, Bruce Cohen
-- THE READER -- Anthony Minghella, Sydney Pollack, Donna Gigliotti, Redmond Morris
-- SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE -- Christian Colson

Outstanding British Film
-- HUNGER -- Laura Hastings-Smith, Robin Gutch, Steve McQueen, Enda Walsh
-- IN BRUGES -- Graham Broadbent, Pete Czernin, Martin McDonagh
-- MAMMA MIA! -- Judy Craymer, Gary Goetzman, Phyllida Lloyd, Catherine Johnson
-- MAN ON WIRE -- Simon Chinn, James Marsh
-- SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE -- Christian Colson, Danny Boyle, Simon Beaufoy

The Carl Foreman Award
For Special Achievement by a British Director, Writer or Producer for their First Feature Film
-- Simon Chinn (Producer) -- MAN ON WIRE
-- Judy Craymer (Producer) -- MAMMA MIA!
-- Garth Jennings (Writer) -- SON OF RAMBOW
-- Steve McQueen (Director/Writer) -- HUNGER
-- Solon Papadopoulos, Roy Boulter (Producers) -- OF TIME AND THE CITY

Director
-- CHANGELING -- Clint Eastwood
-- THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON -- David Fincher
-- FROST/NIXON -- Ron Howard
-- THE READER -- Stephen Daldry
-- SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE -- Danny Boyle

Original Screenplay
-- BURN AFTER READING -- Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
-- CHANGELING -- J. Michael Straczynski
-- I'VE LOVED YOU SO LONG -- Philippe Claudel
-- IN BRUGES -- Martin McDonagh
-- MILK -- Dustin Lance Black

Adapted Screenplay
-- THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON -- Eric Roth
-- FROST/NIXON -- Peter Morgan
-- THE READER -- David Hare
-- REVOLUTIONARY ROAD -- Justin Haythe
-- SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE -- Simon Beaufoy

Film Not In The English Language
-- THE BAADER MEINHOF COMPLEX -- Bernard Eichinger, Uli Edel
-- GOMORRAH -- Domenico Procacci, Matteo Garrone
-- I'VE LOVED YOU SO LONG -- Yves Marmion, Philippe Claudel
-- PERSEPOLIS -- Marc-Antoine Robert, Xavier Rigault, Marjane Satrapi, Vincent Parannaud
-- WALTZ WITH BASHIR -- Serge Lalou, Gerhard Meixner, Yael Nahl Ieli, Ari Folman

Animated Film
-- PERSEPOLIS -- Marjane Satrapi, Vincent Parannaud
-- WALL-E -- Andrew Stanton
-- WALTZ WITH BASHIR -- Ari Folman

Leading Actor
-- Frank Langella -- FROST/NIXON
-- Dev Patel -- SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
-- Sean Penn -- MILK
-- Brad Pitt -- THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
-- Mickey Rourke -- THE WRESTLER

Leading Actress
-- Angelina Jolie -- CHANGELING
-- Kristin Scott Thomas -- I'VE LOVED YOU SO LONG
-- Meryl Streep -- DOUBT
-- Kate Winslet -- THE READER
-- Kate Winslet -- REVOLUTIONARY ROAD

Supporting Actor
-- Robert Downey Jr. -- TROPIC THUNDER
-- Brendan Gleeson -- IN BRUGES
-- Philip Seymour Hoffman -- DOUBT
-- Heath Ledger -- THE DARK KNIGHT
-- Brad Pitt -- BURN AFTER READING

Supporting Actress
-- Amy Adams -- DOUBT
-- Penelope Cruz -- VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA
-- Freida Pinto -- SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
-- Tilda Swinton -- BURN AFTER READING
-- Marisa Tomei -- THE WRESTLER

Music
-- THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON -- Alexandre Desplat
-- THE DARK KNIGHT -- Hans Zimmer, James Newton Howard
-- MAMMA MIA! -- Benny Andersson, Bjorn Ulvaeus
-- SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE -- A. R. Rahman
-- WALL-E -- Thomas Newman

Cinematography
-- CHANGELING -- Tom Stern
-- THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON -- Claudio Miranda
-- THE DARK KNIGHT -- Wally Pfister
-- THE READER -- Chris Menges, Roger Deakins
-- SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE -- Anthony Dod Mantle

Editing
-- CHANGELING -- Joel Cox, Gary D. Roach
-- THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON -- Kirk Baxter, Angus Wall
-- THE DARK KNIGHT -- Lee Smith
-- FROST/NIXON -- Mike Hill, Dan Hanley
-- IN BRUGES -- Jon Gregory
-- SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE -- Chris Dickens
(As there was a tie in this category there are six nominations)

Production Design
-- CHANGELING -- James J. Murakami, Gary Fettis
-- THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON -- Donald Graham Burt, Victor J. Zolfo
-- THE DARK KNIGHT -- Nathan Crowley, Peter Lando
-- REVOLUTIONARY ROAD -- Kristi Zea, Debra Schutt
-- SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE -- Mark Digby, Michelle Day

Costume Design
-- CHANGELING -- Deborah Hopper
-- THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON -- Jacqueline West
-- THE DARK KNIGHT -- Lindy Hemming
-- THE DUCHESS -- Michael O'Connor
-- REVOLUTIONARY ROAD -- Albert Wolsky

Sound
-- CHANGELING -- Walt Martin, Alan Robert Murray, John Reitz, Gregg Rudloff
-- THE DARK KNIGHT -- Lora Hirschberg, Richard King, Ed Novick, Gary Rizzo
-- QUANTUM OF SOLACE -- Jimmy Boyle, Eddy Joseph, Chris Munro, Mike Prestwood Smith, Mark Taylor
-- SLUMDOG MILLIONARE -- Glenn Freemantle, Resul Pookutty, Richard Pryke, Tom Sayers, Ian Tapp
-- WALL-E -- Ben Burtt, Tom Myers, Michael Semanick, Matthew Wood

Special Visual Effects
-- THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON -- Eric Barba, Craig Barron, Nathan McGuinness, Edson Williams
-- THE DARK KNIGHT -- Chris Corbould, Nick Davis, Paul Franklin, Tim Webber
-- INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL -- Pablo Helman
-- IRON MAN -- Shane Patrick Mahan, John Nelson, Ben Snow
-- QUANTUM OF SOLACE -- Chris Corbould, Kevin Tod Haug

Make Up & Hair
-- THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON -- Jean Black, Colleen Callaghan
-- THE DARK KNIGHT -- Peter Robb-King
-- THE DUCHESS -- Daniel Phillips, Jan Archibald
-- FROST/NIXON -- Edouard Henriques, Kim Santantonio
-- MILK -- Steven E. Anderson, Michael White

Short Animation
-- CODSWALLOP -- Greg McLeod, Myles McLeod
-- VARMINTS -- Sue Goffe, Marc Craste
-- WALLACE AND GROMIT: A MATTER OF LOAF AND DEATH -- Steve Pegram, Nick Park, Bob Baker

Short Film
-- KINGSLAND #1 THE DREAMER -- Kate Ogborn, Tony Grisoni
-- LOVE YOU MORE -- Caroline Harvey, Sam Taylor-Wood, Patrick Marber
-- RALPH -- Olivier Kaempfer, Alex Winckler
--- SEPTEMBER -- Stewart le Marechal, Esther May Campbell
-- VOYAGE D'AFFAIRES (THE BUSINESS TRIP) -- Celine Quideau, Sean Ellis

The Orange Rising Star Award
-- Michael Cera
-- Noel Clarke
-- Michael Fassbender
-- Rebecca Hall
-- Toby Kebbell

 

[Jack Flak]

Times like this, I wish I'd seen more movies. I hardly watch anything under 7.5 at IMDB, which I've found to be the most reliable standard.

I hope Man on Wire doesn't win, they could hardly have done a worse job making the movie with the great story already in existence.

 

[EffEmDoubleyou]

Why don't the Brits seem to understand that "Mamma Mia!" is a steaming pile?

 

[Moiety]

Hope Slumdog Millionaire and In Bruges get at least one each.

Times like this, I wish I'd seen more movies. I hardly watch anything under 7.5 at IMDB, which I've found to be the most reliable standard.

You're missing out.

 

[Jack Flak]

I saw In Bruges three times, I think, love that one. I mean to see Slumdog Millionaire.

 

[Moiety]

Well I only saw In Bruges (which I also loved, and actually saw it a two times myself). Slumdog Millionaire is on my list but I'm a big Danny Boyle fan (The Beach being my only disappointment) and I'm sure it's something special. Besides, I've heard great things about it.



Btw, don't the brits have the balls to nominate The Dark Knight for best movie or what? I mean, it's not like it's a matter of taste or anything...

 

[The Ü™]

And here are the seven movies up for the Visual Effects Oscar contenders, three of which will be selected for the final nominees:

• Australia
• The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
• The Dark Knight
• Hellboy II: The Golden Army
• Iron Man
• Journey to the Center of the Earth
• The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor

Man, this is nearly the exact opposite of what I was expecting.

I was shocked by The Mummy 3 making it in the list, although the effects were most definitely an improvement over The Mummy Returns. But they still weren't anything that special -- they've been done before.

A bit shocked that Indiana Jones didn't make it. Not that the effects were anything revolutionary, but I figured they'd just select it because, well, it's Indiana Jones.

But anyway, I predict the three nominees will be:

• The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
• The Dark Knight
• Iron Man

I wonder how accurate these predictions will be...