BAFTA Nominations
The BAFTA nods have arrived offering us a few mild surprises. Or rather, let's be fair, enough mild surprises that their lineups may well end the season feeling slightly unique to them this year which is its own reward in a way given how predictable the winners are this year. Plus, it's nice when a film has been honored everywhere to see the continually snubbed finally get an opportunity to walk the red carpet as a nominee; Congratulations Julianne Moore and Barbara Hershey!
They've also gotten solidly behind 127 Hours which has been struggling buzz-wise and with the American guilds.
BEST FILM
BLACK SWAN - Mike Medavoy, Brian Oliver, Scott Franklin
INCEPTION - Emma Thomas, Christopher Nolan
THE KING’S SPEECH - Iain Canning, Emile Sherman, Gareth Unwin
THE SOCIAL NETWORK - Scott Rudin, Dana Brunetti, Michael De Luca, Céan Chaffin
TRUE GRIT - Scott Rudin, Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM
127 HOURS - Danny Boyle, Simon Beaufoy, Christian Colson, John Smithson
ANOTHER YEAR - Mike Leigh, Georgina Lowe
FOUR LIONS - Chris Morris, Jesse Armstrong, Sam Bain, Mark Herbert, Derrin Schlesinger
THE KING’S SPEECH - Tom Hooper, David Seidler, Iain Canning, Emile Sherman, Gareth Unwin
MADE IN DAGENHAM - Nigel Cole, William Ivory, Elizabeth Karlsen, Stephen Woolley
It'll win something. Since The King's Speech is in both categories, you can assume it's going to win British Film, freeing them up to be Oscar predictive in the other. Has a film ever won both prizes from BAFTA? I'm too busy to check. *CHECK THE COMMENTS FOR VALUABLE NOTES ON THIS. Perhaps The King's Speech will obviously lose.
Surprise? Maybe you don't think True Grit is a surprise as one of only 5 nominated "best films" but I do. The Western is such an American genre
FULL LIST OF NOMINEES with commentary after the jump
OUTSTANDING DEBUT BY A BRITISH WRITER, DIRECTOR OR PRODUCER
THE ARBOR - Director, Producer - Clio Barnard, Tracy O’Riordan
EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP - Director, Producer – Banksy, Jaimie D’Cruz
FOUR LIONS - Director/Writer - Chris Morris
MONSTERS - Director/Writer – Gareth Edwards
SKELETONS - Director/Writer – Nick Whitfield
DIRECTOR
127 HOURS - Danny Boyle
BLACK SWAN - Darren Aronofsky
INCEPTION - Christopher Nolan
THE KING’S SPEECH - Tom Hooper
THE SOCIAL NETWORK - David Fincher
Surprise? Danny Boyle muscles out The Coen Bros (if you're viewing Best Film and Best Picture and Not Outstanding British Film as Best Picture. So the British snub here is the perennial wonder of Mike Leigh, one of the most important filmmakers in the world. I haven't logged any time in London but maybe he's in a Spain/Almodóvar situation wherein they feel he gets enough attention elsewhere?
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
BLACK SWAN - Mark Heyman, Andrés Heinz, John McLaughlin
THE FIGHTER - Scott Silver, Paul Tamasy, Eric Johnson
INCEPTION - Christopher Nolan
THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT - Lisa Cholodenko, Stuart Blumberg
THE KING’S SPEECH - David Seidler
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
127 HOURS - Danny Boyle, Simon Beaufoy
THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO - Rasmus Heisterberg, Nikolaj Arcel
THE SOCIAL NETWORK - Aaron Sorkin
TOY STORY 3 - Michael Arndt
TRUE GRIT - Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
No Longer a Surprise but I have to admit continued shock that Black Swan has sailed through to Screenplay nominations left and right. I've been as obsessed as anyone and I've actually met one of the screenwriters (nice guy) but it never struck me as a "writer's film" in any of the ways in which films are sometimes regarded as such. So I remain bewildered at how nothing more typically writerly -- like Another Year or Blue Valentine or in BAFTA's particular case Four Lions has been able to muscle it out. Will it really be Oscar nominated here despite being such a plainly auteurist work? Don't they usually prefer the auteurist films in screenplay when it's a the auteur in question did the writing?
As Horrifying As Serial Killings Um... The Dragon Tattoo screenplay over Winter's Bone and Rabbit Hole? Nathaniel wept.
FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
BIUTIFUL - Alejandro González Iñárritu, Jon Kilik, Fernando Bovaira
THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO - Søren Stærmose, Niels Arden Oplev
I AM LOVE - Luca Guadagnino, Francesco Melzi D’Eril, Marco Morabito, Massimiliano Violante
OF GODS AND MEN - Xavier Beauvois
THE SECRET IN THEIR EYES - Mariela Besuievsky, Juan José Campanella
Well... Go I Am Love! Not that I'm under any delusion that it can win given the global phenomenon of those Scandinavian serial killer novels or the possibility that they may want to predict the Oscar (i.e. Mexico vs. France)
ANIMATED FILM
DESPICABLE ME - Chris Renaud, Pierre Coffin
HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON - Chris Sanders, Dean DeBlois
TOY STORY 3 - Lee Unkrich
Surprise I'm starting to get really worried that Despicable Me is going to be the third nominee at the Oscars. We just keep hearing the title intoned. I think those minions are as cute as anyone does but I am more concerned with whole films being honored in best film categories. I really am hoping The Illusionist or Tangled (which also got the PGA snub here ) can pull it off. Despicable is amusing but it's a little bit confusing as something that could pull #1 votes.
Or maybe you feel differently?
LEADING ACTOR
JAVIER BARDEM - Biutiful
JEFF BRIDGES - True Grit
JESSE EISENBERG - The Social Network
COLIN FIRTH - The King’s Speech
JAMES FRANCO - 127 Hours
Javier Bardem has been struggling to get traction. Does he finally have it? The Oscar actor race still feels surprisingly volatile. Will it be Duvall, Gosling or Bardem in that fifth spot?
LEADING ACTRESS
ANNETTE BENING - The Kids Are All Right
JULIANNE MOORE - The Kids Are All Right
NATALIE PORTMAN - Black Swan
NOOMI RAPACE - The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
HAILEE STEINFELD - True Grit
In both actress categories the results are presumably far different than Oscar's shortlist will be. Frontrunners Portman and Bening are still there but otherwise it's a list of 5th slot hopefuls for Oscar's eventual shortlist in the form of Rapace, Steinfeld & Moore any of whom could make it IF Michelle Williams is not as strong as we presume, Manville's category confusion and lack of precursor attention doesn't signal doom, and -- this is the part we worry about -- if Nicole Kidman is snubbed for a film that just doesn't seem to be catching on despite real quality.
Time for a Poll? Methinks so, yes.
SUPPORTING ACTOR
CHRISTIAN BALE - The Fighter
ANDREW GARFIELD - The Social Network
PETE POSTLETHWAITE - The Town
MARK RUFFALO - The Kids Are All Right
GEOFFREY RUSH - The King’s Speech
Here we see the recently departed Pete Postlethwaite (RIP) taking The Town spot usually reserved for Jeremy Renner. Bale probably has this sewn up being both British AND the Oscar frontrunner unless they want to reward Aussie Rush for shepherding The King's Speech into the world.
SUPPORTING ACTRESS
AMY ADAMS - The Fighter
HELENA BONHAM CARTER - The King’s Speech
BARBARA HERSHEY - Black Swan
LESLEY MANVILLE - Another Year
MIRANDA RICHARDSON - Made in Dagenham
This is getting dangerous! All this thinking for themselves. I kid, I kid. I would have preferred to see Rosamund Pike here than Richardson for the sadly undervalued Made in Dagenham (it's really quite entertaining and the actresses are bliss) but why complain. Especially when Barbara Hershey is finally in the mix for hand feeding Natalie Portman.
Snubbed: Oscar frontrunner Melissa Leo is nowhere in evidence.
ORIGINAL MUSIC
127 HOURS - AR Rahman
ALICE IN WONDERLAND - Danny Elfman
HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON - John Powell
INCEPTION - Hans Zimmer
THE KING’S SPEECH - Alexandre Desplat
Look, Danny Elfman has given us a lot of joy over the years in darkened movie houses. So much joy that we hate to diss him. People pay him homage (rip him off depending on your point of view) all the time -- hear the Catwoman theme in Dexter's gorgeously creepy main titles? -- with good reason. But ANYONE responsible for that soul-crushing (the cinema is dead!) 'funderwhacking' dance moment in Earsore in Wonderland (i.e. Burton, Elfman + Depp's dance double) should immediately be disqualified from awardage.
THAT IS WHAT YOU'RE VOTING FOR, MUSIC BRANCH. Don't force this crime upon the Oscar history books!
CINEMATOGRAPHY
127 HOURS - Anthony Dod Mantle, Enrique Chediak
BLACK SWAN - Matthew Libatique
INCEPTION - Wally Pfister
THE KING’S SPEECH - Danny Cohen
TRUE GRIT - Roger Deakins
It's the same list as the ASC (American Society of Cinematographers) but for 127 Hours shoving The Social Network out of the running. This worries me. Only one Fincher movie has ever been nominated for Best Cinematography (Benjamin Button) despite almost all of them being rich in visual language and light (or darkness as is more often the case)
EDITING
127 HOURS - Jon Harris
BLACK SWAN - Andrew Weisblum
INCEPTION - Lee Smith
THE KING’S SPEECH - Tariq Anwar
THE SOCIAL NETWORK - Angus Wall, Kirk Baxter
It's the same list as the ACE drama editing awards but for 127 Hours shoving The Fighter out. Are we sensing a pattern?
PRODUCTION DESIGN
ALICE IN WONDERLAND - Robert Stromberg, Karen O’Hara
BLACK SWAN - Thérèse DePrez, Tora Peterson
INCEPTION - Guy Hendrix Dyas, Larry Dias, Doug Mowat
THE KING’S SPEECH - Eve Stewart, Judy Farr
TRUE GRIT - Jess Gonchor, Nancy Haigh
COSTUME DESIGN
ALICE IN WONDERLAND - Colleen Atwood
BLACK SWAN - Amy Westcott
THE KING’S SPEECH - Jenny Beavan
MADE IN DAGENHAM - Louise Stjernsward
TRUE GRIT - Mary Zophres
I'm so hoping Made in Dagenham can pull out an Oscar nomination here but I'm worried. You never know with the costume branch, particularly when it comes to designers who haven't ever been nominated before in films that aren't gaining traction elsewhere.
SOUND
127 HOURS - Glenn Freemantle, Ian Tapp, Richard Pryke, Steven C Laneri, Douglas Cameron
BLACK SWAN - Ken Ishii, Craig Henighan, Dominick Tavella
INCEPTION - Richard King, Lora Hirschberg, Gary A Rizzo, Ed Novick
THE KING’S SPEECH - John Midgley, Lee Walpole, Paul Hamblin
TRUE GRIT - Skip Lievsay, Craig Berkey, Greg Orloff, Peter F Kurland, Douglas Axtell
SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS
ALICE IN WONDERLAND - Nominees TBC
BLACK SWAN - Dan Schrecker
HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 1 - Tim Burke, John Richardson, Nicolas Ait'Hadi, Christian Manz
INCEPTION - Chris Corbould, Paul Franklin, Andrew Lockley, Peter Bebb
TOY STORY 3 - Nominees TBC
MAKE UP & HAIR
ALICE IN WONDERLAND - Nominees TBC
BLACK SWAN - Judy Chin, Geordie Sheffer
HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 1 - Amanda Knight, Lisa Tomblin
THE KING’S SPEECH - Frances Hannon
MADE IN DAGENHAM - Lizzie Yianni Georgiou
This is the one category in which I often prefer BAFTA to Oscar. They do tend to vote on Makeup AND hair, which is technically how it should work (even under Oscar's rules --- provided wigs are involved). Note that Black Swan is here as well it should be. Oscar didn't even deem it worthy of a finalist spot.
SHORT ANIMATION
THE EAGLEMAN STAG - Michael Please
MATTER FISHER - David Prosser
THURSDAY - Matthias Hoegg
SHORT FILM
CONNECT - Samuel Abrahams, Beau Gordon
LIN - Piers Thompson, Simon Hessel
RITE - Michael Pearce, Ross McKenzie, Paul Welch
TURNING - Karni Arieli, Saul Freed, Alison Sterling, Kat Armour-Brown
UNTIL THE RIVER RUNS RED - Paul Wright, Poss Kondeatis
ORANGE WEDNESDAYS RISING AWARD
GEMMA ARTERTON
ANDREW GARFIELD
TOM HARDY
AARON JOHNSON
EMMA STONE
That's a pretty group of new stars there but the public gets to vote on this award which we don't really condone (that's what box office is for and you see weekly how badly the citizens of the world screw that up! But anyway: WHO WOULD YOU VOTE FOR?
Reader Comments (46)
While I am pulling for Gosling to get that fifth spot, it's nice to see Bardem pop up. His making the shortlist next week would not bother me at all.
I think he might. If support for Duvall is waning and Gosling votes are going to the other young hunks instead...
I would vote for Andrew Garfield for the Orange Wednesdays Rising Award, but I like Emma Stone a lot too. Garfield is British, though, so that may count in his favor, since it's the public who is voting.
For the curious, British Film and Best Film have matched up on the following occasions:
1952-The Sound Barrier
1955-Richard III
1957-The Bridge on the River Kwai
1958-Room at the Top
1962-Lawrence of Arabia
1963-Tom Jones
1964-Dr. Strangelove
1967-A Man for All Seasons
So, not since the category returned to the awards show from its sabbatical as a category has it matched up, even in the insanely obvious case of 2006.
No film has ever won both Best Film and Best British Film -- largely because the latter is a juried award, and they tend to favour edgier independent work. Year after year, people are surprised when the indie/quirky choice beats the Best Picture heavy (Fish Tank beat An Education, Man On Wire beat Slumdog, This Is England beat Atonement), and yet they never remember this pattern a year later.
In other words, The King's Speech taking Best British Film would, oddly, be an upset of sorts -- my money's on Four Lions here.
Nathaniel, were you aware of the top five "chapter choices" in each category, marked with an asterisk on the longlists two weeks ago? Many of this morning's "surprise" nominees -- Hershey, Moore, Richardson, etc -- were effectively foretold there. Such a weird system they have.
I was just about to amend my comment and I see John T beat me to the punch! By "ever," I really meant since the category was reinstated.
Oh, and I'd vote for Garfield slightly over Emma.
So if the small edgy film is beating out "The King's Speech" in British Film (which one is the "edgiest"?), should it be an clear-cut win in Best Film? The heat is all on "The Social Network" right now, and there are other places to award "TKS" (like actor, original screenplay, score, costumes, production design, etc.). Would they dare overlook "TSN" in film and not be that precious Oscar indicator that they love being? Though they could also split film/ director in either direction and honor both films too. This year's predictions are going to be tough! And go Barbara Hershey!!!
This is....very interesting.
I'm sad Gosling missed out, I wish Bridges and Duval would both get snubbed for Gosling and Bardem. Or I wish Aaron Eckhart could've gotten in.
I'm sad Nicole Kidman missed out. She totally deserved it. Wow. And Michelle Williams. :(
Supporting actress was also surprising. I'm glad for Hershey, but sad for Kunis and Weaver. Funny that Melissa is missing and she was the oscar frontrunner. This really turns things up.
Wow. If you can count on BAFTA for anything, it's making things interesting. Kinda awesome since the awards season was SO predictable before this.
Oh and Andrew Garfield will most likely win the rising star award. Or Tom Hardy.
The lack of Leigh love is strange, since he is really highly respected here and pretty much all the critics in the UK loved Another Year. It's probably a case of them just thinking he's been rewarded enough (3 BAFTA wins, British Film and Screenplay in 97; Director in '05) ?
Guy -- I'm aware of the system but the funny is that when i first saw the lists posted with asterisks 'round the net, they had no explanation as to what the asterisks were and though i knew about two rounds I didn't make the connection so I erased my only copy of the text with the vote leaders.
ANYWAY...
i assumed they'd dump the vote leaders to be more Oscar predictive anyway but I guess i was wrong.
but anyway... the two roudns of voting and the 3 types of categories (public voting - rising star, juried -best british film, and academy wide - the big categories) ALL adds up to BAFTA being completely whackadoo.
I would vote for Hardy. He's talented (BRONSON!) and beuatiful so you can't love him. :)
*you must love him. Sorry for my mistake. :)
I would vote for the most gorgeous man of them all: TOM HARDY!!!!!!!
of which I fell in love with even when he was the psycho in Bronson.
but with no Twilight kids in the game, anyone could win.
I'm going with future Spider boy, Garfield.
I so agree with your support for I Am Love! It would totally deserve to win. I am actually hoping that Tilda's presence in it will be of some help at the BAFTAs. Even if it's a long shot. :)
Ugh, why is "The King's Speech" nominated for cinematography? It looks like it was shot by someone who just spun around twenty times and couldn't get past the dizziness enough to focus on the actors.
I LOVE "Made in Dagenham"'s costumes. I am totally rooting for it.
I adore these nominations! Finally, a few monkey wrenches in the machine that has been churning out the same thing week after week. The Leading Actress category alone is reason for joyful glee (Moore! Steinfeld in the right category!) and Supporting Actress is almost as good (BHersh over Kunis! Manville!).
I am, though, enormously depressed at the total exclusion of all things Blue Valentine. It's done so poorly with guilds and most groups that I fear even Michelle Williams is teetering now (although Kidman is right there with her). As long as that doesn't mean Swank gets in on that SAG nom. Good lord.
I think I'm more optimistic about I Am Love's chances than most - it really seemed to make more of a splash over here than any of its competitors (Dragon-Fire-Hornet Girl excepted, of course) - it got really visible promotion - you couldn't travel anywhere on the Tube without seeing Tilda and family against a hot pink title. I know that might not seem to count for much but... subliminals can't hurt, surely? Plus Love has the UK connection of Tilda. The Secret In Their Eyes seemed to have as many detractors as supporters. And did people even notice Biutiful got released? Because I didn't.
Leigh, I think, has the problem of the high-profile native filmmaker whose been praised for a long time - I'm betting there's a sizeable anti-Leigh constituency who find his films annoying (they certainly aren't hard to find among the general movie-going public). I could see the jury going for Four Lions - Chris Morris has huge critical credibility from other TV and radio projects on his side and no history in features. That didn't help Armando Iannucci last year, but In The Loop was up against an edgy critical darling, Fish Tank, whilst Four Lions' non-Leigh competitors are all kind of populist... so if Guy's right, that's where I'd put my money. Although I'd dearly love Another Year to win.
The one BAFTA award I actually care about, beyond any honoraries or lifetime stuff is Outstanding Debut - I can see that going to anything but Skeletons, although I have a dispiriting sense that Banksy might have it sewn up. I'm pulling for The Arbor, with Four Lions a good second choice.
Rising Star? Emma Stone would be my choice, but if Kristen Stewart's victory last year tells us anything, its that teen girls and variations thereof should not be underestimated in this election. I'm guessing one of the pretty boys will take this home - Garfield probably has the most name recognition for the lusty folk in the street.
[tiny voice] I like the score of Alice in Wonderland, especially that little disco number.[/tiny voice]
You're surprise that Black Swan is getting nominated for screenplay at all, while I'm surprised that it's considered an original screenplay. I'm circling an idea for an article regarding how Black Swan is just a cleverly masked adaptation of Swan Lake, but I have some leg work to do before I get around to it. Suffice to say, the ending credits listing every major player's corollary to the ballet isn't exactly selling me on this being a 100% original creation. And, you know, the structure of the film following the same plot points as the ballet. That doesn't help.
Maybe it's just me being slow, but isn't it quite obvious now, that if Julianne Moore had gone for the category fraud and campaigned in supporting, she'd be winning an Oscar this year?
Two things:
1) Toy Story 3 for VFX?!
2) Who the hell is going to win BSA? Manville?
Baity McBait... Oh Nathaniel you crack me up!
Maybe it's just the angle, but Sally Hawkins looks EMACIATED in that still from Made in Dagenham.
I think Barbara Hershey has a much stronger chance than people are giving her credit for; the “manipulative mom” role is right up AMPAS’s alley. Granted, I’m sure Kunis has her fans so I guess a vote split (which Hailee and Jacki would benefit from) is equally possible.
As for Hailee’s category fraud, *if* enough AMPAS voters actually saw TRUE GRIT before casting their ballots (instead of blindly scribbling her name down based on the film’s precursors) I think she could end up with a lead actress nomination
And in regards to Best Actress, I really do think Michelle Williams will make it. Blue Valentine is a small film, but the people who have seen it are very passionate about it, especially the performances (Alec Baldwin and Kate Winslet are just a couple of big name stars who came out and supported it)...
...I will agree that Nicole Kidman, and to an extent, Jennifer Lawrence, are the vulnerable ones in the best actress category. I think if there's any shakeup in the category it will be Hailee Steinfeld's placement in lead actress, and MAYBE Julianne Moore if the Academy really loves TKAAR (although I don't really think she'll make it). I don't see Tilda Swinton making it, unfortunately (even though she deserves it)...the fact she didn't make it last year for Julia (in one of the best performances of the decade, imo) makes me think the Academy really isn't in to her eccentric work. (even though she did win an Oscar, but that was more of an effort to reward Michael Clayton rather than her, imo).
@Chris- I thought I heard some talk about Julianne in 'Supporting' earlier in the year, but people weren't biting.
Wow, I love these Bafta acting nominations. Bardem? Pete Postlethwaite? Leslie Manville? Shutting out Melissa Leo's arguably overrated performance? Edgy.
I like Garfield and Hardy - but I'd have to vote for Emma Stone.
I would definitely argue that <I>Black Swan</I> is an original screenplay. It may use <I>Swan Lake</I> as it's framework, but the story of Nina's haunting is original. If <I>The King's Speech</I> and <I>The Fighter</I>, which are based on actual events, are considered original screenplays, then <I>Black Swan</I> definitely is. I personally would consider <I>Toy Story 3</I> original, but I guess since using previously created characters makes it adapted?
Very happy for Hersh. Still hoping she can make it into Oscar's shortlist. Maybe even with Kunis. The two <I>Fighter</I> girls and two <I>Swan</I> girls battling it out!
Oops... Hershey. ;)
And "its," not "it's." iPhone fail.
I dont know if im the only one who thinks this way, but i have this super strong hunch that Mark Wahlberg is going to sneak in and grab an Oscar nom
Tangled hasn't yet been released in the UK, which explains its absence from Animated Feature.
Daniel - Ooh, I could see that too. I was thinking that the other night.
VIA Aaron
I really wish that your are so right about Williams. I hope she can make it for this well deserve performance. I am already heartbroken that she got snubbed with the SAG and others awards.
I love these choices. Moore! Rapace! Richardson! Hershey! Manville! Steinfeld in the correct category! Hurrah. And to think, I was fully expecting them to abandon their inspired longlist picks for people more likely to get Oscar love. Happy to be (mostly) wrong.
Interesting tidbit - this is the second time Barbara Hershey has been nominated for a supporting actress BAFTA over a co-star who received more recognition. Dianne Wiest swept the awards for Hannah and Her Sisters, while B-Hersh didn't receive any attention for the majority of the season. Then, BAFTA came along, overlooked Wiest altogether, and gave Hershey the nod.
@ Philip - It just makes so much sense to me, since The Fighter seems to be peaking at the right moment and i have a feeling that this movie has been seen by significantly more members than either, Blue Valentine, Get Low, and Biutiful have, and the fact that Wahlberg's character is likable gives me the impression that he's gonna be on many lists even if they're not #1 votes. He's like the Frost/Nixon in the best actor race IMO. If its not him I think its Duvall since he's a legend and Get Low seems like the type of film the academy would like.
As it's a silly populus vote, my guess is either Arterton or Aaron Johnson (Kick Ass did some decent numbers) will take it.
Garfield should take it but I doubt many tabloid readers could instantly name him in a line up yet...
I'd vote for Emma Stone, but I'm not a part of the English public. Is she even that well known overseas or is it just that she will be in Spider Man with Andrew?
I haven't seen Eyesore in Wonderland yet but it's clearly getting the wrong reception 'round these parts. Based on that clip, I'd say Burton's made a new classic for the horror genre.
The only thing i like about all of this is the Rising Star list, which is actually pretty great. I don't know who i'd choose between Garfield, Hardy and Stone. I missed out on Kick-Ass so i don't know about Johnson and i find Arterton to be kind of annoying.
and no Nicole Kidman for Rabbit Hole?!?! geez, that film just not happening. I used to be shocked at Dianne Wiest not getting anything, but i guess now i'm used to it. I guess it is just that if you take away the pedigree, Rabbit Hole would be a Lifetime movie. *hides under table*. Or maybe it was just a little too obvious as Oscar bait? but if Kidman doesn't get an Oscar nom, i'll be massively disappointed.
and i like the idea of Hershey being nominated over Kunis, but i still think it's pretty much the same problem. She's not that much better than Kunis and the whole idea of either of them potentially winning is odd. I liked both performances, but i don't consider any of them deserving a win. I still don't know what to say about Nina's mom. I don't know whether her character is multidimensional or if it's just a lack in writing.
I am glad for Julianne and Lesley. I will personally Dexter-ise the Bafta Members for not voting for Nicole.
Derreck -- agreed. maybe both performances are too slim for definitive traction. such a one person show.
I actually think Hershey's character is the most interesting in Black Swan. In comparison, Kunis, Cassel and even Portman play somewhat cliche characters: Kunis as the edgy, rebellious, but altogether harmless ballerina, Cassel as the hard-nosed director, and Portman as the ruthlessly disciplined, technically precise, yet pallid ballerina who drives herself crazy to become "perfect."
Hershey's character is interesting in that, while at first she comes across as the stereotypical ballet stage mom, she really isn't. She lives vicariously through her daughter, yes, but I think it has more to do with fearing that her daughter will surpass her own career. Her antics in giving Nina a cake when she gets the role, saying how she knew the pressure of the role would be too much, not waking Nina after her nightclub episode, and locking her in her room the day of the show do not scream stage mom wanting her daughter to be successful at all costs.
In terms of performances, Hershey and Kunis both give great ones, with Hershey giving the superior one. If Steinfelt gets bumped up to leading could both get nominated? I would bet Kunis and Weaver would get nominated ahead of Hershey, but stranger things have happened. The award should come down to Adams and Leo.
No Trent Reznor for Social Network score. BOO!