OK – so it’s that time of year again, and time to put the proverbial member on the block and nail my predictions to the wall for the 2016 BAFTA awards, which will be presented in London this evening. In traditional fashion I’ve predicted, for the main categories, what/who I think will win (considering how normal industry biases applied) and what/who I think should win (as if you, dear reader, give a damn what I think!).
I do find it perennially annoying that BAFTA choose to follow the Oscar buzz by nominating films that were not actually released in the UK until 2016, but (with a few exceptions like “Trumbo” and “Sicario”) I have managed to see most of the films (I’ve marked those I haven’t seen with an asterisk).
For this reason I also haven’t suggested any winners in the ‘Shorts’ categories (though why isn’t Pixar’s fantastic “Lava” nominated in the Animated Short category?); in the “Documentary” category (although I greatly admired “Amy”) and in the “Outstanding Debut” category (although I would be bitterly disappointed if Alex Garland didn’t win that for directing “Ex Machina”).
Note that the category pictures are lifted from the BAFTA site, and each picture is a hotlink back to the relevant BAFTA nomination page where you can go for more information.
Now updated with the results and how well I did! Fad score = 11/17. B+
Best Film
- The Revenant
- Bridge of Spies
- The Big Short
- Carol
- Spotlight
Will Win: The Revenant. Should Win: The Revenant
Did Win: The Revenant.
I have a lot of time for most of the films in this category, perhaps with “Spotlight” (in my opinion) being the weakest of the five. I think the Revenant is done with such verve and style it should win, but Carol also stands a good chance I think with the British voters.
Outstanding British Film
- 45 Years*
- The Lobster
- Amy
- Ex Machina
- Brooklyn
- The Danish Girl
Will Win: Brooklyn. Should Win: Ex Machina.
Did Win: Brooklyn
The diversity in this category makes it a really difficult call. I hear great things about “45 Years” and “Amy” was an outstanding (and poignant) documentary. It would be great for Brooklyn, as a hidden gem, to score an award and I think there might be enough love in the Academy for that to sway the vote. But I have to stick with one of my top 3 personal film of the year with Alex Garland’s “Ex Machina”.
Leading Actor
- Bryan Cranston – Trumbo*
- Matt Damon – The Martian
- Leonardo DiCaprio – The Revenant
- Michael Fassbender – Steve Jobs
- Eddie Redmayne – The Danish Girl
Will Win: Leonardo DiCaprio. Should Win: Leonardo DiCaprio.
Did Win: Leonardo DiCaprio.
This is surely a shoe-in for DiCaprio. Although noone is going to beat Jean Dujardin’s award in 2012’s “The Artist” for the fewest lines of dialogue by a winner, DiCaprio if he wins would probably come a close second!
Leading Actress
- Cate Blanchett – Carol
- Brie Larson – Room
- Saoirse Ronan – Brooklyn
- Maggie Smith – The Lady in the Van
- Alicia Vikander – The Danish Girl
Will Win: Maggie Smith. Should Win: Brie Larson.
Did Win: Brie Larson.
Another wide-open category. If I was voting for a body of work, I have a lot of love for Alicia Vikander who turned in both “The Danish Girl” and “Ex Machina” as strong contenders for the acting role last year. While I think the British bias might see Maggie Smith home on this one, I’d personally call out Brie Larson’s moving performance that completely carried the excellent “Room”.
Supporting Actor
- Christian Bale – The Big Short
- Benicio Del Toro – Sicario*
- Idris Elba – Beasts of No Nation*
- Mark Ruffalo – Spotlight
- Mark Rylance – Bridge of Spies
Will Win: Mark Rylance. Should Win: Mark Rylance.
Did Win: Mark Rylance.
This is a bit tricky since I’m blindsided with two of the performances in this category (was “Beasts of No Nation” ever released in UK cinemas or just on Netflix? In which case it is a dubious nomination in my eyes). Despite leading the nominations I don’t think it’s going to be a good night for “Bridge of Spies”, but my money is on Rylance for this award. A simple yet mesmerising performance as the Russian spy.
Supporting Actress
- Jennifer Jason Leigh – The Hateful Eight
- Rooney Mara – Carol
- Alicia Vikander – Ex Machina
- Julie Walters – Brooklyn
- Kate Winslet – Steve Jobs
Will Win: Julie Walters. Should Win: Rooney Mara.
Did Win: Kate Winslet.
Oh my, this is another really tough category to call! Jason Leigh might be spitting blood (again!) if she doesn’t win this for what was the best thing in “The Hateful Eight”. I have already spoken-up for Alicia Vikander in “Ex Machina”. But I think the British vote may go Julie Walter’s way for her delightfully comic performance in the sleeper hit “Brooklyn”. My personal vote would be for Rooney Mara, just exquisite in “Carol”.
Director
- Adam McKay – The Big Short
- Steven Spielberg – Bridge of Spies
- Todd Haynes – Carol
- Ridley Scott – The Martian
- Alejandro G. Iñárritu – The Revenant
Will Win: Alejandro G. Iñárritu. Should Win: Alejandro G. Iñárritu.
Did Win: Alejandro G. Iñárritu.
Whilst Todd Haynes might be a contender for “Carol”, I think you would be foolish to bet against Iñárritu for his outstanding example of ‘method directing’ for “The Revenant”.
Animated Film
- Inside Out
- Minions
- Shaun the Sheep Movie
Will Win: Inside Out. Should Win: Inside Out.
Did Win: Inside Out.
Though it has been accused of plagerising the concepts used from elsewhere, Inside Out was a massively inventive and well-executed film, just missing my top-10 list for the year.
Cinematography
- Bridge of Spies
- Carol
- Mad Max: Fury Road
- The Revenant
- Sicario*
Will Win: The Revenant. Should Win: Carol.
Did Win: The Revenant.
Another impossibly difficult category to call. The camera work on “Bridge of Spies” was brilliant and “classic-Spielberg”, and the impossibly energetic action scenes in “Mad Max” must have been a nightmare to film. I think the voting for this will go with Emmanuel Lubezki’s epic work on “The Revenant”, but my personal choice would be Edward Lachman’s beautifully rendered view of 1950’s America in “Carol”.
Costume Design
- Brooklyn
- Carol
- Cinderella
- The Danish Girl
- Mad Max: Fury Road
Will Win: The Danish Girl. Should Win: Carol.
Did Win: Mad Max: Fury Road.
If you saw how I dressed, you’d know I know absolutely nothing about Costume Design! But I think the academy will want to push at least one award in the direction of “The Danish Girl”.
EE Rising Star
- John Boyega
- Taron Egerton
- Dakota Johnson
- Brie Larson
- Bel Powley*
Will Win: John Boyega. Should Win: Brie Larson.
Did Win: John Boyega.
“Rising Star” is a rather odd category, since Brie Larson has been regularly acting in feature films since 1999! This one is voted for by the public, so (in the absence of Daisy Ridley’s nomination in this category, which seems bizarre) I think the popular tide will run in John Boyega’s direction for his role in “Star Wars”. But the clear winner amongst these should be Brie Larson for her impressive performances in both “Room” and “Trainwreck” during 2015.
Editing
- The Big Short
- Bridge of Spies
- Mad Max: Fury Road
- The Martian
- The Revenant
Will Win: The Revenant. Should Win: Mad Max: Fury Road.
Did Win: Mad Max: Fury Road.
I’d personally have dropped “Spectre” into this category, if for nothing else than the apparently continuous ‘tracking shot’ in the first five minutes. I think this will go to “The Revenant”, though it’s difficult to tell whether some of the extraordinary scenes were down to editing or special effects or a mixture of the two. Nothing contributes to an action film like the editing, and for me Margaret Sixel deserves this award for delivering a literally high octane experience like no other this year in “Mad Max: Fury Road”.
Make-Up and Hair
- Brooklyn
- Carol
- The Danish Girl
- Mad Max: Fury Road
- The Revenant
Will Win: The Danish Girl. Should Win: Brooklyn.
Did Win: Mad Max: Fury Road.
Again, not a category I can claim much expertise in (“I’m looking increasingly like my Aunt Mildred” – Hugh Grant, “Love Actually”).
Original Music
- Bridge of Spies
- The Hateful Eight
- The Revenant
- Sicario*
- Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Will Win: The Hateful Eight. Should Win: The Hateful Eight.
Did Win: The Hateful Eight.
I don’t know the score to Sicario (though was impressed by Jóhann Jóhannsson’s previous work for “The Theory of Everything”). This year saw the return of two titans of the film soundtrack world: John Williams with “Star Wars” and Ennio Morricone with “The Hateful Eight”. For me, Morricone’s score was the most impressive, and I think the Academy might agree.
Production Design
- Bridge of Spies
- Carol
- Mad Max: Fury Road
- The Martian
- Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Will Win: Mad Max: Fury Road. Should Win: Bridge of Spies.
Did Win: Mad Max: Fury Road.
Everything about the depiction of East Berlin in “Bridge of Spies” seemed spot on to me, although the production in Mad Max was mind-bogglingly realised and the more obvious choice.
Sound
- Bridge of Spies
- Mad Max: Fury Road
- The Martian
- The Revenant
- Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Will Win: Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Should Win: The Martian.
Did Win: The Revenant.
Given most of the dialogue in “The Revenant” was incomprehensible, I think it would be a crime if it won for this! Other than that, I think all the other nominations in this category are good, but I would call out “The Martian” as the one where I noticed the sound design most prominently.
Special Visual Effects
- Ant-Man
- Ex Machina
- Mad Max: Fury Road
- The Martian
- Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Will Win: Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Should Win: Ex Machina.
Did Win: Star Wars: The Force Awakens
It’s nice to see “Ant Man” nominated: for me, one of the more unexpectedly enjoyable films I saw during 2015. Again, a difficult category to call, but I would expect the Academy to want to recognize the British talent that goes into the Star Wars franchise again. My money would go with the beautiful and sensual realisation of Eva in “Ex Machina”.
There’s nothing more contentious than movie awards! No you agree with my suggestions? Who else do you think was robbed by not being nominated this year? Please feel free to comment below!
