This Sunday is the BAFTAs! The only awards show I actually get to watch live, unless I can find a stream of the Oscars and stay up all night. In true blogger fashion I’m here with all the nominations for the night, along with my predictions. In true Often Off Topic fashion I’m here to do a terrible job and get most of it wrong.
In previous years I’ve stuck my critic hat on and ignored my heart, and in others I’ve gone with my heart, so I’m going to try and land somewhere in the middle this year. As always, I’ll be found on Sunday night in my slippers flicking through my print outs, trying to remember what I predicted when each award comes up.
Let’s kick this off, shall we…?
BEST FILM
1917
THE IRISHMAN
JOKER
ONCE UPON A TIME… IN HOLLYWOOD
PARASITE
I’m not decided on what will win the Oscar but I’m confident that BAFTA will give 1917 the Best Film.
OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM
1917
BAIT
FOR SAMA
ROCKETMAN
SORRY WE MISSED YOU
THE TWO POPES
Now this is a weird scenario. Surely if 1917 is the best film…it also has to be best British film? Or perhaps they’ll throw this award to Rocketman? I’m sticking with 1917.
OUTSTANDING DEBUT BY A BRITISH WRITER, DIRECTOR OR PRODUCER
BAIT Mark Jenkin (Writer/Director), Kate Byers, Linn Waite (Producers)
FOR SAMA Waad al-Kateab (Director/Producer), Edward Watts (Director)
MAIDEN Alex Holmes (Director)
ONLY YOU Harry Wootliff (Writer/Director)
RETABLO Álvaro Delgado-Aparicio (Writer/Director)
I’m entering guess-mode already. Sigh. I need to pay more attention to British works, what with you know, being a Brit and all. Let’s go with For Sama.
FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
THE FAREWELL
FOR SAMA
PAIN AND GLORY
PARASITE
PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE
I’m 100% confident this will go to Parasite.
DOCUMENTARY
AMERICAN FACTORY
APOLLO 11
DIEGO MARADONA
FOR SAMA
THE GREAT HACK
Of all of these, I definitely want to see For Sama and The Great Hack. My gut says For Sama.
ANIMATED FILM
FROZEN 2
KLAUS
A SHAUN THE SHEEP MOVIE: FARMAGEDDON
TOY STORY 4
A prestigious award should go to an animated film that does something extraordinary. I can’t comment on Farmageddon but Frozen did nothing new, and although I loved Toy Story 4, it didn’t do anything special, either. Do the right thing BAFTA. This should go to Klaus.
DIRECTOR
1917 Sam Mendes
THE IRISHMAN Martin Scorsese
JOKER Todd Phillips
ONCE UPON A TIME… IN HOLLYWOOD Quentin Tarantino
PARASITE Bong Joon Ho
With the exception of Todd Phillips, I could see this one going to any of the nominees. My head says Sam Mendes…my heart says Bong Joon Ho…!
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
BOOKSMART Susanna Fogel, Emily Halpern, Sarah Haskins, Katie Silberman
KNIVES OUT Rian Johnson
MARRIAGE STORY Noah Baumbach
ONCE UPON A TIME… IN HOLLYWOOD Quentin Tarantino
PARASITE Han Jin Won, Bong Joon Ho
I will do a little happy dance if Rian Johnson wins but even though I loved Knives Out, Parasite was just too good and original of a story to lose this.
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
THE IRISHMAN Steven Zaillian
JOJO RABBIT Taika Waititi
JOKER Todd Phillips, Scott Silver
LITTLE WOMEN Greta Gerwig
THE TWO POPES Anthony McCarten
Taika Waititi took a novel about a young German boy who’s Mother is hiding a Jewish girl in their house and transformed it into a hilarious, heartwarming movie. That’s what adaptation is all about, right?
LEADING ACTRESS
JESSIE BUCKLEY Wild Rose
SCARLETT JOHANSSON Marriage Story
SAOIRSE RONAN Little Women
CHARLIZE THERON Bombshell
RENÉE ZELLWEGER Judy
I’d like to see Saoirse Ronan win this but it feels like it’s Renée Zellweger’s to lose.
LEADING ACTOR
LEONARDO DICAPRIO Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood
ADAM DRIVER Marriage Story
TARON EGERTON Rocketman
JOAQUIN PHOENIX Joker
JONATHAN PRYCE The Two Popes
UGH. I’m going to have to watch Adam lose, live, aren’t I? BAFTA haven’t even tried to hide it, they’re sitting him about 5 rows behind Joaquin Phoenix. You know what, though? If there’s going to be any upset on Sunday night, I see it being this award. I can see them giving it to Taron Egerton. Still, can’t bring myself to chose anyone but Adam!
SUPPORTING ACTRESS
LAURA DERN Marriage Story
SCARLETT JOHANSSON Jojo Rabbit
FLORENCE PUGH Little Women
MARGOT ROBBIE Bombshell
MARGOT ROBBIE Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood
I would so love to see Florence Pugh win! She has been an absolute highlight of 2019 for me. This is going to Laura Dern for sure, though.
SUPPORTING ACTOR
TOM HANKS A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
ANTHONY HOPKINS The Two Popes
AL PACINO The Irishman
JOE PESCI The Irishman
BRAD PITT Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood
I slept through most of The Irishman and haven’t gotten around to The Two Popes yet. I’m seeing A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood this weekend, but regardless of all that, I think this is going to Brad Pitt.
ORIGINAL SCORE
1917 Thomas Newman
JOJO RABBIT Michael Giacchino
JOKER Hildur Guðnadóttir
LITTLE WOMEN Alexandre Desplat
STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER John Williams
I’m hopeless at all sound categories but…John Williams!
CASTING
JOKER Shayna Markowitz
MARRIAGE STORY Douglas Aibel, Francine Maisler
ONCE UPON A TIME… IN HOLLYWOOD Victoria Thomas
THE PERSONAL HISTORY OF DAVID COPPERFIELD Sarah Crowe
THE TWO POPES Javier Braier, Barbara Giordani, Nina Gold, Francesco Vedovati, Gabriel Villegas
Forgive my ignorance but…is this a new category? I don’t remember a Casting award in previous years. Insert shrug emoji here. Is this award an excuse to give Joker another award? Will it go to The Two Popes for their portrayal of two iconic men in real life? Do you get an award for casting your mates for a movie about Hollywood? I’m guessing here, big time.
CINEMATOGRAPHY
1917 Roger Deakins
THE IRISHMAN Rodrigo Prieto
JOKER Lawrence Sher
LE MANS ’66 Phedon Papamichael
THE LIGHTHOUSE Jarin Blaschke
I hate when BAFTA nominates movies that aren’t even out in the UK yet. How have you all seen The Lighthouse when it isn’t out until…today actually. But good luck finding a cinema actually bothering to screen it. Anyway, I digress. I hope Roger Deakins takes this, 1917 was stunning.
EDITING
THE IRISHMAN Thelma Schoonmaker
JOJO RABBIT Tom Eagles
JOKER Jeff Groth
LE MANS ’66 Andrew Buckland, Michael McCusker
ONCE UPON A TIME… IN HOLLYWOOD Fred Raskin
I’m sorry but the editing in Once Upon a Time was atrocious. I’m sure it was artistic but it looked dodgy to me. HOLD UP A MOMENT. Why isn’t 1917 here? Excuse me? Are you for real? Well. I guess Le Mans ’66 gets my vote, then. Which is weird because every poster I’ve seen calls it Ford v Ferarri.
PRODUCTION DESIGN
1917 Dennis Gassner, Lee Sandales
THE IRISHMAN Bob Shaw, Regina Graves
JOJO RABBIT Ra Vincent, Nora Sopková
JOKER Mark Friedberg, Kris Moran
ONCE UPON A TIME… IN HOLLYWOOD Barbara Ling, Nancy Haigh
I mean, in terms of actually designing a set and creating something stunning…oh what do I know. I’m torn between the grimness of 1917 and the retro-ness of Once Upon a Time…
COSTUME DESIGN
THE IRISHMAN Christopher Peterson, Sandy Powell
JOJO RABBIT Mayes C. Rubeo
JUDY Jany Temime
LITTLE WOMEN Jacqueline Durran
ONCE UPON A TIME… IN HOLLYWOOD Arianne Phillips
Not my speciality. I’ve worn the same outfits for the last 10 years at least. But BAFTA loves period drama, so I can see Little Women winning this.
MAKE UP & HAIR
1917 Naomi Donne, Tristan Versluis
BOMBSHELL Vivian Baker, Kazu Hiro, Anne Morgan
JOKER Kay Georgiou, Nicki Ledermann
JUDY Jeremy Woodhead
ROCKETMAN Lizzie Yianni Georgiou, Barrie Gower, Tapio Salmi
Yeeeeeaaaaah. Mine takes about 5 minutes each morning. I just realised Rocketman is here but not in Costume Design. BAFTA are you high? I’m giving Judy my vote.
SOUND
1917 Scott Millan, Oliver Tarney, Rachael Tate, Mark Taylor, Stuart Wilson
JOKER Tod Maitland, Alan Robert Murray, Tom Ozanich, Dean Zupancic
LE MANS ’66 David Giammarco, Paul Massey, Steven A. Morrow, Donald Sylvester
ROCKETMAN Matthew Collinge, John Hayes, Mike Prestwood Smith, Danny Sheehan
STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER David Acord, Andy Nelson, Christopher Scarabosio, Stuart Wilson, Matthew Wood
Star Wars. Because…lightsabers? But also Le Mans ’66…noisy cars. Argh. The sound in 1917 scared me witness, though. Helllllllp.
SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS
1917 Greg Butler, Guillaume Rocheron, Dominic Tuohy
AVENGERS: ENDGAME Matt Aitken, Dan Deleeuw, Russell Earl, Dan Sudick
THE IRISHMAN Leandro Estebecorena, Stephane Grabli, Pablo Helman
THE LION KING Andrew R. Jones, Robert Legato, Elliot Newman, Adam Valdez
STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER Roger Guyett, Paul Kavanagh, Neal Scanlan, Dominic Tuohy
I feel like The Irishman will win this for the de-ageing technology.
BRITISH SHORT ANIMATION
GRANDAD WAS A ROMANTIC
IN HER BOOTS
THE MAGIC BOAT
Sorry, this one is a complete guess.
BRITISH SHORT FILM
AZAAR
GOLDFISH
KAMALI
LEARNING TO SKATEBOARD IN A WARZONE (IF YOU’RE A GIRL)
THE TRAP
I want it to win for it’s awesome title!
EE RISING STAR AWARD
AWKWAFINA
KAITLYN DEVER
KELVIN HARRISON JR.
JACK LOWDEN
MICHEAL WARD
So this is the only award that is voted for by the public. I voted in haste for Kaitlyn Dever whilst still riding a Booksmart high but putting some thought into it, I think Awkwafina will win.
So that’s me. I’m confident in a few of my picks, and I’m hoping for lucky guesses in many, but either way, I’m looking forward to tomorrow night!