Steven Spielberg spy thriller Bridge of Spies and Carol, a story of romance between two women, led the nominations on Friday for Britain’s Bafta film awards, seen as a tip for later Oscar success.
Steven Spielberg spy thriller Bridge of Spies and Carol, a story of romance between two women, led the nominations on Friday for Britain’s Bafta film awards, seen as a tip for later Oscar success.
The two Cold War-era stories set in the United States in the 1950s have nine nominations each and are both nominated in the best film category. They are up against financial drama The Big Short and survival tale The Revenant, which has eight nominations. Also in the running for best film is Spotlight — the story of the journalists who uncovered sexual abuse in the Catholic Church, which led nominations at the Golden Globes along with Carol.
“We couldn’t have more different films. There is a good mix in there of British talent as well,” said Amanda Berry, chief executive of Bafta (The British Academy of Film and Television Arts). Irish actress Saoirse Ronan, 21, is nominated for best actress for her performance in Brooklyn, the story of an Irish immigrant to New York, which has six nominations. The other nominees for best actress are Cate Blanchett for Carol, Brie Larson for Room, Maggie Smith for The Lady in the Van and Alicia Vikander for The Danish Girl, who is also up for best supporting actress for her role in thriller Ex Machina. Vikander’s fellow star in The Danish Girl, British actor Eddie Redmayne, who plays a transgender artist, is nominated for best actor for the same film. Redmayne will be up against Leonardo DiCaprio for The Revenant, Michael Fassbender for Steve Jobs, Matt Damon for The Martian and Trumbo star Bryan Cranston, known for his leading role in television hit Breaking Bad.
In the best director category, Spielberg is up against Mexico’s Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Britain’s Ridley Scott, and US directors Adam McKay and Todd Haynes. British filmmaker of Indian origin Asif Kapadia’s Amy, based on the life and death of singer Amy Winehouse, has bagged two Bafta nominations. The film has been nominated in Best Documentary and Outstanding British Film categories. He Named Me Malala, directed by Davis Guggenheim, has also earned the Best Documentary nomination.
Amy depicts Winehouse’s life largely from the standpoint of her struggle with substance abuse problems both before and after her career began to grown, and which eventually caused her early death. The film became the highest-grossing British documentary of all time. It will be competing with films like The Danish Girl Ex Machina, Brooklyn, The Lobster and 45 Years for the trophy of Outstanding British Film.
