BAFTAs weekend film special: Maria Realf rounds up some of the key contenders
By MARIA REALF
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As we look forward to the EE British Academy Film Awards this Sunday, Maria Realf rounds up some of the big contenders...
Lincoln
Number of nominations: 10
YOU view: Set during the American Civil War, Steven Spielberg's political drama about former US President Abraham Lincoln is thoughtful, ambitious and full of powerful performances. In many ways, it's reminiscent of 2010's The King's Speech: based on a true story, driven by drama and dialogue - and rolling in awards nominations.
Contenders, ready... If Daniel Day-Lewis doesn't win best leading actor, I'll eat a Lincoln-style top hat. Co-star Tommy Lee Jones is in with a good shout for supporting actor too, while Sally Field faces stiff competition from Les Misérables star Anne Hathaway in the supporting actress category.
Sally Field and Daniel Day-Lewis are both BAFTA nominated for their performances in Lincoln
Les Misérables
Number of nominations: 9
YOU view: Do you hear the people sing/cheer/sniffle into their hankies? Tom Hooper's rousing musical masterpiece has proved a huge hit with cinema audiences, topping the UK box office for the fourth week running. Packed with memorable songs and more A-listers than a front row in fashion week, it's one weepie you won't want to miss.
Contenders, ready... Tom Hooper's last movie (The King's Speech) won a whopping seven BAFTAs, so he's certainly got a good track record - though surprisingly he didn't bag a best director nod for Les Mis. Anne Hathaway looks to be the frontrunner for supporting actress, while Hugh Jackman is nominated for leading actor. The movie's also up for best film and outstanding British film, and I predict it'll go home with at least one of those, plus perhaps something for its brilliant costume design or make-up and hair.
Will Les Miserables emerge victorious on Sunday?
Life of Pi
Number of nominations: 9
YOU view: Not only has director Ang Lee brought Yann Martel's supposedly 'unfilmable' bestseller to the big screen, but he's also created one of the year's cinematic highlights. Think Titanic meets Slumdog Millionaire meets Avatar. With a tiger.
Contenders, ready... While it's not nominated in any of the four main acting categories (hardly surprising, given that there are so few actors in it), the film's star Suraj Sharma is shortlisted for the EE Rising Star award, and I'd expect it to scoop some of the more technical gongs. If you haven't seen this yet, make sure you do before it leaves cinemas - the incredible visuals demand to be admired in all their full glory.
Suraj Sharma's up for the Rising Star award, but sadly there isn't a category for best supporting tiger...
Skyfall
Number of nominations: 8
YOU view: Sam Mendes’s take on 007 is nothing short of spectacular – breathing new life into what was threatening to become a formulaic franchise and putting the ‘super’ firmly back into super-spy. Though this 23rd instalment still contains plenty of nods to the conventions of old – the high-speed chases (including a spine-tingling segment on top of a moving train), the glamorous women, the Aston Martin – this latest offering is surprisingly character-driven.
Contenders, ready... If it can beat off Les Misérables, Skyfall could be a hot contender for outstanding British film. And despite being overlooked in the acting nominations at the Oscars, it's got two nods in the supporting categories here for Javier Bardem and Dame Judi Dench.
It's already been a runaway box-office success - will Skyfall be an equally big hit at the BAFTAs?
Other ones to watch...
Argo (7 nominations): Not just a pretty face, Ben Affleck is proving to be a director of real substance. He's already won two Golden Globes (for best director and best motion picture - drama) as well as a Directors Guild of America award for this hostage drama based on a true story - can he add BAFTAs for best director and film to his haul? Oh, and he's up for leading actor, too, as if we weren't impressed enough.
Anna Karenina (6 nominations): Joe Wright's adaptation of the Tolstoy classic - starring Keira Knightley and Jude Law - may have missed out in the acting categories, but it's still in the running for make-up and hair, costume design, original film music, production design, cinematography and outstanding British film.
Django Unchained (5 nominations): Quentin Tarantino's ninth directorial effort is as stylised, compelling and controversial as we've come to expect from the auteur, and he's nominated for best director and original screenplay. Christoph Waltz is deservedly up for supporting actor too, having previously scooped the award for Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds.
Zero Dark Thirty (5 nominations): Director Kathryn Bigelow was named best director at the 2010 BAFTAs with The Hurt Locker, which also took best film, and she's back in the running in both categories with this picture about the hunt for Osama bin Laden. Jessica Chastain is a major contender for leading actress too, while Mark Boal will be hoping for another original screenplay BAFTA to go with his one for The Hurt Locker.
Silver Linings Playbook (3 nominations): This romantic comedy drama might have picked up more nominations at the Oscars than the BAFTAs (8 versus 3) but I don't expect it will be going home empty handed. Jennifer Lawrence is many people's top tip for leading actress (having already bagged a Golden Globe) while director David O. Russell could nab best adapted screenplay - plus the gorgeous Bradley Cooper is in the race for leading actor.
The EE British Academy Film Awards will be shown on Sunday night on BBC1. Check back here on the night for more BAFTAs news, and follow me on Twitter @Mariaonmovies
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