Tis the Season: The BAFTA's

You are never going to believe this but SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE is nominated for the most BAFTA's, the British equivalent of the Academy Awards. It ties THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON with 11 nominations. Given the director's British roots, it is not at all surprising that SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE even swept up its stars, Dev Patel and Freida Pinto into the acting categories. Stateside, this has been the only sticking point for the film thus far. That said, its four Golden Globe wins the other day may change that come Oscar time. Speaking of the Globes, Kate Winslet, another British born baby, follows up her double win with a double nomination in the Lead Actrss category. Stateside, her role in THE READER is being billed as a supporting role. If you've seen the film, you would know this is a political stretch to get the woman as much ercognition as possible as you cannot earn two Oscar nominations in the same acting category in the same year. The role is supporting only after you make certain arguments for the case. At first glance, you would never think that. With Winslet taking up two spots in that category, Anne Hathaway in RACHEL GETTING MARRIED, an early front-runner for the Oscar suffers a major set back in her race to the gold. Brad Pitt also picked up two nominations, recognized in the lead category for his title role in THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON and in the supporting category for his first time out with the Coen Brothers in BURN AFTER READING, which also scored a screenplay nod. I was most surprised by the BAFTA's loev thrown at CHANGELING. I am accustomed to Clint Eastwood sneaking into the Oscar race at the last second but if he were to do it this year, I would expect it would be with GRAN TORINO. CHANGELING even got Clint a director nod, forcing MILK's Gus Van Sant out. Its eight nominations even spread far and wide across the technical awards, like editing and sound. The BAFTA'S also practically ignored THE DARK KNIGHT. Heath Ledger picked up his supporting actor nod but Christopher Nolan was left off the director list as well as the adapted screenplay list. Still, as DOUBT failed to secure any nominations in the picture, director or even screenplay categories, THE DARK KNIGHT and DOUBT are still battling it out for that fifth wildcard Oscar slot.

The BAFTA nominations in the major categories are:

BEST PICTURE
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
FROST/NIXON
MILK
THE READER
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

BEST DIRECTOR
Clint Eastwood, CHANGELING
David Fincher, THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
Ron Howard, FROST/NIXON
Stephen Daldry, THE READER
Danny Boyle, SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
BURN AFTER READING
CHANGELING
I'VE LOVED YOU SO LONG
IN BRUGES
MILK

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
FROST/NIXON
THE READER
REVOLUTIONARY ROAD
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

LEADING ACTOR
Frank Langella, FROST/NIXON
Dev Patel, SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
Sean Penn, MILK
Brad Pitt, THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
Mickey Rourhe, THE WRESTLER

LEADING ACTRESS
Angelina Jolie, CHANGELING
Kristin Scott Thomas, I'VE LOVED YOU SO LONG
Meryl Streep, DOUBT
Kate Winslet, THE READER
Kate Winslet, REVOLUTIONARY ROAD

SUPPORTING ACTOR
Robert Downey Jr., TROPIC THUNDER
Brendan Gleeson, IN BRUGES
Philip Seymour Hoffman, DOUBT
Heath Ledger, THE DARK KNIGHT
Brad Pitt, BURN AFTER READING

SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Amy Adams, DOUBT
Penelope Cruz, VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA
Freida Pinto, SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
Tilda Swinton, BURN AFTER READING
Marisa Tomei, THE WRESTLER

OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM
HUNGER
IN BRUGES
MAMMA MIA!
MAN ON WIRE
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

The full list of nominees in all caetgories can be seen at the BAFTA website.

Next up, the Online Film Critic Society, announces their choices for the Best of 2008. I will report on this despite the fact that they have rejected me two years in a row. Grrr ...