Three years into BAFTA’s radical overhaul of its voting system on the nomination stage, this yr’s slate of nominees isn’t fairly as rogue because it has been up to now two years, which noticed many a closely hyped front-runner booted in favor of homegrown underdogs and arthouse outsiders. But if issues hew nearer to the overall form of the awards race as formed by American precursors, there’s nonetheless room for quirks and surprises — not least a foreign-language, field-leading juggernaut that few would have seen coming a few weeks in the past. Here’s how the highest classes have shaken out earlier than the Feb. 19 ceremony.
• BEST FILM
BAFTA voters largely rejected Hollywood goliaths, together with blockbuster “Top Gun: Maverick” and Steven Spielberg’s Golden Globe champ “The Fabelmans,” as Germany as a substitute led the best way.
Edward Berger’s muscular, technically astonishing World War I epic “All Quiet on the Western Front” led all contenders with 14 nominations — probably the most for any movie since “The King’s Speech” in 2011. It’s a wealthy payoff for Netflix’s slow-but-steady marketing campaign for the movie, however competitors for the win is fierce. As the one British movie within the area, Martin McDonagh’s Irish-set people parable “The Banshees of Inisherin” is fancied to take the prize, as McDonagh’s “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” did in 2018; “Banshees” has 10 noms, as does A24’s hyperquirky indie smash “Everything Everywhere All at Once.” BAFTA’s artsier contingent might gravitate towards Todd Field’s darkly ambiguous ethical drama “Tár,” with 5 noms; that leaves Baz Luhrmann’s fluorescent biopic “Elvis,” with 9, an outsider as the one oldschool Hollywood studio film within the group.
• DIRECTOR
In the previous two years, BAFTA’s revised, jury-assisted voting system on this class yielded nominee fields that had been at the very least 50% feminine; this yr, eyebrows had been raised when, regardless of a gender-equal longlist, just one girl made the ultimate six. Given that her rousing historic actioner “The Woman King” has solely two nominations, Gina Prince-Bythewood may be regarded a protracted shot; ditto Korean auteur Park Chan-wook, a discerning choice for his elegant romantic noir “Decision to Leave.” Expect a good race between the 4 nominees with corresponding greatest movie bids: Berger and “Everything Everywhere” duo Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert supply probably the most directorial flash and dazzle, however McDonagh and Field’s exact management of tone and efficiency may even earn them many votes.
• LEAD ACTRESS
As on the Oscars, this seems to be primarily a race between eighttime nominee Cate Blanchett, eyeing her third BAFTA for her monumental flip as a disgraced maestro in “Tár,” and veteran style icon Michelle Yeoh, a earlier nominee for “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” for emotionally anchoring the swirling chaos of “Everything Everywhere.” The nomination is probably going the one reward for Viola Davis’ formidable “Woman King,” Danielle Deadwyler ’s grief-stricken mom and activist in “Till,” and Ana de Armas’ tormented Marilyn Monroe in “Blonde”; a home-turf benefit doubtless secured Emma Thompson the nom for her humorous, touching flip as a sexually annoyed schoolteacher in “Good Luck to You, Leo Grande,” which has been under-recognized throughout the pond.
• LEAD ACTOR
Whether or not “The Banshees of Inisherin” prevails within the prime race, it’s arduous to not see Colin Farrell because the front-runner right here for his deft tragicomic flip as a forlorn, defriended farmer. He’s certainly one of three Irishmen within the area, joined by red-hot Paul Mescal — securing probably the most outstanding general-field nom for critics’ darling “Aftersun,” a title many hoped to see in the most effective movie race — and shock nominee Daryl McCormack, Thompson’s seductive foil in “Good Luck to You, Leo Grande.” The remaining three names all have a greater shot at upsetting Farrell, nevertheless: comeback star Brendan Fraser, the sentimental selection for his depressive English professor in “The Whale”; rising star Austin Butler, a transformative wow as “Elvis”; and lone Brit nominee Bill Nighy, a former winner for “Love Actually,” now taking part in in opposition to comedian sort to quietly wrenching impact in “Living.”
• SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Angela Bassett is the Oscar favourite, having taken the Globe for her imperious Queen Ramonda in Marvel sequel “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” although it’s arduous to say whether or not BAFTA voters, who largely handed over the movie’s predecessor in 2019, will likely be as eager.
If not, search for Kerry Condon, the affecting voice of cause amid the patriarchal warfare of “Banshees,” to learn. Few may keep in mind that Jamie Lee Curtis received a BAFTA almost 40 years in the past for a sly comedian flip in “Trading Places,” although until “Everything Everywhere” pulls off a significant sweep, she most likely received’t get a bookending trophy.
Filipino theater vet Dolly de Leon, who emerges late within the third act of depraved class satire “Triangle of Sadness” to steal your complete movie, is the wild card; Hong Chau’s worldweary carer in “The Whale” and Carey Mulligan’s flinty journo Megan Twohey in “She Said” (a number one efficiency smuggled into the supporting race) spherical out the sphere.
• SUPPORTING ACTOR
However “Everything Everywhere” performs with the Brits, it has at the very least one win secured: on the power of his sympathetic efficiency and irresistible comeback narrative, former baby star Ke Huy Quan has swept all earlier than him within the States, and can choose up one other prize right here.
The “Banshees” vote is more likely to be cut up between Barry Keoghan’s heart-rending village fool and Brendan Gleeson’s melancholic antagonist. Gleeson is arguably a co-lead in his movie, which additionally goes for Eddie Redmayne as serial killer Charlie Cullen in “The Good Nurse”; former BAFTA Rising Star winner Micheal Ward is certainly one in Sam Mendes’ underperforming “Empire of Light,” however even with beneficiant display screen time, he stays a protracted shot. German star Albrecht Schuch is the ensemble standout of “All Quiet on the Western Front,” and if not for the indomitable Quan, may need stood an opportunity.
• FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
As a rule of thumb, any nominee with a further greatest movie nomination at the very least cruises to victory on this class; that pattern, plus that whopping 14-nomination haul, must make this a cinch for “All Quiet on the Western Front.” Still, the rule isn’t with out exception — “Amores Perros” upset “Amélie” in 2002, for instance. If there’s a David to Berger’s Goliath this yr, it may be Colm Bairéad’s unassuming however finally devastating Irish-language tearjerker “The Quiet Girl,” which proved its recognition in BAFTA circles with a shock tailored screenplay nomination. You might stretch to creating a case for director nominee “Decision to Leave,” Globe-winning crowd-pleaser “Argentina, 1985” and even stylish Vicky Krieps starrer “Corsage,” however in all probability, this may go the best way everybody expects it to.
• BEST BRITISH FILM
Back within the days when the winner of this award was juried, a vastly acclaimed indie akin to “Aftersun” — which swept the British Independent Film Awards in December — may need stood an opportunity in opposition to “The Banshees of Inisherin,” the one greatest movie nominee within the class. Now, with the broader membership voting, an upset is considerably much less doubtless. Even with 10 nominees contending — together with the aforementioned “Living,” “Good Luck to You, Leo Grande” and “Empire of Light,” populist contender “Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical” and the in any other case unnominated “The Wonder,” “See How They Run,” “Brian and Charles” and “The Swimmers” — this isn’t a lot of a race.
