Give props to the Brits

We cinephiles can get awfully worked up over the awards process. We pick our favorites and announce our top lists. We praise or complain about nominations (we howl or rejoice at award wins). Now maybe you all haven't been bizarrely transfixed by the vast array of awards being handed out from the SAGs to the Golden Globes to even the DGA awards not to mention all those critical review board honors. But I have, obsessively so.


I've kept almost daily tabs on the news flowing in and once I discovered it I even regularly check the "Hollywood Stock Exchange" (HSX). If you were unaware one thing econ people like to do is reduce everything to a stock market scenario. They do this with the election every four years and have surprising success, since the "market" absorbs all information such as award wins and industry buzz and filters it through thousands of people playing a game with a payout.

But even I as sadly obsessed as I am forgot about the British. Yeah, they too have an award show. And they are at times more willing to recognize films that would go unnoticed in our own Awards fervor. A best british film category? That's a nice way to honor a few more excellent films. So check out the noms (BAFTA) if you care as I expound on who i would choose if i were in Britain.

Best Picture:

AMERICAN GANGSTER
ATONEMENT
THE LIVES OF OTHERS
NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN
THERE WILL BE BLOOD

"Lives of Others" was quite excellent but it was winner for best foreign film at last year's American Academy Award. American Gangster (well no worse than choosing Juno)? Here to my lot is thrown in with No Country For Old Men.

Best British Film:

ATONEMENT
THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM
CONTROL
EASTERN PROMISES
THIS IS ENGLAND

I have no idea what gets you qualified for this category but the novelty of it makes me smile. I mean look at some of those movies. Bourne Ultimatum and Control and Eastern Promises? Still of this list, i have to go with Control it had an emotional resonance that really drives it.

Best Directory

ATONEMENT – Joe Wright
THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM – Paul Greengrass
THE LIVES OF OTHERS – Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN – Joel Coen/Ethan Coen
THERE WILL BE BLOOD – Paul Thomas Anderson

Again I give kudos to the BAFTAs for recognizing that an action director can have some serious talent, let's hope the American Academy can one day see the light. Still the Coens were just too amazing.

Best Actor

GEORGE CLOONEY – Michael Clayton
DANIEL DAY-LEWIS – There Will Be Blood
JAMES McAVOY – Atonement
VIGGO MORTENSEN – Eastern Promises
ULRICH MÜHE – The Lives of Others

Nick (Cinemaromantico) would be pleased to see McAvoy nominated but let's be real, this is Day-Lewis's category, He owns it.

Best Actress

CATE BLANCHETT – Elizabeth: The Golden Age
JULIE CHRISTIE – Away From Her
MARION COTILLARD – La Vie en Rose
KEIRA KNIGHTLEY – Atonement
ELLEN PAGE – Juno

Nick, actually might be uber happy, Knightley gets nominated as well. But what the hell is up with Blanchett in Elizabeth? Seriously she wasn't that good in that one. I'll go with Julie Christie who was quite amazing.

Supporting Actor

JAVIER BARDEM – No Country for Old Men
PAUL DANO – There Will Be Blood
TOMMY LEE JONES – No Country for Old Men
PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN – Charlie Wilson’s War
TOM WILKINSON – Michael Clayton

I couldn't complain if anyone won in this category. Mr. Holbrook is missing (but he got the Oscar nod) so I'll role out with Mr. Hoffman.

Supporting Actress

CATE BLANCHETT – I’m Not There
KELLY MACDONALD – No Country for Old Men
SAMANTHA MORTON – Control
SAOIRSE RONAN – Atonement
TILDA SWINTON – Michael Clayton

Okay, yeah what the hell BAFTAs!? Where is Amy Ryan? I mean I appreciate the Kelly Macdonald nod and Samantha Morton (always fabulous) but seriously. Still all these performances were pretty damn good. Kelly Macdonald will have to act as my surrogate Amy Ryan on this one.

Well, that killed some time.