‘Prejudice’ as Bond loses out to Lincoln on Bafta shortlists

Skyfall, Daniel Craig’s third outing in the 007 role, and Les Miserables, the big-screen version of Cameron Mackintosh’s hit musical, will battle it out with Steven Spielberg’s presidential biopic Lincoln and another American film, Life of Pi, at the British Academy Film Awards next month.

However, one critic said yesterday there was a historical “prejudice” against the Bond series after Skyfall failed to make the best feature film list.

Skyfall picked up eight nominations, including a best supporting actress mention for Dame Judi Dench in her swansong appearance as “M” and Javier Bardem for his role as the film’s main villain. The film was also shortlisted for outstanding British film, but Craig was left off the list for best actor.

Other experts were left bemused after Spielberg was overlooked for the best director prize, despite Lincoln leading the field with 10 nominations.

Britain’s equivalent to the Oscars has unveiled its contenders just a few days before the shortlist for the Academy Awards in Hollywood is published.

Both Les Miserables, which like Lincoln has yet to be released in the UK, and Ang Lee’s acclaimed adaptation of Booker-winning novel Life of Pi, picked up eight Bafta nominations. Along with Skyfall and Les Miserables, other British films to do well include home-grown director Joe Wright’s version of the classic Russian tragedy Anna Karenina, which scooped six nominations.

However The Hobbit, Peter Jackson’s latest fantasy blockbuster, was snubbed by the academy in all the main categories. And Tom Hooper, director of Les Miserables, also missed out in his category.

Britain’s Daniel Day-Lewis is nominated for leading actor for his uncanny embodiment of US president Abraham Lincoln, and there are supporting nominations for Sally Field as his wife Mary Todd Lincoln, and Tommy Lee Jones as abolitionist firebrand Thaddeus Stevens.

Amanda Berry, Bafta’s chief executive, said the ceremony was international and the race “wide open”, but added: “Looking back at 2012, which was such a big year for the UK, it feels right to see Skyfall there.”

However, film critic Richard Mowe said he felt a historical “prejudice” by the academy had counted against Skyfall making the best film shortlist.

“I don’t think it’s anything to do with wanting to recognise American films or being against British films being nominated in that category, it’s just something about the Bond films. They’ve never done particularly well at the Baftas.

“I really thought this was the year that might have changed with a director like Sam Mendes, the almost Shakespearean plot and the acting performances.”

Skyfall’s dramatic finale is set in Scotland, while Highlands-themed Disney adventure Brave was also nominated for best animated film, up against Frankenweenie and Paranorman.

Mr Mowe said the strong showing of both Skyfall and Brave would boost the industry north of the Border in the long term, with funding recently earmarked for a new studio complex in Glasgow and films set in Scotland, like World War Z, Cloud Atlas and Under the Skin still not released.

Two Glasgow film-makers, Johnny Barrington and Lynne Ramsay, are competing against each other in the short film category, for Tumult and Swimmer respectively.

Will Anderson, from Inverness, and Ainslie Henderson, from Edinburgh, are up for best animation short for The Making of Longbird, which has already scooped prizes at the Scottish Baftas and the Edinburgh International Film Festival.

Jude MacLaverty, director of Bafta in Scotland, said; “I am absolutely thrilled for Will and Ainslie. The Making of Longbird is an exceptional piece of work.”

Eyes on the prizes: Bafta awards list

Best Film

Argo

Les Miserables

Life Of Pi

Lincoln

Zero Dark Thirty

Outstanding British Film

Anna Karenina

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

Les Miserables

Seven Psychopaths

Skyfall

Outstanding Debut by British Writer, Director or Producer

Bart Layton, Dimitro Doganis - The Imposter

David Morris, Jacqui Morris - McCullin

Dexter Fletcher, Danny King - Wild Bill

James Bobin - The Muppets

Tina Gharavi - I Am Nasrine

Film Not in English Language

Amour n Headhunters

The Hunt n Rust And Bone

Untouchable

Documentary

The Imposter

Marley n McCullin

Searching For Sugar Man

West Of Memphis

Animated Film

Brave,

Frankenweenie

Paranorman

Director

Michael Haneke - Amour

Ben Affleck - Argo

Quentin Tarantino - Django Unchained

Ang Lee - Life Of Pi

Kathryn Bigelow - Zero Dark Thirty

Original Screenplay

Michael Haneke - Amour

Quentin Tarantino - Django Unchained

Paul Thomas Anderson - The Master

Wes Anderson, Roman Coppola - Moonrise Kingdom

Mark Boal - Zero Dark Thirty

Adapted Screenplay

Chris Terrio - Argo

Lucy Alibar, Benh Zeitlin - Beasts Of The Southern Wild

David Magee - Life Of Pi, left

Tony Kushner - Lincoln

David O Russell - Silver Linings Playbook

Leading Actor

Ben Affleck - Argo

Bradley Cooper - Silver Linings Playbook

Daniel Day-Lewis - Lincoln

Hugh Jackman

- Les Miserables

Joaquin Phoenix

- The Master

Leading Actress

Emmanuelle Riva - Amour

Helen Mirren - Hitchcock

Jennifer Lawrence

- Silver Linings Playbook

Jessica Chastain

- Zero Dark Thirty

Marion Cotillard

- Rust And Bone

Supporting Actor

Alan Arkin - Argo

Christoph Waltz

- Django Unchained

Javier Bardem - Skyfall

Philip Seymour Hoffman

- The Master

Tommy Lee Jones - Lincoln

Supporting Actress

Amy Adams - The Master

Anne Hathaway - Les Miserables

Helen Hunt - The Sessions

Judi Dench - Skyfall

Sally Field - Lincoln

Original Music

Anna Karenina

Argo

Life Of Pi n Lincoln

Skyfall

Cinematography

Anna Karenina

Les Miserables

Life Of Pi

Lincoln

Skyfall

Editing

Argo

Django Unchained

Life Of Pi

Skyfall

Zero Dark Thirty

Production Design

Anna Karenina

Les Miserables

Life Of Pi

Lincoln

Skyfall

Costume Design

Anna Karenina

Great Expectations

Les Miserables n Lincoln

Snow White And The Huntsman

Make-up and Hair

Anna Karenina

Hitchcock

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Les Miserables

Lincoln

Sound

Django Unchained

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Les Miserables

Life Of Pi n Skyfall

Special Visual Effects

The Dark Knight Rises

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, right

Life Of Pi

Marvel Avengers Assemble

Prometheus

Short Animation

Here To Fall n I’m Fine Thanks

The Making Of Longbird

Short Film

The Curse n Good Night

Swimmer n Tumult

The Voorman Problem

THE EE Rising Star Award

(voted for by the public)

Elizabeth Olsen

Andrea Riseborough

Suraj Sharma

Juno Temple

Alicia Vikander