The 2006 British Academy Film Awards (BAFTAs) have been announced. The largest number of nominations went to The Constant Gardener (10), Crash (9), and Brokeback Mountain (9). All three films were nominated for best picture, while The Constant Gardener (above) also received a best British film nod. Mirroring the trend on the western side of the Atlantic, the best picture contenders are all relatively "small" (at least partly) American-financed films. The other two nominees are Capote and Good Night and Good Luck.
Peter Jackson's King Kong only managed three nominations, all in the technical categories, whereas Steven Spielberg's Munich, probably because of a screener snafu, was completely shut out. Considering how the British Academy awards tend to favor British talent (in international productions) whenever possible, it was surprising not to find Keira Knightley in the best actress race, even though Pride & Prejudice did receive six nominations, including best British film. Woody Allen's British-made Match Point was also nowhere to be found.
By landing a best actor nomination for his performance in The Constant Gardener, Ralph Fiennes has finally received the well-deserved recognition that critics and other award-giving groups this side of the Atlantic have thus far denied him. Just as appropriately, Rachel Weisz was nominated for the same film as best actress in a leading role. (Showing how arbitrary it all is, in the U.S. Weisz has been touted as a best supporting actress; in fact, she has just won a Golden Globe in that category.)
In the best foreign-language film shortlist, the biggest surprise was the inclusion of Ismaël Ferroukhi's Le Grand voyage, about a reactionary Muslim father and his wayward son on a road trip to Mecca. The relatively little-seen film has to date received few awards or nominations.
Besides getting a best director nod for Good Night and Good Luck., George Clooney is competing against himself as best supporting actor — he's up for both Good Night and Good Luck. and Syriana (above). (Clooney won't be able to repeat that feat come Oscar nomination time. According to the rules of the US-based Academy, performers cannot be nominated more than once in the same category.)
Besides himself, Clooney is competing against Matt Dillon and Don Cheadle for Crash (Cheadle should have been nominated instead as best actor for Hotel Rwanda, but wasn't), and the miscast leading man of Brokeback Mountain, Jake Gyllenhaal. (The well-cast one was Heath Ledger, who got a best actor nod, and so did Michelle Williams as a supporting actress.)