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In 1945, there is a saying attributed to Samuel Goldwyn that the A-bomb is like dynamite. Christopher Nolan’s historical biographical film Oppenheimer has received 13 Bafta nominations and is dominating the awards season. The movie features Cillian Murphy as J. Robert Oppenheimer, the man who invented nuclear weapons during the war. He is driven by the urgency to beat the Nazis in the race to create the bomb and is deeply affected by the success of the Trinity test in New Mexico. However, he also struggles with guilt and horror after the war. Bafta voters have been moved by the grand scale, ambition, and seriousness of this work by the talented British director. Its setting during wartime also adds to its prestige, similar to last year’s Bafta nominations which heavily favored “All Quiet on the Western Front.”
Barbie, the other side of the #Barbenheimer coin, has received a slightly cooler reception from Bafta voters. It has received five nominations, including a leading actress nomination for Margot Robbie and a supporting actor nomination for Ryan Gosling’s charming and captivating performance as Kendearing, Kentrancing (etc etc). The film has also been recognized for its production design, thanks to the amazing work of Sarah Greenwood and Katie Spencer. Oppenheimer, on the other hand, has received 11 nominations and stands as Yorgos Lanthimos’s darkly comedic masterpiece. While Lanthimos himself was not nominated for best director, Emma Stone’s portrayal of Bella Baxter, the alternative Victorian woman brought back to life through a bizarre Frankensteinian experiment, has earned her a well-deserved best actress nomination. It would be unwise to bet against Stone winning.
In other places, it is a remarkable accomplishment for the talented German actress Sandra Hüller, who has been nominated for best actress for her outstanding performance in Justine Triet’s courtroom drama Anatomy of a Fall. She portrays a stylish writer on trial for the murder of her husband. Additionally, she has been nominated for best supporting actress for her role in Jonathan Glazer’s powerful Holocaust-themed film The Zone of Interest. In this movie, she plays the reserved wife of the camp commandant at Auschwitz, living a seemingly normal life just outside the confines of the camp. It is thought-provoking to compare this film to Oppenheimer in its exploration of suppressed feelings of guilt and shame.
Martin Scorsese’s film Killers of the Flower Moon, based on a true crime story, is receiving a lot of attention from awards voters. However, its stars Lily Gladstone and Leonardo DiCaprio did not receive any acting nominations. The film focuses on the mass murder of Osage people in the early 20th century, which reflects the larger attempt to erase Native Americans from US history. Another notable film this awards season is Alexander Payne’s The Holdovers, a melancholy drama set in the 1970s. Lead actor Paul Giamatti, who received a BAFTA nomination, gained popularity on social media after his Golden Globes win and was later seen dining at his favorite In-N-Out Burger restaurant in LA. With a potential BAFTA win, perhaps he will be able to enjoy a meal at Nando’s as well.
As for the snubs – well, only three nods for Celine Song’s Past Lives is a travesty, and to miss it off the best film and best director list is disappointing. Emerald Fennell’s Brideshead 2.0 psychothriller Saltburn matches Barbie with five nominations, but this doesn’t represent how much of a talking point it’s been, chiefly for, it is alleged, being uncritically and unsatirically infatuated with its own Tatler-mag poshness. Maybe. But it’s directed and shot with gusto and Rosamund Pike has her well-deserved best supporting actress nod as the beautiful, distrait chatelaine of Saltburn itself.
The essence of the Baftas has consistently been focused on recognizing remarkable British films and debuts. Molly Manning Walker’s exceptional film “How to Have Sex” is rightfully acknowledged in both categories. However, I was disappointed to see no recognition for Glenda Jackson and Michael Caine in “The Great Escaper”, as well as for Sam H Freeman and Ng Choon Ping’s intense psychodrama “Femme”.
The enigmatic agreement among award predictors seems to be pointing towards Oppenheimer as the frontrunner. However, there is a chance that The Zone of Interest and Killers of the Flower Moon could divide the vote for “serious” films, allowing Poor Things and Emma Stone, with their wild and chaotic stories, to dominate the awards.
Source: theguardian.com
