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Story by: Jack Foley
AS predicted by many pundits, Anthony Minghella's Cold
Mountain leads the nominations for this year’s Bafta
awards, with 13 nominations.
The American Civil War epic gained one more nomination than The
Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, and looks to be
the favourite in the best film category, which it will contest
with the likes of Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
and Lost in Translation.
Failing that, Cold Mountain could also triumph in the best British
film category, where it is up against the likes of Love
Actually and Calendar Girls,
while Jude Law and Anthony Minghella are both nominated for best
actor and director, respectively.
The shortlist was officially announced by presenter, Stephen
Fry, at a ceremony on Monday, January 19, and is said to ‘demonstrate
the depth of British talent’.
Of the other British biggie of the year, Richard Curtis’
Love Actually picked up three nominations, including one for best
supporting actor, for Bill Nighy, although it was expected to
perform a little better.
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Hollywood’s big guns were in abundance, however, with Peter
Jackson’s Lord of the Rings finale expected to be the biggest
challenger to Minghella.
It is in the running for best film, as well as a number of technical
categories, mirroring the Bafta recognition for the other two
films in the successful trilogy.
The biggest surprise, however, came in the acting categories,
where both Sean Penn and Scarlett Johansson unusually scooped
two nominations each in their respective sections.
Penn is nominated for his roles in dramas Mystic
River and 21 Grams, which
will pitt him against 21 Grams co-star, Benicio Del Toro, as well
as Bill Murray (Lost in
Translation) and Johnny Depp (Pirates
of the Caribbean), while hotly-tipped Johansson is shortlisted
for Girl with a Pearl Earring
and Lost in Translation.
Also up for best actress are Uma Thurman, for Kill
Bill: Volume One (which wasn’t recognised in the best
film category, despite making the long-list), Anne Reid, for The
Mother, and Naomi Watts, for 21 Grams.
Best director nominees include Peter Jackson, Sofia Coppola and
Peter Weir.
The awards will be presented on February 22.
Best film shortlist
Big Fish
Cold Mountain
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Lost in Translation
Master and Commander: The
Far Side of the World
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