The nominations for the 2016 EE BAFTA Film Awards were announced on Friday morning and come the actual ceremony on Sunday, February 14th, some nominees are sure to have their hearts broken by not winning the category they’re up for. Of course, a sure-fire way to lose is to not actually be nominated in the first place…
Here’s my Top 5 of potential worthy winners that have already lost out by being snubbed at this year’s BAFTA Film Awards:
1) BEST FILM – INSIDE OUT
INSIDE OUT has been nominated for Best Animated Film, but I think its popularity and success could have elevated it for consideration in the Best Film category instead. INSIDE OUT marked a return to form for Pixar, and it’s imaginative concept seems to have won praise all round.
INSIDE OUT was a break-out hit from its genre; so while it’s heartening that BAFTA has recognised it as a good animated film, perhaps the Academy should’ve been bold and recognised it as a good film full stop?
2) BEST FILM – MAD MAX: FURY ROAD
MAD MAX: FURY ROAD proved itself to be a big hit with audiences and critics alike, topping many polls for 2015’s Best Film. Except BAFTA’s own poll, as the Academy has decided to omit this title from its Best Film category. Although the film has earned 7 BAFTA nominations in total, in production and design-based fields, perhaps MAD MAX was just too popular for its own good?; and, to be the ‘best’ in BAFTA’s eyes means more obscurity and less box office success?
3) LEADING ACTOR – TOM HARDY
Fans were in for a treat with LEGEND, when their admission ticket bought them quality time with not one, but two ‘Tom Hardy‘s’ – as he starred as infamous East End gangsters Ronnie and Reggie Kray. Dual-roles are not always easy to pull off – it takes more than donning a pair of glasses, or slightly changing an accent for them to work effectively; and Hardy seemed to capture the nuanced difference of the Kray twins with panache.
Again, perhaps Hardy’s popularity counted against him here, hence why his acting was overlooked?
4) LEADING ACTOR – PAUL DANO
I just knew that Paul Dano‘s transformative turn in LOVE & MERCY as Beach Boys founder Brian Wilson, and his unflinching depiction of Wilson’s struggles with mental illness, would be overlooked by the time the awards season arrived – and Dano’s omission is one of my biggest disappointments. I still think Dano was robbed of a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for his portrayal of a fanatical preacher in THERE WILL BE BLOOD, and would much rather have seen Dano take home an award than industry favourite Daniel Day Lewis. I hope Dano keeps grafting away and is one day recognised for his work.
5) LEADING ACTRESS – CAREY MULLIGAN
A very surprising snub for Carey Mulligan here, as her performance in SUFFRAGETTE lit up the screen and generated an Oscar buzz to boot. Mulligan’s Maud made an impressive cinematic journey from being a downtrodden factory-worker to becoming a fearless campaigner of women’s rights. Will the Oscars follow the BAFTA’s lead, or will Mulligan earn herself a second Best Actress nomination?
What was the biggest surprise or shock for you? Share your thoughts below!
