The hit film Joker leads the nominations for Sunday’s BAFTA awards but 1917 is hotly tipped for best film at the last major prize ceremony before the Oscars. Hollywood stars will pack the Royal Albert Hall in London for the glitzy bash, where Joaquin Phoenix and Renee Zellweger are tipped to scoop the main acting awards.
The psychological thriller Joker, with Phoenix in the Batman villain title role, leads the way with 11 nominations, followed by crime flick The Irishman and comedy-drama Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. However, Sam Mendes’ World War I epic 1917, which has nine nominations, is the favourite to win the best film and best director categories.
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts’ 73rd annual movie awards could indicate which way the Oscars might go in Los Angeles on February 9. Last year, Bafta gave the best acting prizes to Rami Malek and Olivia Colman; Alfonso Cuaron won best director, and Mahershala Ali won best supporting actor -- honours all replicated at the Academy Awards.
Top five
At this year’s British event, the same five movies fill the best film and best director nominations.
Joining 1917 and Mendes are Joker (Todd Phillips); South Korean comedy thriller Parasite (Bong Joon-ho); The Irishman (Martin Scorsese), and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood by Quentin Tarantino. In the best actor category, Phoenix is up against Leonardo DiCaprio (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood), Adam Driver (Marriage Story), Taron Egerton (Rocketman) and Jonathan Pryce (The Two Popes).
The best actress nominees are Zellweger for her turn as Judy Garland in Judy, Scarlett Johansson (Marriage Story), Saoirse Ronan (Little Women) and Charlize Theron (Bombshell).
Tom Hanks, Anthony Hopkins, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci and Brad Pitt are vying for the best supporting actor BAFTA.
The best supporting actress gong will be disputed between Johansson for the six-times nominated Jojo Rabbit, Laura Dern, Florence Pugh and Margot Robbie. —HT
