So when the multi-award winning director, Mike Leigh, finally released the closest thing he has ever made to a "feel-good" film, he quickly earned a clutch of awards and glittering write-ups for Happy-Go-Lucky. Finally, the merchant of gloom had lightened up. But yesterday, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts was not rewarding him for his efforts. In spite of Happy-Go-Lucky's almighty acclaim in America, where the film's leading actress, Sally Hawkins, earned a Golden Globe and is hotly tipped for Oscar success, Leigh's work failed to garner a single Bafta nomination.
For his fans, the omission is an unforgivable snub. The Academy has "history" with Leigh, who has criticised its voting methods in the past.
Critics expressed their "astonishment" yesterday – and were even more alarmed that Hawkins' name was nowhere to be found on the best actress nominations list. Only last month the film picked up two accolades at the Los Angeles Film Critics Circle Awards, for best screenplay and best actress, and Hawkins was also recognised at the Berlin Film Festival last year as best actress. Barry Norman, the veteran film critic, said he regarded Happy-Go-Lucky as every bit as good as Slumdog Millionaire, which gained 11 nominations. He hailed Leigh as a "prophet without honour" who has earned greater recognition and accolades in Europe and America. "I can't understand why it's been neglected," he said.
Simon Beaufoy, the writer of Slumdog Millionaire, put the omission down to the traditional British "suspicion" of optimism.David Parfitt, chair of Bafta, said that while he had felt a "gentle personal concern that Leigh's film opened some time ago in Britain" (in April 2008), distributors had made sure it was sent to Bafta's 6,000 members casting their vote. He defended the nominations in the light of Hawkins' Golden Globe by saying the awards were "radically different", adding: "The Globes are chosen by a bunch of foreign hacks, and there's only around 50 of them. We are 6,000 industry professionals." He added: "He [Leigh] has had 12 nominations over the years."
Leigh declined to comment.
The Orange British Academy Film Awards nominations
* Best Film
The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
Milk
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire
* Outstanding British Film
Hunger
In Bruges
Mamma Mia!
Man On Wire
Slumdog Millionaire
* The Carl Foreman Award for Special Achievement by a British Director, Writer or Producer for Their First Feature Film
Simon Chinn, Producer - Man On Wire
Judy Craymer, Producer - Mamma Mia!
Garth Jennings, Writer - Son Of Rambow
Steve McQueen, Director/Writer - Hunger
Solon Papadopoulos/Roy Boulter, Producers - Of Time And The City
* Director
Changeling - Clint Eastwood
The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button - David Fincher
Frost/Nixon - Ron Howard
The Reader - Stephen Daldry
Slumdog Millionaire - Danny Boyle
* Original Screenplay
Burn After Reading - Joel Coen/Ethan Coen
Changeling - J Michael Straczynski
I've Loved You So Long - Philippe Claudel
In Bruges - Martin McDonagh
Milk - Dustin Lance Black
* Adapted Screenplay
The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button - Eric Roth
Frost/Nixon - Peter Morgan
The Reader - David Hare
Revolutionary Road - Justin Haythe
Slumdog Millionaire Simon Beaufoy
* Film Not In The English Language
The Baader Meinhof Complex
Gomorrah
I've Loved You So Long
Persepolis
Waltz With Bashir
* Animated Film
Persepolis
Walloe
Waltz With Bashir
* Leading Actor
Frank Langella - Frost/Nixon
Dev Patel - Slumdog Millionaire
Sean Penn - Milk
Brad Pitt - The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button
Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler
* Leading Actress
Angelina Jolie - Changeling
Kristin Scott Thomas - I've Loved You So Long
Meryl Streep - Doubt
Kate Winslet - The Reader
Kate Winslet - Revolutionary Road
* Supporting Actor
Robert Downey Jr - Tropic Thunder
Brendan Gleeson - In Bruges
Philip Seymour Hoffman - Doubt
Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight
Brad Pitt - Burn After Reading
* Supporting Actress
Amy Adams - Doubt
Penelope Cruz - Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Freida Pinto - Slumdog Millionaire
Tilda Swinton - Burn After Reading
Marisa Tomei - The Wrestler
* Music
The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button - Alexandre Desplat
The Dark Knight - Hans Zimmer/James Newton Howard
Mamma Mia! - Benny Andersson/Bjorn Ulvaeus
Slumdog Millionaire - AR Rahman
Walloe - Thomas Newman
* Cinematography
Changeling - Tom Stern
The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button - Claudio Miranda
The Dark Knight - Wally Pfister
The Reader - Chris Menges/Roger Deakins
Slumdog Millionaire - Anthony Dod Mantle
* Editing
Changeling - Joel Cox/Gary D Roach
The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button - Kirk Baxter/Angus Wall
The Dark Knight - Lee Smith
Frost/Nixon - Mike Hill/Dan Hanley
In Bruges - Jon Gregory
Slumdog Millionaire - Chris Dickens
* Production Design
Changeling - James J Murakami/Gary Fettis
The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button - Donald Graham Burt/Victor J Zolfo
The Dark Knight - Nathan Crowley/Peter Lando
Revolutionary Road - Kristi Zea/Debra Schutt
Slumdog Millionaire - Mark Digby/Michelle Day
* Costume Design
Changeling - Deborah Hopper
The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button - Jacqueline West
The Dark Knight - Lindy Hemming
The Duchess - Michael O'Connor
Revolutionary Road - Albert Wolsky
* Sound
Changeling - Walt Martin/Alan Robert Murray/John Reitz/Gregg Rudloff
The Dark Knight - Lora Hirschberg/Richard King/Ed Novick/Gary Rizzo
Quantum Of Solace - Eddy Joseph/Chris Munro/Mike Prestwood Smith/Mark Taylor
Slumdog Millionaire - Glenn Freemantle/Resul Pookutty/Richard Pryke/Tom Sayers/ Ian Tapp
Walloe - Ben Burtt/Tom Myers/Michael Semanick/Matthew Wood
* Special Visual Effects
The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button - Eric Barba/Craig Barron/Nathan McGuinness/ Edson Williams
The Dark Knight - Chris Corbould/Nick Davis/Paul Franklin/Tim Webber
Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull - Pablo Helman
Iron Man - Shane Patrick Mahan/John Nelson/Ben Snow
Quantum Of Solace - Chris Corbould/Kevin Tod Haug
* Make Up and Hair
The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button - Jean Black/Colleen Callaghan
The Dark Knight - Peter Robb-King
The Duchess - Daniel Phillips/Jan Archibald
Frost/Nixon - Edouard Henriques/Kim Santantonio
Milk - Steven E Anderson/Michael White
* Short Animation
Codswallop
Varmints
Wallace And Gromit: A Matter Of Loaf And Death
* Short Film
Kingsland £1 The Dreamer
Love You More
Ralph
September
Voyages D'Affaires (The Business Trip)
* The Orange Rising Star Award (voted for by the public)
Michael Cera
Noel Clarke
Michael Fassbender
Rebecca Hall
Toby Kebbell
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