Thoughts on this season's BAFTA nominations
Tuesday, January 10, 2017 at 10:18AM 
La La Land was the not unexpected leader for the BAFTA nominations. Slightly less known ahead of time was what film would threaten its leader status and that is arguably more surprising: divisive Nocturnal Animals tied for second place with the not very divisive Arrival with nine nominations each.
The film suffering the most this morning from lack of BAFTA love is surely Loving, which had the advantage of a popular new homegrown star Ruth Negga but missed in all categories but for "Rising Star" for Ruth Negga. The nominations in all categories after the jump...
Best film
- Arrival
- I, Daniel Blake
- La La Land
- Manchester by the Sea
- Moonlight
I, Daniel Blake which was the Palme D'Or winner last summer and which has just opened in the US is nominated in both of BAFTA's Best Picture categories. Shouldn't they actually just have Outstanding Non-British Film and British Film to prevent the doubling up.
Outstanding British film
- American Honey
- Denial
- Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
- I, Daniel Blake
- Notes on Blindness
- Under the Shadow
Perhaps there was a tie? Denial came and went with next to no fanfare in the States but across the Atlantic this BAFTA nod suggests a much warmer reception. The UK's foreign language film submission for Oscar, the Tehran set horror film Under the Shadow will eventually find its US audience when it hit Netflix later this month but in release in the States it only made $31,000 (Yours truly contributed to that gross).
Director
The Nocturnal Animals team (pictured here at TIFF) have reason to celebrate today
- Damien Chazelle - La La Land
- Tom Ford - Nocturnal Animals
- Ken Loach - I, Daniel Blake
- Kenneth Lonergan - Manchester by the Sea
- Denis Villeneuve - Arrival
It's fairly horrifying to see Moonlight's Barry Jenkins left off of this list! If this comes to pass with Oscar we will be very very sad and the director's branch will deserve all the ire that comes their way. We'll assume the BAFTA shrug is due to its US southern atmosphere. Notice that Loving didn't make their lists at all!
Leading actress
- Amy Adams - Arrival
- Emily Blunt - The Girl on the Train
- Natalie Portman - Jackie
- Emma Stone - La La Land
- Meryl Streep - Florence Foster Jenkins
It's the exact SAG list, whoa. With Emily Blunt rising again. Though it should be noted that the Globe winning Huppert was not eligible for this particular award due to Elle's very very late release in the UK. Best Actress just won't settle down this year but this can't be good news for Oscar hopeful Ruth Negga who is more well known in the UK than in the US.
Leading actor
- Casey Affleck - Manchester by the Sea
- Andrew Garfield - Hacksaw Ridge
- Ryan Gosling - La La Land
- Jake Gyllenhaal - Nocturnal Animals
- Viggo Mortensen - Captain Fantastic
Okay. Hear me out. I know that many of you are less than thrilled with my loathing of Nocturnal Animals. But I am always able to separate overall feelings about a film with its disparate elements. For instance, I've long maintained that a Michael Shannon nomination for this picture would not be at all undeserved and even though I wouldn't nominate them, I would understand Production Design or Cinematography or Score impulses. But Jake Gyllenhaal?!? He's one of my personal favorite movie stars, as you know, so I'm predisposed to ENJOY his work but I think this is his weakest performance in quite some time. And in place of the towering magnificence of Denzel Washington or the quiet character work of Joel Edgerton or [insert several more names here] ? I can't. I just can't. I cannot. WHAT?
P.S. Guy Lodge shared the startling fact today that Denzel Washington, one of the world's most enduring and Oscared movie stars, has never been nominated for a BAFTA.
Supporting actress
- Viola Davis - Fences
- Naomie Harris - Moonlight
- Nicole Kidman - Lion
- Hayley Squires - I, Daniel Blake
- Michelle Williams - Manchester by the Sea
I Daniel Blake's supporting actress lands the spot we've seen Hidden Figures occupy in US awards shows.
Supporting actor
- Mahershala Ali - Moonlight
- Jeff Bridges - Hell or High Water
- Hugh Grant - Florence Foster Jenkins
- Dev Patel - Lion
- Aaron Taylor-Johnson - Nocturnal Animals
Aaron Taylor Johnson again, huh. Just a week ago everyone thought his Globe nomination was a fluke. Now he's got a win and a BAFTA nomination. Is his creepy performancing harnessing the power of the entertainment's industry's terrror about all the racist, sexist, uneducated sociopaths who are currently throwing so much of the world into disarray right now? If so maybe he is getting nominated. The other four men are looking locked up for Oscar now after so many nominations. This leaves Lucas Hedges (again, as we've stated multiple times due to his age) more vulnerable to being ousted from the Oscar lineup.
Original screenplay
- Hell or High Water - Taylor Sheridan
- I, Daniel Blake - Paul Laverty
- La La Land - Damien Chazelle
- Manchester by the Sea - Kenneth Lonergan
- Moonlight - Barry Jenkins
As a reminder The Lobster was not eligible as it was BAFTA nominated last year since it waited so long for a US release. (Was 20th Century Women ineligible or was it just stiffed for inferior work?)
Adapted screenplay
- Arrival - Eric Heisserer
- Hacksaw Ridge - Robert Schenkkan, Andrew Knight
- Hidden Figures - Theodore Melfi, Allison Schroeder
- Lion - Luke Davies
- Nocturnal Animals - Tom Ford
No Fences? grrrr.
Outstanding debut by a British writer, director or producer
Under the Shadow well received at home.
- The Girl with All the Gifts - Mike Carey (writer), Camille Gatin (producer)
- The Hard Stop - George Amponsah (writer/director/producer), Dionne Walker (writer/producer)
- Notes on Blindness - Peter Middleton (writer/director/producer), James Spinney (writer/director), Jo-Jo Ellison (producer)
- The Pass - John Donnelly (writer), Ben A William (director)
- Under the Shadow - Babak Anvari (writer/director), Emily Leo, Oliver Roskill, Lucan Toh (producers)
If you've seen these movies speak up! How do you feel about this category. It's the rare awards category where we haven't seen enough of the nominees to have an opinion and would have to abstain from voting.
Film not in the English language
- Dheepan - Jacques Audiard, Pascal Caucheteux
- Julieta - Pedro Almodovar
- Mustang - Deniz Gamze Erguven, Charles Gillibert
- Son of Saul - Laszlo Nemes, Gabor Sipos
- Toni Erdmann - Maren Ade, Janine Jackowski
Due to the lack of unity in release dates we have an interesting mix of two of 2015's Best Foreign Language Film nominees, a Cannes winner from two summers ago, Oscar-snubbed Julieta (which Spain submitted this year but it didn't make the finals) and future Oscar nominee Toni Erdmann. From this list I am 100% a Mustang man. You?
Documentary
- The Beatles: Eight Days a Week - The Touring Years
- The Eagle Huntress
- Notes on Blindness
- 13th
- Weiner
Notes on Blindness and the Beatles are not in the running for the Oscar race in this category. With OJ Made in America, the television miniseries which has been hogging feature prizes this season, out of the running which film do you suppose takes the BAFTA?
Animated film
- Finding Dory
- Kubo and the Two Strings
- Moana
- Zootropolis
Why only four nominees? And with only four why Finding Dory (which is increasingly forgotten... at least in this brain... and feels more and more like a disposable cash grab as it fades?)
Original music
- Arrival - Johann Johannsson
- Jackie - Mica Levi
- La La Land - Justin Hurwitz
- Lion - Dustin O'Halloran, Hauschka
- Nocturnal Animals - Abel Korzeniowski
Arrival was deemed ineligible for the Oscar race. Strangely, given the Golden Globe love for the movie, Nocturnal Animals was not nominated for score there. Can Abel Korzeniowski (who has 2 Globe nods, 1 BAFTA nod, and 3 Emmy nods already) nab his first Oscar nomination?
The Original Score nominations willl be interesting to watch with Oscar this year. The Academy music branch is generally very very wary of "new" composers -- preferring to keep the nominations in the branch house. If these nominations were to transfer direct to Oscar (sans Arrival) there would be no previous nominees nominated which I believe has never happened in my entire lifetime with Oscar's historically most insular category.
Cinematography
- Arrival - Bradford Young
- Hell or High Water - Giles Nuttgens
- La La Land - Linus Sandgren
- Lion - Greig Fraser
- Nocturnal Animals - Seamus McGarvey
Another field of strong contenders that, with the exception of Seamus McGarvey, would be first time Oscar nominees.
Editing
- Arrival - Joe Walker
- Hacksaw Ridge - John Gilbert
- La La Land - Tom Cross
- Manchester by the Sea - Jennifer Lame
- Nocturnal Animals - Joan Sobel
No offense intended but I'm struggling to see how Manchester by the Sea keeps pulling down editing nods at every show with such ease. And over Moonlight of all things in this case, a film that is so obviously and artfully edited? Usually being "obvious" helps in this category. *cries* Note: there is nothing whatsoever wrong with MbtS's editing but "Best" of its year? A bit of a head scratcher.
Production design
Is Nocturnal Animals getting production design nods for its hillbilly sociopath filth or the art world emptiness?
- Doctor Strange - John Bush, Charles Wood
- Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them - Stuart Craig, Anna Pinnock
- Hail, Caesar! - Jess Gonchor, Nancy Haigh
- La La Land - Sandy Reynolds-Wasco, David Wasco
- Nocturnal Animals - Shane Valentino, Meg Everist
All of these films were also up for Art Directors Guild nominations - albeit spread across three different categories
Costume design
- Allied - Joanna Johnston
- Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them - Colleen Atwood
- Florence Foster Jenkins - Consolata Boyle
- Jackie - Madeline Fontaine
- La La Land - Mary Zophres
Allied is a bit of a surprise given that film's low impact but Marion Cotillard and Brad Pitt did look sensational throughout.
Make-up and hair
- Doctor Strange - Jeremy Woodhead
- Florence Foster Jenkins - J Roy Helland, Daniel Phillips
- Hacksaw Ridge - Shane Thomas
- Nocturnal Animals - Donald Mowat, Yolanda Toussieng
- Rogue One: A Star Wars Story - Nominees to be confirmed
Of these nominations only Florence Foster Jenkins can repeat at Oscar. It's the only one of these films that made the American Academy's finals
Sound
- Arrival - Claude La Haye, Bernard Gariepy Strobl, Sylvain Bellemare
- Deepwater Horizon - Mike Prestwood Smith, Dror Mohar, Wylie Stateman, David Wyman
- Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them - Niv Adiri, Glenn Freemantle, Simon Hayes, Andy Nelson, Ian Tapp
- Hacksaw Ridge - Peter Grace, Robert Mackenzie, Kevin O'Connell, Andy Wright
- La La Land - Mildred Iatrou Morgan, Ai-Ling Lee, Steve A Morrow, Andy Nelson
Special visual effects
- Arrival - Louis Morin
- Doctor Strange - Richard Bluff, Stephane Ceretti, Paul Corbould, Jonathan Fawkner
- Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them - Tim Burke, Pablo Grillo, Christian Manz, David Watkins
- The Jungle Book - Robert Legato, Dan Lemmon, Andrew R. Jones, Adam Valdez
- Rogue One: A Star Wars Story - Neil Corbould, Hal Hickel, Mohen Leo, John Knoll, Nigel Sumner
British short animation
- The Alan Dimension - Jac Clinch, Jonathan Harbottle, Millie Marsh
- A Love Story - Khaled Gad, Anushka Kishani Naanayakkara, Elena Ruscombe-King
- Tough - Jennifer Zheng
British short film
- Consumed - Richard John Seymour
- Home - Shpat Deda, Afolabi Kuti, Daniel Mulloy, Scott O'Donnell
- Mouth of Hell - Bart Gavigan, Samir Mehanovic, Ailie Smith, Michael Wilson
- The Party - Farah Abushwesha, Emmet Fleming, Andrea Harkin, Conor MacNeill
- Standby - Charlotte Regan, Jack Hannon
EE Rising Star award (voted for by the public)
- Laia Costa
- Lucas Hedges
- Tom Holland
- Ruth Negga
- Anya Taylor-Joy
Since that last category is voted on by the public, which name would be on your ballot?
Reader Comments (73)
Time to update the Oscar charts!
When I was in the UK people were very divided about Nocturnal Animals (loved it or hated it) but it was a bit of a hit (everyone I know saw it) and has been out for some time. I think Moonlight suffers from being a late release over there, that's why Jenkins was left off (same with Denzel maybe?)
I think with the Globes win and the Bafta nod Taylor-Johnson is definitely in at the Oscars, at the expense of Hedges. My guess is that the supporting actor category will match 5 for 5 with BAFTA.
Oh and as much as I had issues with Silence, I am shocked it hasn't been cited for Cinematography, perhaps its strongest element.
I would pick Ruth Negga for the BAFTA of Rising Star
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I didn't expect so much love for Nocturnal Animals, in spite of being aware it is the kind of movie the British Academy tends to love... but 9 nominations?! Gosh! I would see it nominated in Film, Director, Supporting Actor (actually, I predicted Taylor-Johnson here, to be honest), Adapted Screenplay and Score, but reaching a total of 9 and not including Best Film is just... no words!
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Sad The Handmaiden and The Little Prince didn't take a seat between the nominees... and that Denzel Washington snub is just atrocious, specially when you have Garfield nominated
Nocturnal Animals cleaning up!! Wow!
Wow, this really brings Best Actress into focus. Sadly, it means we can probably rule out Bening and Negga. I mean, BAFTA hosted an event for 20th Century Women. This is a loud snub.
That late December release date is an utter shame. I adore Annette Bening but even I can't root for her because I haven't been able to see the film yet!
I'll be surprised if it's not Stone/Portman/Adams/Huppert/Streep. Anyone who breaks into that lineup will do it by sheer luck. And meddling with that final five could cost us Huppert, which would not be a happy surprise.
Mess. Emily Blunt, really? People finally wanna nominate her, and it's for that mess of a movie?
Hasn't Denzel never been nominated for a BAFTA? So strange.
At the very least, at least they showed massive love to a British film that won't be heralded by any other awards organization. That's what they've been missing the past few years.
I think Taylor-Johnson is in at this point, again at Hedges' expense. It's a showy role, if nothing else, perhaps showier than Shannon's-that's probably what's getting it there. I still don't see him winning the Oscar, though.
Blunt feels like she's going to be a just-miss. I suspect Streep, Adams, Portman, and Stone are locked up now, and it's hard to imagine Huppert being the first person ever to win GG Best Actress in a Drama outright (without having won in a tie) to not then get a nomination at the Oscars in the same year. MacLaine had the tie going against her, and Winslet got in for a different film-Huppert has neither of those going against her, so we're talking history if she doesn't make it. I doubt that happens. She's the fifth slot.
Is Blunt really a thing now!? If the line up is indeed Portman/Streep/Stone/Adams/Huppert at The Oscar's look out for Adams. She could take this whole thing.
I mentioned in another thread that there is tremendous buzz about NOCTURNAL ANIMALS in LA. It's a love it or hate it experience, but its absolutely unforgettable. The huge nom count here for the film doesnt surprise me and I think its possible it could get some unexpected Oscar nominations as well.
I've said this before, but I'll say it again: If I hear the word "Nocturnal" on the morning of January 24th I'm really going to have a stroke. This BAFTA love is truly ridiculous. And Emily Blunt??? Did we watch the same film? Where is Annette!?
The doubling up of Best British vs Best Film isn't necessarily indicative of anything like the sense you credit BAFTA with. Going back to Howard's End being a better film than The Crying Game as a "film", but The Crying Game being a better British film than Howard's End. Nil By Mouth / The Full Monty...
If anything this might suggest Daniel Blake isn't getting British film!
Were Ruth Negga and Lucas Hedges omitted because they are up for Rising Star. That's my only sane explanation for their omissions.
So happy Dheepan was nominated! Such an excellent film that came and went here and wasn't even given much critical love. Mustang is even better, much better than the overrated Son of Saul. Looking forward to seeing the other two.
And I'll repeat my minority view (especially on this website) that Moonlight is mediocre and I'm more annoyed that it was nominated for Best Picture than that Barry Jenkins was "snubbed" (God, I hate that word).
Aaron Taylor-Johnson's sudden rise to relevance is the happiest surprise of the awards season. Jackie's continuing slide is the most depressing.
Sad to see "Jackie" continue to miss out on picture, director, original screenplay, etc. An infinitely stronger film than "La La Land" in every aspect.
Rami -- i think people just don't like it is the issue. And when people don't like a film they are unlikely to vote for it in categories in which it is deserving. It takes a more discerning mind that huge voting bodies have to make those distinctions.
Good nominations overall. Sad for the lack of love for Loving. Was 20th Century Women eligible? I cannot believe Bening keeps getting ignored for probably the best performance of her career. I love all of the ladies that are in conversation, but Bening should really rank in the Top 3 with Portman and Huppert.
There also seems to be a real lack of love for Jackie. Very surprising that this movie came out strong from the festivals only to be possibly seeing 2-3 nominations.
I thought SAG was a fluke. With a year as rich as this one, this Best Actress lineup is a mess.
The Gyllenhaal nomination is ridiculous.
Jackie might do better with the older, American voters of the AMPAS who lived through the events and may feel more personally connected to the history. It perhaps shouldn't surprise that neither BAFTA or the HFPA would be terribly responsive to it.
I'm so psyched for Blunt, the fact that she's been better in better films and still ignored doesn't change tht she carries that garbage heap to pretty dizzying heights. Or at least soars pretty high in spite of said garbage heap. As opposed to say, Aaron Taylor-Johnson just making his character even grosser than necessary. What a shame if he beats Mahershala Ali. Once is too much, I don't want him anywhere near the Oscars.
I actually kind of enjoyed Nocturnal Animals, but this is laughable. It's high-end trash! And really not a good look for it to be knocking off so many black-starred movies here (Moonlight in directing, Fences for actor, and so on.)
re MbtS editing - it's not at all surprising. The tragic flashback sequence is an excellent showpiece (despite the ultimately overbearing music) and the film overall has a really interesting, distinctive off-kilter rhythm that also reflects an interesting worldview and philosophical approach.
I'm totally with you re. Gyllenhaal. Love him and don't entirely blame him for the shittiness of the performance (not with that writing and direction). But the shittiness is undeniable nonetheless.
Meantime I'm almost ecstatic that Moonlight missed out on certain nominations just so it punishes the UK distributor who decided to withhold its release til LATE FREAKING FEBRUARY! Ditto 20th Century Women. I'm so furious
I think people tend to forget that Aaron Taylor-Johnson is playing a fictional character in a book that Amy Adams is reading. He isn't supposed to be 'real' - if anything he is supposed to a gross and villainous exaggeration of Adams herself filtered through the authorial lens of her ex husband.
No Moonlight in Cinematography is a joke.
Well, I'm not that surprised they snubbed Negga. They did the same thing with Olivia Colman, Vanessa Redgrave and Timohty Spall recently.
Gyllenhaal is miscast in Nocturnal Animals.
Hayley Squires is the thing I like the most of I, Daniel Blake. She has a killer scene.
Probably The Beatles Documentary, right?
Laia Costa
As I commented last night, BAFTA is no fan of Denzel Washington (despite that career prize the LA branch gave him in 2007).
I can't wrap my head around Gyllenhaal getting in over Egerton or Denzel. I think Gyllenhaal was terrific in Nocturnal Animals but I can't think of him as Best Actor contender here. I think how his character's arc is handled is what really deters him from serious Best Actor consideration. The story within a story isn't deep or meaningful enough to give him anything more to do than just be sad and angry for an hour of the film.
Aaron Taylor Johnson OVER Michael Shannon!?! Shannon was BY AND FAR the best thing that came out of this movie and should be the one getting the attention from BAFTA, Globes, and SAG.
Are people conflating the performance element from the film, yes the film is a mess but Blunt is pretty good in it.
So pleased to see UNDER THE SHADOW show up, as well. That tiny gross got my $10 too
I guess serious awards recognition for Aaron Taylor-Johnson is what we all deserve after Brexit and the election of Trump.
The industry buzz on FENCES (in L.A.) is very very mixed. I hear lots of praise for the performances and lots of complaints that the film is too 'stagey' and not rethought enough for the medium of film -- since its a town of film snobs, some seem to be turning their nose at it for perhaps that reason. Denzel is so beloved in the states, his Best Actor nomination seems assured, but I think the film is much more vulnerable in the non-performance categories.
I don't get BAFTA's Rising Star category. Ruth Negga has been in the business for awhile now, albeit in mostly TV things in the UK. Tom Holland? Still a kid, but has also been acting professionally for at least a decade, right?
In our global economy, movies should just open at the same time every where. The fact that Negga isn't nominated for a BAFTA is kind of ridiculous but I wonder if it's due to delayed release.
And Weiner for doc at BAFTAs? Why do they care? So many better docs to choose from. They should have consulted Glenn Dunks.
So, so happy to see a late surge for Nocturnal Animals!!! Yay!
OK, Emily Blunt though...Girl on a Train was one of the worst films of 2016. Are they for real? If she knocks out Isabelle Huppert at the Oscars...
Haley Bennett gave a better performance than Emily too. Weird.
Brady I think you are right, I can see Fences missing in the adapted screenplay category.
I want, no I NEED your thoughts on Moonlight snubs here and Jackie overall. I just can't fathom how they are missing out on any nominations. Moonlight is far and away my favorite of the year (and you know I'm a musical guy) with Arrival a close second. Is it finally hitting a wall of gay panic or racism? I don't want to think that is it but...
I think you're confusing LA with NY, Paris...well, anywhere, come to think of it...
@ken s: Carey Mulligan was nom for both best actress n rising star in 2009, winning for the moment. So i believe Negga n Hedges were in consideration but din nake the cut.
Sad tt there is no luv for Love n Friendship! Was hopin Beckingsale can finally recv some recognition, considering its her hone turf
Cant help but feel that race came to play, when Washington, Negga n Jenkins were snubbed in the major cat. I know they need a de facto homegrown nominee, but why Blunt when thr's Beckingsale n Negga giving betta performances?
I guess best actress nom r more or less sealed up now, w Stone, Portman, Adams, Streep n Huppert making it.
Girl on the Train was trash, but Emily Blunt was undeniably excellent. The nom is for her, not the film. I'm not hating it, her getting a nom, she was really good.
Also, lay off Aaron T-J. He did what was required of him, he did it well. I'm as surprised as anyone it's getting all this awards attention. He wouldn't be in my top 5. But again, don't hate on HIM.
Shame on the distributors for messing up the UK release dates on Elle, 20th Century Women, Moonlight etc. (shame for Huppert & Benning)
Nathaniel -- Guy Lodge tweeted a comment form a BAFTA voter this morning. It's hilarious and depressing at the same time.
A surprisingly boring list, all told.
Am pretty shocked that Denzel lost out. His previous Oscar nominations have come from late-UK-releases that either missed the eligibility period or were not widely seen in time. On this occasion he was again a late-release (next month in the UK) but was bested by Andrew Garfield who is also a late release. Shame on you voters - did you even watch Fences!?
I'll call it first - both Viola and Naomie will lose to Hayley Squires (put an against-the-grain option by an "unknown" on a BAFTA nominations list and they will charge to the win).
The least-expected and most heartbreaking omission is Ruth Negga.
@ Kermit
He's never been nominated before, so no biggie.
Deadpool haters' freakout in 3...2...1...
@ Paul Outlaw - sorry, my droning and confusing point was that his previous snubs have always had extenuating circumstances (typically late releases that missed eligibility or last-minute screeners so he was barely in front of voters before they completed their ballots).
This time, he had the same problem as before - except Andrew Garfield did too and more voters preferred Garfield!!!??? I'm a bit ashamed to be British...
@ kermit
Point definitely taken, but since I wasn't expected him to be nominated, I was already at peace with it. I don't mind the Garfield nod that much, because as much as I hated Hacksaw Ridge (that's food for another post) I appreciated Garfield in it. Still, this Best Actor slate is...odd.
I am SO with you on Nocturnal Animals: Hate, hate, HATED that movie.
Also with you on Edgerton. Great performance in a good movie.
I continue to be baffled by the tepid awards reception that Fences has received, particularly in light of all of the high praise it got following advance screenings. One can't even say that it peaked too early.
My thoughts: Hayley Squires is in a leading role, so this is another example of category fraud. But it's nice at least that she got the nomination and that they thought outside the box. Moonlight hasn't opened here in the UK yet - indeed, it won't open until Oscar weekend, so I'm afraid there's little buzz on it here at present, other than in awards-race circles. Same with Jackie, same with Fences. Then again, same also with Hacksaw Ridge, so it's surprising that Garfield got in. La La Land and Manchester by the Sea are opening this week, so finally I'll be able to see two of the top awards contenders.
For the record, Streep has never been nominated for the SAG/BAFTA/Globe for the same role and not gotten an Oscar nomination. Closest she's come are The River Wild and The Hours, both of which she went 2/3 with SAG/BAFTA/Globe and missed with Oscar. In terms of straight precursors, her missing would be the biggest upset of her Oscar career.
I don't detest Nocturnal Animals the way some do, but I will be livid if this movie is rewarded more at the Oscars than A Single Man, Tom Ford's INFINITELY better directorial debut.
I just don't see what all the fuss is about Nocturnal Animals. It's entertaining, campy, bizarre and eerily beautiful, but that's as far as it goes. ATJ is very good, but this seems like a strange train to jump on.
And Meryl simply does not deserve a nomination for FFJ. Very good work, but once again, awards bodies should not rubberstamp her.