Red Carpet Lineup: Best of the BAFTAs & the CCAs

by Nathaniel R

Lady Gaga, Juliette Lewis, and Alana Haim all looking very glam over the weekend

Last night the stars had to choose between the BAFTAs and the Critics Choice Awards but the nominations did some of the choosing for them. For the Hollywood stars that were nominated in both locals, the choice was easy: BAFTA across the pond! When it comes to fashion, beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder so I can't begin to pretend that you'll agree with these selections as "best" or the roughly ascending order.  But consider this weekend's ceremonies a warm-up to Oscar fashions. Apologies to Jada Pinkett Smith and Melanie Lynskey -- couldn't find full length images but they looked elevated in their style but also exactly like themselves which is often the perfect choice for a  glamourous night out.

Okay, before the top nine, six looks to consider and share your opinion of, please...

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Oscar Volley: It's a Best Supporting Actress lovefest!

Our Oscar Volley series continues with Cláudio Alves and Nick Taylor doing a deep dive on a category near and dear to their hearts...

NICK: First, quick introductions! What drew us to this category, you ask? The Supporting Actress category was one of my favorite fields to rummage through when I was initially exploring the Oscars. Tilda Swinton, Lupita Nyong’o, Sandy Dennis, Thelma Ritter, Mo’Nique, Dianne Wiest, Agnes Moorehead - all led me to new ideas about film and performance I hadn’t dreamed of before then. Watching talented actresses carve out whole worlds from the corners of their films became one of my favorite things to search for in movies.

I have a very specific memory of discovering the Supporting Actress Smackdown after watching Kramer vs Kramer for the first time only a few weeks after the podcast on 1979 dropped and listening to the discussion with rapt attention. And then the 1948 episode came out like, the next day! Gave me wild misconceptions on how fast things updated, lemme tell you...

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A conversation with a secret SAG voter

by Nathaniel R

A special treat for you today, dear readers. Yesterday I spoke to a SAG voter I've known for awhile now about their ballot choices.  I can't reveal their identity, of course, since they're not allowed to speak publicly about their votes. But we can share that they are actively working in the industry, and they do read The Film Experience from time to time (hence how we are acquainted).

We hope this conversation offers some incites into what it's like to get a ton of screeners at the end of the year and have to make these choices for your ballot.

NATHANIEL: Hello! Thanks for agreeing to do this. I know you've been a member of the Screen Actors Guild for some years but is this your first time serving on the actual Nominating Committee?

SAG VOTER: Yes. I  got an email in the summer that I had been randomly selected and whether I could meet the requirements. I was excited to influence the awards in a small way. But honestly, I think I saw visions of advance screenings dancing in my head.

And, now you're probably just sitting at home watching screener after screener. So glamorous! 

I haven’t left my couch (thanks, COVID) and I could open a DVD store. (But of course, SAG legal team, I will not. I will destroy them all as required by law.)

Before the avalanche of screeners hit, what had you seen that you were already a fan of?

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BIFA Nominations: Is "Belfast" a David or a Goliath?

by Nathaniel R

In extremely good news for presumed Oscar frontrunner Belfast, they're still running as a "David" rather than a "Goliath" in the Oscar race. That's by way of a leading the British Independent Film Award nominations without truly hogging the spotlight since Kenneth Branagh's charming memoir film missed in the big categories like Film and Director. It still leads the nominations by way of across the board love in the craft categories. It's funny because we initially thought it might have the opposite problem at the Oscar. Yes, it's a period drama but it's not particularly flashy about its craft elements (beyond the black & white cinematography and the Van Morrison songscape). Tying it for most nominations, 9, is a continuous shot movie called Boiling Point by Philip Barantini.

Five other films also scored six or more nominations suggesting the juries had a small pool to choose from or only loved seven films. The Souvenir Part II, Censor, Ali & Ava, The Nest, and After Love were all obviously well regarded, too. A complete list of nominations and more after the jump...

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Red Carpet Lineup: Best, Boldest, and Most Basic BAFTA Beauties

Nathaniel here since our fashion expert Jose Solis is unavailable to share his red carpet expertise. Argh! Unlike Jose I cannot tell you who these actresses are wearing -- my gawking is strictly actress-focused. But have I ever told you about my favorite "category" on red carpets? It's "Actresses Who Show up in Costumes as Fictional Characters Nobody Has Invented Yet" which is just what Noomi Rapace and Anya Taylor Joy did at this weekend's BAFTAs! 

Boldest: Noomi & Anya

What kind of fictional characters are these? Please help me write those character profiles in the comments won't you? More gowns from superstars like Emma Stone, Penélope Cruz, and Nicole Kidman follow after the jump...

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