OSCAR WATCH: BAFTA Nominations

The BAFTA Film Award nominations were announced bright and early this morning, the last major nominations before "The Big One". Usually they fall in line with Oscar, but they are definitely independent thinkers and really choose who they think is best, which I like.

Best Picture
The Artist
The Descendants
Drive
The Help
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Best British Film
My Week With Marilyn
Senna
Shame
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
We Need To Talk About Kevin

Best Actor
Brad Pitt, Moneyball
Gary Oldman, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
George Clooney, The Descendants
Jean Dujardin, The Artist
Michael Fassbender, Shame

Best Actress
Berenice Bejo, The Artist
Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
Michelle Williams, My Week With Marilyn
Tilda Swinton, We Need To Talk About Kevin
Viola Davis, The Help

Best Supporting Actor
Christopher Plummer, Beginners
Jim Broadbent, The Iron Lady
Jonah Hill, Moneyball
Kenneth Branagh, My Week With Marilyn
Philip Seymour Hoffman, The Ides of March

Best Supporting Actress
Carey Mulligan, Drive
Jessica Chastain, The Help
Judi Dench, My Week With Marilyn
Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids
Octavia Spencer, The Help

Director
Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
Nicolas Winding Refn, Drive
Martin Scorcese, Hugo
Tomas Alfredson, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Lynne Ramsay, We Need To Talk About Kevin

Original Screenplay
The Artist, Michel Hazanavicius
Bridesmaids, Annie Mumolo, Kristen Wiig
The Guard, John Michael McDonagh
The Iron Lady, Abi Morgan
Midnight in Paris, Woody Allen

Adapted Screenplay
The Descendants, Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash
The Help, Tate Taylor
The Ides of March, George Clooney, Grant Heslov, Beau Willimon
Moneyball, Steven Zaillian, Aaron Sorkin
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Bridget O'Connor, Peter Straughan

Best Foreign Language Film
Incendies
Pina
Potiche
A Separation
The Skin I Live In

Best Animated Feature
The Adventures of Tintin
Arthur Christmas
Rango

Best Original Score
The Artist, Ludovic Bource
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross
Hugo, Howard Shore
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Alberto Iglesias
War Horse, John Williams

Best Cinematography
The Artist
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
War Horse

Best Editing
The Artist
Drive
Hugo
Senna
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Best Art Direction
The Artist
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2
Hugo
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
War Horse

Best Costume Design
The Artist
Hugo
Jane Eyre
My Week With Marilyn
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Best Sound
The Artist
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2
Hugo
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
War Horse

Best Visual Effects
The Adventures of Tintin
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2
Hugo
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
War Horse

Best Make Up & Hair
The Artist
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2
Hugo
The Iron Lady
My Week With Marilyn

Best Animated Short
Abuelas
Bobby Yeah
A Morning Stroll

Best Short Film
Chalk
Mwansa The Great
Only Sound Remains
Pitch Black Heist
Two and Two

Best Documentary Feature
George Harrison: Living In The Material World
Project Nim
Senna

Surprises:
- Well we knew they would acknowledge the home talent, but did they take it too far? Unusual nominations for The Iron Lady (Screenplay, Supporting Actor) and My Week With Marilyn (Supporting Actress). I haven't seen either, so I can't comment on whether they are deserved or not. Meanwhile, they failed to acknowledge Harry Potter for Best British Film.
- Berenice Bejo in Lead Actress. Possible category confusion for Academy voters?