The Baftas are almost here, exciting news for the truly excellent British films which could well be rewarded: Lady Macbeth, The Death of Stalin, God’s Own Country. There could well be a final Bafta for one of Britain’s great screen actors, Daniel Day-Lewis (although he has dual citizenship with the Republic of Ireland) who is bowing out with a sensational performance, in fact one of his very best, as the enigmatic 1950s fashion designer Reynolds Woodcock in Paul Thomas Anderson’s Phantom Thread. My guess is that Guillermo Del Toro’s swooning romance The Shape of Water will be the big winner, but that Greta Gerwig’s tremendous autobiographical coming-of-age comedy Lady Bird will have a real showing, largely because of a possible win for Saoirse Ronan in the lead. It is a real disappointment that Bafta voters could not find it in their collective hearts to include a female director on the nomination list. This could have gone, in my view to Gerwig, or to Dee Rees for Mudbound, or even to the brilliantly talented Anna Biller for her The Love Witch. Anyway, here are my predictions:
Best film
Will win: The Shape of Water
Should win: Call Me by Your Name
Shoulda been a contender: Lady Bird
Outstanding British film
Will win: Darkest Hour
Should win: The Death of Stalin
Shoulda been a contender: I Am Not a Witch
Outstanding British debut
Will win: Lady Macbeth
Should win: Lady Macbeth
Shoulda been a contender: The Levelling
Film not in the English language
Will win: Elle
Should win: Loveless
Shoulda been a contender: Graduation
Best documentary
Will win: City of Ghosts
Should win: City of Ghosts
Shoulda been a contender: Cameraperson
Best animated film
Will win: Coco
Should win: Coco
Shoulda been a contender: Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie
Best director
Will win: Christopher Nolan for Dunkirk
Should win: Luca Guadagnino for Call Me by Your Name
Shoulda been a contender: Greta Gerwig for Lady Bird
Best original screenplay
Will win: Guillermo Del Toro and Vanessa Taylor for The Shape of Water
Should win: Jordan Peele for Get Out
Shoulda been a contender: Sally Potter for The Party
Best adapted screenplay
Will win: James Ivory for Call Me by Your Name
Should win: Armando Iannucci, Ian Martin and David Schneider for The Death of Stalin
Shoulda been a contender: Gaby Chiappe for Their Finest
Best actor
Will win: Daniel Day-Lewis for Phantom Thread
Should win: Daniel Day-Lewis for Phantom Thread
Shoulda been a contender: Makis Papadimitriou for Suntan
Best actress
Will win: Frances McDormand for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Should win: Saoirse Ronan for Lady Bird
Shoulda been a contender: Kristen Stewart for Personal Shopper
Best supporting actor
Will win: Hugh Grant for Paddington 2
Should win: Willem Dafoe for The Florida Project
Shoulda been a contender: Michael Stuhlbarg for Call Me by Your Name
Best supporting actress
Will win: Lesley Manville for Phantom Thread
Should win: Laurie Metcalf for Lady Bird
Shoulda been a contender: Catherine Keener for Get Out
Best music
Will win: Hans Zimmer for Dunkirk
Should win: Hans Zimmer for Dunkirk
Shoulda been a contender: Natalie Holt and Hildur Guðnadóttir for Journey’s End
Best cinematography
Will win: Roger Deakins for Blade Runner 2049
Should win: Roger Deakins for Blade Runner 2049
Shoulda been a contender: M David Mullen for The Love Witch
Best editing
Will win: Jonathan Amos and Paul Machliss for Baby Driver
Should win: Jonathan Amos and Paul Machliss for Baby Driver
Shoulda been a contender: Kim Jae-bum and Kim Sang-bum for The Handmaiden
