One appears to have a nomination ... Helen Mirren in The Queen
Who said cinema-going was for kids? Recent research into British habits has revealed that the audiences for The Queen are - as one UK distributor puts it - "staggeringly old." Apparently, 59% of the audience that went to see The Queen was over 55 - a truly startling statistic when one considers that most movies are geared at teenagers and young adults.
Vue's Tim Richards recently described the "greying, baby-boom population" - as exhibitors call these older cinemagoers - as "the fasting growing segment of the business." They also seem to be exercising a strong influence on this year's film awards. Details on the average age of Bafta's voting members are hard to uncover. "We don't give out that kind of information," a Bafta spokesperson says.
Nonetheless, the members clearly appreciate actors of a certain vintage. What's striking about this year's nominations is the emphasis on well-seasoned talent. Peter O'Toole, 74, is in the running for best actor for his role as the ageing thesp in Roger Michell's Venus. His co-star Leslie Phillips, 82, has received a supporting actor nomination. Judi Dench, 72, Helen Mirren, 61, Richard Griffiths, 59, Meryl Streep, 57, and Jack Nicholson, 69, are also contenders for major awards.
Their presence underlines an encouraging trend: intelligent, provocative films which don't just give lead roles to the latest teen stars are being made in increasing numbers.
The haul of 10 nominations for The Queen was easy enough to predict. It has been one of the best reviewed and best marketed films of the year. Nor is the showing of Guillermo del Toro's Pan's Labyrinth (eight nominations) and Babel (seven nominations) unexpected. Strong art-house movies usually register with Bafta members.
The real surprise is the nine nominations for Casino Royale. James Bond's 21st outing has been a box office phenomenon, but it has pleased the critics and Bafta voters too. In normal years, you might expect a Bond movie to get a nod or two for technical excellence, but Casino Royale is up for awards in most of the major categories including best actor, screenplay and outstanding British film.
There are some strange omissions. For example, Ken Loach's Cannes winner The Wind That Shakes The Barley is absent from the shortlist. Nonetheless, the wealth and variety of British actors and film-makers in contention for Baftas suggests the UK production is in rude health.
At last year's Bafta awards, there was some embarrassment that Hollywood went off with all the gongs. That doesn't look likely to happen this time round. Recent changes to the tax legislation may have made it more difficult for British producers to get their movies financed, but there is clearly plenty of talent - young and old - out there for them to harness.
