The Last of the Precursors

With the Academy’s nominations on the way tomorrow morning, we’re very very close to getting some major questions answered at last. Did foreign fare like “Amour” and “The Intouchables” register? Is Nicole Kidman’s performance in “The Paperboy” really going to snag a spot? Can anyone from “The Master” besides Philip Seymour Hoffman make it? Did enough voters see “Django Unchained” in time (and are they even on board with it if they did)? What about Tom Hooper’s divisive choices on “Les Miserables?” Lots to ponder.

That said, the Directors Guild, one of the most reliable precursors, released its nominations yesterday, and it was ultimately a predictable five: Steven Spielberg, Ben Affleck, Hooper, Kathryn Bigelow and Ang Lee. That left Tarantino, David O. Russell, P.T. Anderson, Benh Zeitlin, Wes Anderson and Sam Mendes all out in the cold, and the fact that those were all distinct possibilities should tell you something about this season. The tricky spot there was Ang Lee’s slot, since “Life of Pi” hasn’t really been sparking the same kind of passionate following as some of those left-out contenders, but it’s clearly bold enough in an agreeable sort of way. Odds are that the Academy will go the same way tomorrow, but you never know.

Then this morning we had the BAFTA nominations, always worth a look because they can give us a peek at what the Academy’s sizable British branch might be thinking. And indeed, the limeys had a few surprises up their sleeves, notably big snubs for Steven Spielberg and Tom Hooper in Best Director (though “Lincoln” still led the field with 10 total nominations). They also planted their flag for Michael Haneke’s “Amour,” giving it Screenplay, Director and Actress nods in addition to Foreign Language Film.

If “Skyfall” was really going to make a major move anywhere, this was it, but the acclaimed action film actually couldn’t even garner as many nominations as “Casino Royale” did back in 2007. Still, BAFTA confirmed that Judi Dench and Javier Bardem are strong threats in the supporting categories. Meanwhile, we can pretty much put to rest any talk of “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” popping up at the Oscars, since it couldn’t get anywhere besides Best British Film here – honestly, it’s a little shocking that not even Maggie Smith could find her way in, but there we are.

The biggest story might actually be the love for “Argo.” Though it didn’t get the total nominations of “Lincoln” or “Les Mis,” it was never going to be a flashy design showcase like those films, and it appeared everywhere that it needed to and more at the BAFTAs – the Brits are the first group to single out Affleck not only for his direction but his acting as well. Put on top of a host of minor critics’ awards that the film has been collecting for the past couple weeks, and “Argo” has some nice little momentum back. It looks like the debate over torture in “Zero Dark Thirty” might be a bigger roadblock than expected for its awards success.

Anyway, check out the full slate of BAFTA nominations below – is there anything here you’d like to see replicated tomorrow morning? (See you bright and early, Seth MacFarlane and Emma Stone!)

2012 BAFTA Nominations

Best Film:

• Argo
• Life of Pi
• Lincoln
• Les Miserables
• Zero Dark Thirty

Best British Film:

• Anna Karenina
• The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
• Les Miserables
• Seven Psychopaths
• Skyfall

Best Director:

• Michael Haneke, “Amour”
• Ben Affleck, “Argo”
• Quentin Tarantino, “Django Unchained”
• Ang Lee, “Life of Pi”
• Kathryn Bigelow, “Zero Dark Thirty”

Best Actor:

• Ben Affleck, “Argo”
• Bradley Cooper, “Silver Linings Playbook”
• Daniel Day-Lewis, “Lincoln”
• Hugh Jackman, “Les Miserables”
• Joaquin Phoenix, “The Master”

Best Actress:

• Jessica Chastain, “Zero Dark Thirty”
• Marion Cotillard, “Rust and Bone”
• Jennifer Lawrence, “Silver Linings Playbook”
• Helen Mirren, “Hitchcock”
• Emmanuelle Riva, “Amour”

Best Supporting Actor:

• Alan Arkin, “Argo”
• Javier Bardem, “Skyfall”
• Philip Seymour Hoffman, “The Master”
• Tommy Lee Jones, “Lincoln”
• Christoph Waltz, “Django Unchained”

Best Supporting Actress:

• Amy Adams, “The Master”
• Judi Dench, “Skyfall”
• Sally Field, “Lincoln”
• Anne Hathaway, “Les Miserables”
• Helen Hunt, “The Sessions”

Best Original Screenplay:

• Michael Haneke, “Amour”
• Quentin Tarantino, “Django Unchained”
• P.T. Anderson, “The Master”
• Wes Anderson, “Moonrise Kingdom”
• Mark Boal, “Zero Dark Thirty”

Best Adapted Screenplay:

• Chris Terrio, “Argo”
• Lucy Alibar, Benh Zeitlin, “Beasts of the Southern Wild”
• David Magee, “Life of Pi”
• Tony Kushner, “Lincoln”
• David O. Russell, “Silver Linings Playbook”

Best Foreign Language Film:

• Amour
• Headhunters
• The Hunt
• The Intouchables
• Rust and Bone

Best Documentary:

• The Imposter
• Marley
• McCullin
• Searching for Sugar Man
• West of Memphis

Best Animated Film:

• Brave
• Frankenweenie
• ParaNorman

Best Cinematography:

• Anna Karenina
• Life of Pi
• Lincoln
• Les Miserables
• Skyfall

Best Production Design:

• Anna Karenina
• Life of Pi
• Lincoln
• Les Miserables
• Skyfall

Best Costume Design:

• Anna Karenina
• Great Expectations
• Les Miserables
• Lincoln
• Snow White and the Huntsman

Best Film Editing:

• Argo
• Django Unchained
• Life of Pi
• Skyfall
• Zero Dark Thirty

Best Makeup & Hair:

• Anna Karenina
• Hitchcock
• The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
• Lincoln
• Les Miserables

Best Original Music:

• Anna Karenina
• Argo
• Life of Pi
• Lincoln
• Skyfall

Best Sound:

• Django Unchained
• The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
• Life of Pi
• Les Miserables
• Skyfall

Best Visual Effects:

• The Avengers
• The Dark Knight Rises
• The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
• Life of Pi
• Prometheus

Best Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer:

• Thina Garavi (writer/director), “I Am Nasrine”
• Bart Layton (writer) and Dimitri Doganis (producer), “The Imposter”
• David Morris (director) and Jacqui Morris (director/producer), “McCullin”
• James Bobin (director), “The Muppets”
• Dexter Fletcher (writer/director) and Danny King (writer), “Wild Bill”

Rising Star Award:

• Elizabeth Olsen
• Andrea Riseborough
• Suraj Sharma
• Juno Temple
• Alicia Vikander