The BAFTA nominations were announced bright and early this morning with the always lovely Gemma Arteton and Hayley Atwell (of "St. Trinians" fame) and there were very few surprises. The big contenders were all given plenty of nods with Danny Boyle's "Slumdog Millionaire" and David Fincher's "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" leading the charge with 11 nominations apiece! Interestingly, 2008's undisputed blockbuster, "The Dark Knight", received 8 nominations (albeit in technical categories for the most part).
No guesses for picking out the rest of the pack with "The Reader", "Revolutionary Road" and "The Wrestler" slugging it out with each other for the big awards. And Kate Winslet, who put on quite a show at this week's Golden Globes, has nabbed two nominations in the same category. She'll be up for Best Actress in a lead role for "Revolutionary Road" AND "The Reader" - so the safe money is on her then?!
A mention should also go out to Clint Eastwood's brilliant "Changeling". Rather shunned by the Golden Globes, the Angelina Jolie-starring effort receives much more kudos from its British cousins in today's event.
Below is a full list of all the major nominations;
BEST FILM
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
FROST/NIXON
MILK
THE READER
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM
HUNGER
IN BRUGES
MAMMA MIA!
MAN ON WIRE
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
LEADING ACTOR
FRANK LANGELLA "Frost/Nixon"
DEV PATEL "Slumdog Millionaire"
SEAN PENN "Milk"
BRAD PITT The "Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
MICKEY ROURKE "The Wrestler"
LEADING ACTRESS
ANGELINA JOLIE "Changeling"
KRISTIN SCOTT THOMAS "I've Loved You So Long"
MERYL STREEP "Doubt"
KATE WINSLET "The Reader"
KATE WINSLET "Revolutionary Road"
SUPPORTING ACTOR
ROBERT DOWNEY JR. "Tropic Thunder"
BRENDAN GLEESON "In Bruges"
PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN "Doubt"
HEATH LEDGER "The Dark Knight"
BRAD PITT "Burn After Reading"
SUPPORTING ACTRESS
AMY ADAMS "Doubt"
PENÉLOPE CRUZ "Vicky Cristina Barcelona"
FREIDA PINTO "Slumdog Millionaire"
TILDA SWINTON "Burn After Reading"
MARISA TOMEI "The Wrestler"
THE CARL FOREMAN AWARD for Special Achievement by a British Director, Writer or Producer for their First Feature Film
SIMON CHINN Producer - "Man On Wire"
JUDY CRAYMER Producer - "Mamma Mia!"
GARTH JENNINGS Writer - "Son of Rambow"
STEVE McQUEEN Director/Writer - "Hunger"
SOLON PAPADOPOULOS / ROY BOULTER Producers - "Of Time And The City"
DIRECTOR
CHANGELING Clint Eastwood
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON David Fincher
FROST/NIXON Ron Howard
THE READER Stephen Daldry
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE Danny Boyle
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
BURN AFTER READING Joel Coen / Ethan Coen
CHANGELING J. Michael Straczynski
I'VE LOVED YOU SO LONG Philippe Claudel
IN BRUGES Martin McDonagh
MILK Dustin Lance Black
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON Eric Roth
FROST/NIXON Peter Morgan
THE READER David Hare
REVOLUTIONARY ROAD Justin Haythe
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE Simon Beaufoy
ANIMATED FILM
PERSEPOLIS
WALLE
WALTZ WITH BASHIR