Whenever the Academy Award nominations are revealed, entertainment pundits dust off that famous phrase uttered by the English screenwriter Colin Welland in his 1982 Oscar acceptance speech – “the British are coming!” – before claiming that this is a particularly good year for “home-grown talent”. It happened in 2009 with Slumdog Millionaire, and again in 2011 with The King’s Speech.
Well, we’re certainly not coming this year. This afternoon’s announcement from the Academy featured a few desultory nods to British filmmakers and actors, but nothing to get the Los Angeles party supply shops ordering in extra supplies of Union Jack bunting.
Most gratifyingly, Gary Oldman received a best actor nomination, long overdue, for his beautifully reserved performance in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, with the same film receiving a nod for best adapted screenplay. Kenneth Branagh was shortlisted for best supporting actor for his Laurence Olivier impression in My Week With Marilyn, the jazz-inflected animation Chico & Rita (a British co-production, made on the Isle of Man) was nominated for best animated feature, and Janet McTeer was shortlisted for best supporting actress for her performance in Albert Nobbs, a film that hasn’t yet been picked up for UK release. And as far as the higher-profile categories were concerned, that was it.
Is that the best we could do? Far from it: the last 12 months have yielded some extraordinary work from British actors and filmmakers, none of which seems to have registered on the Oscar voters’ collective radar.
There was no sign of a best actor nomination for Michael Fassbender for his work in Shame (he’s half-German, half-Irish, but he describes himself as a Londoner, so we’ll have him), nor one for Tilda Swinton, who was mesmerising in We Need To Talk About Kevin. Carey Mulligan didn’t make the cut, despite being electric in both Shame and Drive, nor did Olivia Colman, who was devastating in Tyrannosaur. (Although in fairness to the Academy, if even Bafta can’t get their collective act together and nominate Colman for Tyrannosaur, there’s no reason to expect the Americans to do it).
There was a yawning great gap where best director nods for Steve McQueen and Lynne Ramsay should have been, for the way their unique talents and directorial vision shaped Shame and We Need To Talk About Kevin – two of the most finessed, comprehensively brilliant films of the last year, and both of which deserve of a best picture nomination.
In fact, all things considered, it's almost more impressive to not be nominated for an Oscar this year. I'd like to offer my sincerest congratulations to all of the incredibly talented people who won't get a thing. And remember: it's not the not winning that matters, it's the not taking part.
Well, we’re certainly not coming this year. This afternoon’s announcement from the Academy featured a few desultory nods to British filmmakers and actors, but nothing to get the Los Angeles party supply shops ordering in extra supplies of Union Jack bunting.
Most gratifyingly, Gary Oldman received a best actor nomination, long overdue, for his beautifully reserved performance in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, with the same film receiving a nod for best adapted screenplay. Kenneth Branagh was shortlisted for best supporting actor for his Laurence Olivier impression in My Week With Marilyn, the jazz-inflected animation Chico & Rita (a British co-production, made on the Isle of Man) was nominated for best animated feature, and Janet McTeer was shortlisted for best supporting actress for her performance in Albert Nobbs, a film that hasn’t yet been picked up for UK release. And as far as the higher-profile categories were concerned, that was it.
Is that the best we could do? Far from it: the last 12 months have yielded some extraordinary work from British actors and filmmakers, none of which seems to have registered on the Oscar voters’ collective radar.
There was no sign of a best actor nomination for Michael Fassbender for his work in Shame (he’s half-German, half-Irish, but he describes himself as a Londoner, so we’ll have him), nor one for Tilda Swinton, who was mesmerising in We Need To Talk About Kevin. Carey Mulligan didn’t make the cut, despite being electric in both Shame and Drive, nor did Olivia Colman, who was devastating in Tyrannosaur. (Although in fairness to the Academy, if even Bafta can’t get their collective act together and nominate Colman for Tyrannosaur, there’s no reason to expect the Americans to do it).
There was a yawning great gap where best director nods for Steve McQueen and Lynne Ramsay should have been, for the way their unique talents and directorial vision shaped Shame and We Need To Talk About Kevin – two of the most finessed, comprehensively brilliant films of the last year, and both of which deserve of a best picture nomination.
In fact, all things considered, it's almost more impressive to not be nominated for an Oscar this year. I'd like to offer my sincerest congratulations to all of the incredibly talented people who won't get a thing. And remember: it's not the not winning that matters, it's the not taking part.
Best Picture
Tilda Swinton as Eva in Lynne Ramsay's We Need To Talk About Kevin
