The Constant Gardener reaps Bafta nominations (original) (raw)

The Constant Gardener leads this year's Bafta nominations with 10 nods, including best film, best actress for Golden Globe winner Rachel Weisz and best actor for her screen husband Ralph Fiennes, it was announced today.

The critically acclaimed film, based on the John Le Carre thriller set in the less-than-antiseptic world of multinational drug companies, has also been nominated for best direction (for its Brazilian director Fernando Meirelles), British film, adapted screenplay, film music, cinematography, editing and sound.

Brokeback Mountain, which swept the top prizes at the Golden Globes on Tuesday, follows closely with nine nominations, the same number as Crash, the US ensemble film which tackles the subject of race relations in Los Angeles.

It will be interesting to see how the spoils are divided between the Meirelles film, Ang Lee's gay cowboy romance and scriptwriter Paul Haggis's big screen directorial debut: Brokeback Mountain is running against The Constant Gardener in the best film, direction, cinematography, editing, adapted screenplay, actor and film music races, with Crash joining them in the first four categories. All are hot favourites in the Oscars race, whose nominations won't be announced until January 31.

One very tight race to watch is the one in the best supporting actor category, where George Clooney is running against himself: he was nominated for playing a grizzled CIA agent in Syriana and a principled television news producer in Good Night, and Good Luck. The multitalented actor is also up for best directing and best original screenplay Baftas for the latter, the drama about a US news presenter's stand against Senator Joseph McCarthy's anti-Communist witch-hunts. "What a versatile man he is. I hope George is sitting in the room when the winners are announced," said British Academy chairman Duncan Kenworthy.

Keira Knightley was snubbed in the best actress category but the film she starred in, Pride & Prejudice, took six nominations, including British film and the supporting actress category for Brenda Blethyn, who played her mother.

Wallace and Gromit creator Nick Park described himself as "absolutely delighted" with the film's nomination for best British movie.

The Baftas, which take place on February 19, are the biggest movie awards in the UK film calendar.