By Reuters
LONDON, Feb 21 (Reuters) — A vampire thriller, an action-packed dark comedy and a Shakespearean heartbreaker go head-to-head at the British Academy Film Awards on Sunday evening, with experts tipping Hamnet as the film to beat.
Britain’s highest film honours will see Hamnet, One Battle After Another and Sinners battle for the prestigious Best Film prize.
Home advantage for ‘Hamnet’
Tim Richards, founder and chief executive of Vue Cinemas, believes the contest is tight but says home advantage could give the edge to Chloé Zhao’s adaptation of the Maggie O’Farrell novel.
“I think it’s going to be about Hamnet,” Richards said. “And certainly One Battle After Another is another extraordinary film, but Hamnet, just for the BAFTA itself, feels like the kind of movie BAFTA will go for.”
Leading actress: Buckley the favourite
Richards also tipped Hamnet for success in the leading actress category, praising Jessie Buckley’s performance.
“The performances are amazing across the board,” he said, “but Jessie Buckley took it to another level and has got to be the shoo-in for leading actress at the BAFTAs.”
Leading actor: Hope for an upset
In the leading actor category, Timothée Chalamet is considered the favourite for his role in Marty Supreme, according to Digital Spy movies editor Ian Sandwell.
However, Sandwell said he was hoping for a surprise win by British nominee Robert Aramayo for I Swear.
“Sometimes the BAFTAs throw out a surprise in these leading actor categories to reward a local lad,” he said. “It would be absolutely brilliant to see him win on the night.”
Supporting categories: European flavour
The supporting actor and actress categories remain wide open, though Sandwell suggested a strong European influence could shape the results.
Because Sentimental Value has received numerous nominations, he said, “you tend to get more of a European feel to a lot of the winners at the BAFTAs.”
He added that Stellan Skarsgård and Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas appear to be safe bets, though wins for Jacob Elordi (Frankenstein), Paul Mescal (Hamnet) and Wunmi Mosaku (Sinners) would not be surprising.
Two films to watch
Richards predicted the ceremony’s top honours would likely be shared.
“They will give either Hamnet best director or best movie, and One Battle After Another will get what Hamnet doesn’t,” he said. “The BAFTAs have done that in the past to reward two extraordinary films.”
The BAFTA Film Awards take place on Sunday evening in London, with winners expected to influence momentum ahead of the Academy Awards.
© Reuters. Published by Credibility Media and Entertainment Ltd under licence.
