Costume drama 'The Favourite' leads BAFTA awards nominations

[January 09, 2019]   By Marie-Louise Gumuchian

LONDON (Reuters) - "The Favourite" led the nominations for the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) awards on Wednesday, with 12 nods for the costume drama that has already won its leading actress Olivia Colman critical acclaim and several prizes.

The comedy sees Colman play Britain's 18th-century Queen Anne as a frail and insecure royal, easily influenced by her close friend Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough, portrayed by Oscar winner Rachel Weisz.

When maid Abigail arrives, the relationship is tested as both women fight for the queen's affection.

"The Favourite" will compete for Best Film, Outstanding British Film, Original Screenplay - and in the Director category for Yorgos Lanthimos - at the British film awards next month.

Colman, Weisz and Emma Stone, who plays Abigail, are all nominated and the film has also been recognized for Editing, Cinematography, Make Up & Hair, Production Design and Costume Design.

Queen movie "Bohemian Rhapsody", space drama "First Man", Netflix film "Roma" and musical remake "A Star Is Born" each received seven nominations. Political comedy "Vice" got six.

Joining "The Favourite" on the Best Film list are comedy-drama "Green Book", set in the segregated U.S. deep South in the early 1960s, "A Star Is Born", Spike Lee's "BlacKkKlansman" and "Roma".

That black and white Mexican movie, seen as a major Oscar contender, is also in the running for Film Not In The English Language and its director Alfonso Cuaron, who triumphed at the Golden Globes on Sunday, will compete against Greece's Lanthimos in the Director category.

They are joined by directors Lee, Bradley Cooper for "A Star Is Born" and Pawel Pawlikowski for "Cold War".

In the Leading Actress competition, Colman faces fellow Golden Globe winner Glenn Close for "The Wife", pop star Lady Gaga in "A Star Is Born", Viola Davis for "Widows" and Melissa McCarthy for "Can You Ever Forgive Me?".

Christian Bale, who portrays former U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney in "Vice", Rami Malek, who takes on the role of late Queen frontman Freddie Mercury in "Bohemian Rhapsody", and "Green Book" actor Viggo Mortensen are nominated for Leading Actor.

Completing that list is Cooper for "A Star Is Born" and Steve Coogan for "Stan & Ollie".

The contenders for the Supporting Actor prize are Mahershala Ali for "Green Book", Richard E. Grant for "Can You Ever Forgive Me?", Sam Rockwell for "Vice", Timothee Chalamet in "Beautiful Boy" and Adam Driver in "BlacKkKlansman".

Claire Foy, Amy Adams and Margot Robbie join Stone and Weisz in the Supporting Actress race, respectively for "First Man", "Vice" and "Mary Queen of Scots".

The winners will be announced on Feb. 10 in London.

(Reporting By Marie-Louise Gumuchian; additional reporting by Jayson Mansaray, editing by Larry King and Andrew Heavens)

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