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Double take for Helena in the battle for film honours
Louise Jury, Chief Arts Correspondent28 Jan 2008
Talents from Jamie Bell to Harold Pinter are in the running for the Evening Standard British Film Awards.
The longlist, announced today, builds on the success story of Atonement, starring Keira Knightley and James McAvoy, at the Golden Globes and in nominations for the Orange British Academy Awards.
The film secures a further seven nominations in the Standard's annual tribute to movie-making in the UK.
Control, the story of Joy Division's frontman Ian Curtis, which swept the board at the British Independent Film Awards, is in with four chances of glory.
But there is recognition, too, for several films which have been overlooked by other awards.
They include Sunshine, the Danny Boyle/Alex Garland sci-fi drama, Hallam Foe, the story of a teenage misfit starring Bell, and It's A Free World..., Ken Loach's latest bid to tug the nation's social conscience. Each film has secured three nominations.
There Will Be Blood, the saga of an American oil prospector, gets nods for both its highly acclaimed leading man, Daniel Day-Lewis, and for Jonny Greenwood, the Radiohead guitarist, for his ambitious score.
When Did You Last See Your Father?, the adaptation of Blake Morrison's memoir, also picks up two nominations - for Jim Broadbent and its young star Matthew Beard.
The breadth of British acting talent is revealed in the best actor and best actress categories.
Both Knightley and McAvoy get a shot at honours for their performances in Atonement, the war-time love story adapted from Ian McEwan's novel.
Romola Garai, their more understated co-star, is also in with a chance for best actress - with competition from the ranks of Samantha Morton, Tilda Swinton, Golden Globe winner Julie Christie and Helena Bonham Carter, who is listed for her witty turn as a pie shop owner in Sweeney Todd and the romance Conversations With Other Women.
McAvoy's rivals include newcomer Sam Riley for his portrayal of Curtis in Control, Bell, Broadbent, Day-Lewis and Gabriel Byrne in Australian drama Jindabyne.
The strength of British writing is also acknowledged with Pinter, Christopher Hampton and Ronald Harwood - as well as Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? creator Steven Knight - competing for best screenplay.
The variety ranges from The Magic Flute, Kenneth Branagh's film of the Mozart opera, to Brick Lane, director Sarah Gavron's adaptation of the Monica Ali novel.
Blue Blood, a low-budget documentary about students from Oxford University trying to make it into the Varsity boxing squad, is the wildcard entry for best film.
Music seemed so strong this year that the judges - Derek Malcolm and Charlotte O'Sullivan of the Evening Standard, James Christopher of The Times, Tim Robey of the Telegraph and Catherine Shoard of the Sunday Telegraph - instituted a best film score category to replace best comedy in what was deemed a poor year for humour.
Contenders alongside Greenwood include the songwriters for Once, a musical love story about a busker and an immigrant, and John Murphy and Underworld's score for Sunshine.
The results will be published in the Evening Standard on 4 February.
The Long List 2008
BEST FILM
Atonement (Joe Wright)
Blue Blood (Stevan Riley)
Control (Anton Corbijn)
Hallam Foe(David Mackenzie)
It's a Free World... (Ken Loach)
BEST ACTOR
Jamie Bell (Hallam Foe)
Jim Broadbent (And When did You Last See Your Father?)
Daniel Day-Lewis (There Will Be Blood)
Gabriel Byrne (Jindabyne)
James McAvoy (Atonement/Becoming Jane)
Sam Riley (Control)
BEST ACTRESS
Helena Bonham Carter (Conversations With Other Women/Sweeney Todd)
Julie Christie (Away From Her)
Romola Garai (Atonement)
Keira Knightley (Atonement)
Samantha Morton (Control)
Tilda Swinton (Michael Clayton)
BEST FILM SCORE
Jonny Greenwood (There Will Be Blood)
Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova (Once)
Jocelyn Pook (Brick Lane)
John Murphy and Underworld (Sunshine)
MOST PROMISING NEWCOMER
John Carney (Once)
Amy Carson (The Magic Flute)
Matthew Beard (And When Did You Last See Your Father?)
Saoirse Ronan (Atonement)
Kierston Wareing (It's a Free World...)
BEST SCREENPLAY
Matt Greenhalgh (Control)
Christopher Hampton (Atonement)
Ronald Harwood (The Diving Bell And The Butterfly)
Neil Hunter & Tom Hunsinger (Sparkle)
Steven Knight (Amazing Grace/Eastern Promises)
Paul Laverty (It's a Free World...)
Harold Pinter (Sleuth)
TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT
Roger Deakins cinematographer (The Assassination Of Jesse James/No Country For Old Men)
Chris Gill editor (Sunshine/28 Weeks Later)
Seamus McGarvey cinematographer,
Sarah Greenwood production designer, and Jacqueline Durran costume designer (Atonement)
Alwin Kuchler cinematographer (Sunshine)
Giles Nuttgens cinematographer (Hallam Foe)
Reader views (1)
Amy Carson is the obvious pick for best newcomer! Her acting is superb and is coupled with her singing and musical talent, which is sensational. Although a bizarre film, her combined singing and acting clearly distinguishes her from the crowd. With either of these alone, she should have made the shortlist, combined she should win hands down.
- Tom, London, 21/01/2008 18:00
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