Supervillain origin story crowding out better films, while the lack of diversity in the acting categories is infuriating
The Bafta nominations have been announced and the list contains an innovation for which insiders have been calling for years: a new category for casting directors, whose work and years of amassed contacts and expertise is so important and yet often overlooked. Maybe the most notable nominee here is Sarah Crowe, for her contribution to Armando Iannucci’s sparkling new version of Dickens’ David Copperfield, with its terrific, diverse ensemble cast.
A nice pick, though it’s very disappointing that Copperfield didn’t rate a mention anywhere else; this is just the kind of smart take on the classics that Bafta should be recognising. There is also a lack of diversity on the acting lists, which has infuriated many. It isn’t quite true to say that Bafta has not recognised Awkwafina, the star of The Farewell; she is in fact in the rising star category. But it is very depressing that, for example, Bafta voters did not recognise the superlative Cynthia Erivo for her tremendous performance as the anti-slavery campaigner Harriet Tubman in Harriet.