From the Times Online
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-2544355_1,00.htmlBafta for Bond?
Devika Bhat and Elsa McLaren
Daniel Craig has confounded his critics and become the first actor to be nominated for a Bafta for playing James Bond in a list heavy with British talent.
The blond-haired actor, whose selection for the sought-after role was initially met with much scepticism, was today awarded for his efforts with a nomination for best actor in a leading role.
In a further triumph for UK talent, The Queen – a depiction of the monarch in the wake of the death of Princess Diana – has topped the list with 10 nominations.
The glimpse into Royal life, directed by Stephen Frears, impressed the 6,000 members of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, as did the performance of Dame Helen Mirren, who has been nominated for best actress.
The 61-year-old has already picked up a clutch of awards for her performance, including the best actress prize at the Venice Film Festival, and has been nominated for a Golden Globe.
As favourite she will be competing against Penelope Cruz for Volver, Dame Judi Dench for Notes On A Scandal, Kate Winslet for Little Children and Meryl Streep for The Devil Wears Prada.
The raft of nominations for The Queen and Casino Royale, which got a total of nine, bodes well for the Oscars.
The stature of the Baftas has been transformed since 2001, when they were moved to a pre-Oscars slot. Hollywood now views the British awards as a barometer of success at the Academy Awards and nominations will be seen as crucial by the leading studios.
Both films are up against each other for the Alexander Korda Award for the Outstanding British Film of the Year. United 93, the story of passengers aboard the doomed 9/11 plane, which crashed in Pennsylvania, has also been nominated for this award.
A surprise success is Guillermo del Toro’s gothic fairy tale, Pan’s Labyrinth, which has been nominated for a total of eight awards.
Films that also scored well among the judges were, Babel, starring Brad Pitt, which received seven nominations, and The Departed and Little Miss Sunshine, which both have six.
Craig proved his critics wrong when Casino Royale was released and became the most successful Bond film ever at the box office.
David Parfitt, chairman of the Bafta film committee, said: "I think the Bafta membership looked at his body of work.
"We have been watching him for the past five or six years. This was a very different role for him and demonstrates his great range."
Craig faces stiff competition for the best actor award from the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio for The Departed and fellow Britons, Richard Griffiths, nominated for his role in Alan’s Bennett’s The History Boys, and Peter O’Toole, for Venus.
Critics have hailed O’Toole’s performance as an elderly actor who falls in love with a teenage girl as one of the best of his career. It has already earned the 74-year-old a Golden Globe nomination.
However, it is Forest Whitaker for his towering portrayal of African dictator Idi Amin, in The Last King of Scotland, who is tipped to win the award.
Best director will go to Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu for Babel, Martin Scorsese for The Departed, Jonathan Dayton/Valerie Faris for Little Miss Sunshine, Stephen Frears for The Queen or Paul Greengrass for United 93.
A new host will be also be unveiled this year, with Stephen Fry having recently stepped down from the job after six years.
This year’s ceremony will be held for the first time at the Royal Opera House in London’s Covent Garden. It will take place on February 11 and be broadcast live on BBC1.