02/02/2010

British actor Colin Firth scored his first ever Oscar nod, nominated as Actor in a Leading Role for his turn as a gay man coming to terms with the death of his partner in Tom Ford’s A Single Man.

There was twin joy for Britain in the Actress in a Leading Role category with previous winner Helen Mirren (The Queen [+see also:
film review
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interview: Andy Harries
interview: Stephen Frears
film profile]) nominated for The Last Station [+see also:
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film profile] and Carey Mulligan for her role in An Education [+see also:
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film profile]. The Last Station also saw a nomination for Christopher Plummer in the Actor in a Supporting Role category.

An Education was the lone British contender for Best Picture, the category being expanded to 10 films this year. Nick Hornby was nominated for Writing (Adapted Screenplay) for the same film. The other nomination in this category was for In the Loop [+see also:
trailer
film profile], screenplay by Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci and Tony Roche.

UK/US co-production Fantastic Mr. Fox [+see also:
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making of
film profile] will vie with Irish film The Secret of Kells [+see also:
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interview: Didier Brunner
interview: Tomm Moore
interview: Viviane Vanfleteren
film profile] in the Animated Feature Film category.

The Short Film (Animated) category will also see a British film, Nick Park’s A Matter of Loaf and Death, compete with an Irish film, Nicky Phelan’s Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty. Another Irish film – Juanita Wilson’s The Door – will compete in the Short Film (Live Action) category.

There was much to cheer about for Britain in the technical categories too with Art Direction nods for The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus [+see also:
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film profile] (Dave Warren and Anastasia Masaro; Set Decoration: Caroline Smith), The Young Victoria [+see also:
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film profile] (Patrice Vermette; Set Decoration: Maggie Gray) and Sherlock Holmes (Sarah Greenwood; Set Decoration: Katie Spencer); Costume Design nods for Bright Star [+see also:
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film profile] (Janet Patterson), Parnassus (Monique Prudhomme) and Victoria (Sandy Powell); and Make Up for Victoria (Jon Henry Gordon and Jenny Shircore).