Colin Firth’s best actor win notwithstanding, the British presence at the Golden Globes was most memorably the flop of Ricky Gervais’ hosting act. So when the awards season moves to the UK, you better be prepared for a particularly jarring transition when looking at the very stiff-upper-lipped Bafta shortlist. People tend to view the Baftas as a more reliable version of what the academy will rate at the oscars, with the twist that they seem to come from some alternate reality where the war of independence was never won. Take out the British films and the British sensibilities and you’re left with your Bafta list. Considering that this years dose of Britishness is a royal drama, Bafta almost seems to have reached Van-Dykian proportions of Cor-Blimey-Guvnorness. Best Film and Best Actor are almost certainly going to go to ‘The King’s Speech’, and among its 14 nods of approval, it stands a good chance of getting ‘Best Director’ too. Eight Nominations were forthcoming for the film at the Golden Globes, but the film only managed one win (Best Actor, Colin Firth who portrayed George VI). A film to be enjoyed by a room of monocled gentlemen swishing their tumblers.

Most symptomatic of this virulent strain of Old Worldness is the fact that ‘The Social Network’ has been nominated for only 8 prizes, despite being the clear favourite at the Globes. Colin Firth’s importance in British culture seemingly assures him and his movie wins where it matters, though ‘The Social Network’s 8 nominations do cover the biggest prizes. In the UK Colin Firth is an important figure, a well respected actor and one of the favourite wine accessories for cheap wine loving Bridget Jones-style twenty somethings. Danny Boyle is up again for Best Director for ‘hand trapped under rock’ thriller 127 hours. More British Bias? Perhaps, but Boyle has been long since accepted as a Hollywood darling.

But the Baftas do have a decent reputation for picking out eventual Oscar winners. Last year’s ‘Hurt Locker’ win was mirrored by the Academy Award results. That said, ‘Hurt Locker’ was always going to win. Who in the film industry would support James Cameron? Most wanted him to fall rather suddenly to some very sharp table candle holders for what he’d done to cinema with ‘Avatar’.