Awards season can be a lot of fun. However, there’s a dark side to nominations, one that sees fans call out voters for snubbing their favorite artists. That’s what the BAFTAs are dealing with right now after failing to nominate Angelina Jolie for her performance in Maria.
Each year, the British Academy Film Awards release longlists that reveal the films it’s considering for all of its different categories. One of the most stacked categories this year is Leading Actress, with the longlist including heavy hitters like Amy Adams, Cynthia Erivo, Nicole Kidman, Kate Winslet, and Demi Moore. However, one notable absence is Jolie, who stepped back into the spotlight with Maria, which follows the titular opera singer in the days leading up to her death.
The reception to the film was overwhelmingly positive, with many critics and fans pointing to Jolie’s performance as the main highlight. In fact, during the film’s world premiere at the Sala Grande Theatre, it received an eight-minute standing ovation, which brought Jolie to tears. It looked like Maria was on its way to becoming an awards darling, and while it’s already been nominated by several voting bodies, the BAFTA snub was tough to swallow since 10 performances made the longlist.
Fans have already taken to social media to make their feelings known, calling out the BAFTAs while praising their “Queen” Jolie. “The BAFTAs really decided that Marisa Abela and Kate Winslet gave better performances than Angelina Jolie…… be for real,” said one X user. “This Jolie underperformance is getting out of hand. What more do you want from her?!”
“The hypocrisy of BAFTA snubbing one of the greatest comeback performances in favour or mediocre performances from those whose PR machines bought them undeserved nominations & Wins,” added another. “Our Queen will keep rising, we welcome her back.”
The reason Jolie is being “welcomed” back is that she stepped away from acting following 2021’s Eternals. Of course, she’s been dealing with a pretty public split from her ex Brad Pitt, which has involved accusations of abuse and much more. But despite being in a vulnerable place, Jolie stepped out of her comfort zone for Maria, learning how to sing opera.
“I was so nervous. I had to learn how to sing because the director, the wonderful director Pablo Larrain, he sent me to singing, Italian, and many things for seven months, because you can’t fake sing opera,” Jolie said during an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. “In the beginning, I thought I had this great plan. I thought, I know what I’ll do. It’ll be a fun, like, start-of-the-movie gift. I’ll just buy everyone earplugs.”
Jolie’s positive attitude is a good sign for her fans, who just want to see her in her element. Unfortunately, all their support won’t lead to a BAFTA win, but there are other awards shows, and it only takes one to see something in Maria’s lead performance.
Published: Jan 3, 2025 02:24 pm