BAFTA longlist: Atonement leads but Sweeney snubbed

The BAFTA longlists are predictable and surprising in equal measure this year.
Up to 15 films, performances or credits are eligible in each category.
Atonement, predictably, leads the list with 17 recognitions, scooping in all the major categories, particularly Best Supporting Actress, where four of the cast are recognised (Brenda Blethyn, Romola Garai, Saoirse Ronan and Vanessa Redgrave).
Next up are the very US-flavoured American Gangster, There Will Be Blood, and No Country For Old Men, all with 13 nominations.
Elizabeth: The Golden Age also has 13 nominations.

The surprises, both good and bad, are plentiful: Charlie Wilson's War is in contention for Best Film, but its director, Mike Nichols, doesn't feature in his own category; James Mangold is pitching for Best Director thanks to helming 3.10 To Yuma - a film that will not be competing for Best Film.
Sticking with the remade Western, its two stars - Christian Bale and Russell Crowe - are up for the fight for Best Actor. Crowe will also be pitching for Best Supporting Actor in American Gangster.
Other actors and actresses that feature twice are: Tommy Lee Jones (for In The Valley Of Elah and No Country); Cate Blanchett (for Elizabeth and I'm Not There); Michelle Pfeiffer (for Hairspray and Stardust); and Samantha Morton (for Control and Elizabeth).
Other nice surprises include: Halle Berry for Things We Lost In The Fire (but not her co-star Benecio ddel Toro); Katherine Heigl (for Knocked Up); Marketa Irglova (for Once); Martina Gedeck (for The Lives Of Others); and Naomi Watts (for Eastern Promises).

Perhaps the biggest shock concerns Sweeney Todd: the leads, Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter, both feature but neither the film nor its director, Tim Burton (a staunch supporter of British technical talent), get a mention.
Second round voting to determine the shortlists ends on 14 January. The shortlists themselves will be announced two days later.