Cambridge Flicks Up For Oscar Awards

Cambridge leads the way in this year's Oscar nominations!

Britain - and Cambridge - could be celebrating one of its most successful Oscars nights next month after a host of home-grown stars were nominated for acting gongs.

But a number of well-known Britons may be surprised not to find themselves in the race for an Academy Award this year, according to one top film critic.

Chris Hewitt, news editor at Empire magazine, said Britain's best chance of Oscar success was with actor Eddie Redmayne, who has already won a Golden Globe for his performance as Cambridge Professor Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything: "In the best actor category it's a two way fight between Michael Keaton (Birdman) and Eddie Redmayne.

I'm not saying the others shouldn't turn up but Eddie Redmayne stands a very good chance. He is fantastic in The Theory of Everything.

Benedict Cumberbatch, who plays Cambridge mathematician Alan Turing in the Imitation Game, is in with an outside chance but it's usual for the Oscars to have two solid front-runners."

Mr Hewitt said the UK's Rosamund Pike and Felicity Jones (leading actress nomination for The Theory of Everything), who are both nominated for Best Actress, could miss out to early favourite Julianne Moore for her role in Still Alice.

"Both have their first nominations and both were brilliant, particularly Rosamund Pike. Gone Girl is a movie for the ages and she created a wonderful monster. I think it will be a night for them to enjoy, with no pressure, because Julianne Moore is the favourite."

The critic also said he believed Keira Knightley would miss out on Best Supporting Actress for The Imitation Game, after Patricia Arquette in Boyhood emerged as an early favourite.

"Keira Knightley is a great actress, she's been nominated before, and it's a great performance but I don't think she is going to win.  Patricia Arquette is one of the favourites this year, but Keira will win an Oscar in the future, there's little doubt about that."