Gosling drives off with BAFTA noms

Do the British know something we don't? The BAFTA nominees are out, and one of the first things that strikes us is that Ryan Gosling's Drive has a much more significant presence across the major categories than it will at the upcoming Golden Globes. Sure, BAFTA covers more nominees per category, but can you imagine Ryan Gosling being nominated not once, but twice for best leading actor in the States? The charm of George Clooney knows no borders, however, with his Ides of March pulling in a good haul of nominations on both sides of the pond.  And while Clooney's latest wasn't one of our favorites, we were pleased to see some Critical Mob picks get some love: We Need to Talk About Kevin, The Flowers of War, A Separation, The Artist, and The Skin I Live In all picked up nominations.

Of course, this is just the beginning of the awards season, that glorious time of year when actors and directors dress up, show off, and fight for as much live airtime as the orchestra will allow.  We'll be following it all of course, feet up, popcorn in hand, tongue in cheek, and our Twitter feed close at hand. The fun starts in a few weeks with Ricky Gervais' highly anticipated return to the Golden Globes, and the Oscars not far behind. Here is your critical cheat sheet to the most important awards shows in the next couple of months:

69^th Annual Golden Globes: Sunday, January 15

18^th Annual Screen Actor's Guild Awards: Sunday, January 29

2012 British Academy Film Awards: Sunday, February 12

84^th Annual Academy Awards: Sunday, February 26