Of [c]ourse they weren't going to go for the Americana of "Into the Wild."

Right. They only went for the Americana of American Gangster, No Country for Old Men, and There Will Be Blood.

The BAFTAs have an interesting correlation in the tech categories not many notice. While their winners often vary from Oscar winners, the Oscar winner is almost always amongst the nominees. Last year's Dreamgirls winning for sound mixing was the exception. Before then, I think you have to go back to Lemony Snicket's winning in makeup to find an Oscar winner (in the tech categories, I repeat) that wasn't amongst the BAFTA nominees. Then I think you have to go back even a few more years. I'd like to do a little more research to find this out.

Anyhow, hypothetically speaking, if you consider that they match up like they have frequently in the past, the winners in the tech categories would look something like this:

Original Score: Atonement vs. There Will Be Blood vs. The Kite Runner (latter seems unlikely but this group hasn't made the best choices in the past)

Art Direction: There Will Be Blood vs. Atonement vs. Elizabeth: The Golden Age (most likely a fight between the first two, in this case, Sweeney Todd would NOT win the award)

Cinematography: Atonement vs. No Country for Old Men vs. There Will Be Blood (While Assassination of Jesse James and Diving Bell and the Butterfly were possibly superior achievements, Janusz has already been awarded and Jesse James just won't be that popular compared to the big Best Picture competitors. Since they like pretty, one would say Atonement or There Will Be Blood, and Deakins would miss yet again.)

Costume Design: Atonement vs. Elizabeth vs. Sweeney Todd (Considering Collen Atwood has been rewarded twice recently here, I'd believe they'd go for Atonement or the most lavish costumes of the year, Elizabeth: The Golden Age).

Film Editing: No Country for Old Men vs. The Bourne Ultimatum (And I feel most would argue this is the Coens to lose. Despite what one might feel about that ending, there are scenes earlier on, the hotel scene in particular that really succeed because of the editing).

Makeup: Sweeney Todd vs. La Vie En Rose (Well, we knew this race was between those two anyhow).

Sound Mixing: No Country for Old Men vs. The Bourne Ultimatum (Transformers didn't make it here! Is it a sign that Kevin O'Connell and Greg P. Ruseell will lose yet AGAIN? Possibly, I think. We also frequently see a strong correlation between film editing and sound mixing (2003, 2002, 2001, 1999, 1998, 1997, 1996, 1995...)

Visual Effects: Pirates of the Caribbean (And Transformers is missing yet again. Despite thoughts that it might be a lock, could Pirates (which is leading VES, by the way) garner yet another visual effects award?) Anyhow, I still feel Tranformers will take this.

Any thoughts? Am I reading into this too much?

Two of those films, Burton, feature European stars who were themselves nominated. Think.

I was happiest about the noms for 'This is England' (the best film of '07 if you ask me) and 'The Lives of Others'.