Movie News

© AP / Judi Dench

WENN

Actress Dame Judi Dench is saddened that the latest James Bond blockbuster, "Skyfall," missed out on major nominations for the Academy Awards, calling the snub "a great pity."

Bing: Oscar snubs and surprises

The actress, who plays spy chief M in the film, was surprised to learn that Sam Mendes was not recognized in the Best Director category and that her co-stars, 007 Daniel Craig and movie villain Javier Bardem, had been overlooked in the top acting slots. She tells the BBC, "I'm very, very sorry that nothing has been recognized. That's a great pity. I thought Sam Mendes directed it absolutely beautifully. It was a terrific film."

Dench hopes the Bond films haven't been deliberately shut out in the main categories over the years because of their commercial success. When asked if she thought there was a bias against the superspy franchise, she adds, "There may be. I don't know. I hope not. I just think that all round it was really wonderfully directed and presented and filmed and lit and shot."

"Skyfall" didn't get left out completely: Adele's theme song landed a nomination for Best Song, while the film also scored well with technical nominations for production, cinematography, sound editing and mixing. The action-packed movie fared better at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Film Awards, securing nominations for Dench (Supporting Actress) and Bardem (Supporting Actor), while it was also mentioned in categories for Original Music, Cinematography, Editing, Production Design, Sound and Outstanding British Film. The nominations top a stellar year for 007 after "Skyfall" became the first Bond movie to break the billion-dollar mark at the global box office.