The critics and award judges have their favourites: “Atonement”, “No Country For Old Men” and “There Will Be Blood” crop up on most lists of the year’s best films.

There’s been lavish praise for George Clooney’s portrayal of a corporate “fixer” in “Michael Clayton” and Daniel Day-Lewis’ role as an oil prospector in “There Will Be Blood”.

Julie Christie, who plays an Alzheimer’s sufferer in “Away From Her” and Marion Cotillard, who portrays French singer Edith Piaf in “La Vie En Rose”, are both in the running for an Oscar.

While “Atonement” has won a best picture Oscar nomination, some say the adaptation of Ian McEwan’s novel didn’t work.

Historian Antony Beevor called it the year’s most overrated film.

The worst film award could go to the thriller “I Know Who Killed Me”, starring Lindsay Lohan.

It won nine nominations for the Razzies, the awards for Hollywood’s most excruciating output.

But debate rages on the Internet over whether it really is that bad.

Who would win your BAFTA or Razzie vote?

*Visit our special BAFTA film awards site for all the latest news, pictures and video from this year’s ceremony*

Train delays, fare hikes, line closures. For many passengers, the New Year return to work is bleakly familiar.

Rail watchdog boss Anthony Smith says higher ticket prices are “unfair and unjustified“, while campaigners say people will be forced back into their cars.

Some passengers on First Great Western trains are planning to go on strike, by refusing to buy real tickets.

Instead, they will issue their own special tickets with different wording, such as “Worst Late Western”.

The Association of Train Operating Companies says the higher fares will help fund better trains and stations.

“We are now running a higher-performing railway with new, refurbished and more punctual trains and better stations,” says ATOC’s Director General George Muir.

What do you think?

- Have stations and trains improved?
- Are higher ticket prices justified?
- Is your journey value for money or do you feel priced off the trains?
- Will you join the protesters?

Send us your comments.

Are you suffering from gadget fatigue?

Once upon a time, before leaving the house each morning, you'd check you had your keys, wallet and watch.

For some people that list now includes: mobile phone, iPod, Blackberry, sat-nav, camera, laptop, USB key and portable games console.

Weren't we told that things like the iPhone, with its camera, phone, Internet and email, would finally bring about "convergence", where you only have to carry around one expensive plastic box?

The average U.S. household owns 25 consumer electronics products, researchers say. Many of them never seem to be compatible with each other.

With Christmas looming, millions of people will buy a whole range of new gadgets, each with piles of assorted cables, chargers and accessories.

Nintendo's Wii games console, the Apple iPhone and Microsoft's Xbox are among this year's must-have presents, says research firm Hitwise.

All those shiny new toys will consign thousands of old mobiles, MP3 players and games consoles to the scrapheap.

More than 23 billion pounds worth of unwanted electrical items is gathering dust in drawers, lofts and garages, according to another survey.

Will you be queuing for the latest gizmos this Christmas or have you finally decided that less is more?

And is there any gadget that you really wouldn't leave the house without?

The government says Heathrow must grow to cope with the huge surge in air travel.

A third runway, sixth terminal and thousands more flights over the capital have been proposed.

Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly says “aviation plays an essential role in the UK’s economic growth” and the airport must expand.

British Airways estimates that an expanded airport could be worth 9-10 billion pounds a year to the economy.

But they face fierce opposition from environmental campaigners and many people who live under the flightpaths leading to Heathrow.

Opponents say the expansion would be an environmental disaster, increasing noise, pollution and environmental damage.

Campaigners say the growth in air travel has to be checked.

- Do you support the government’s airport expansion plans? Do you think Britain’s airports need to grow? Would it help your business?

- Or do you oppose the proposals? Do you worry about the effects on the environment? Do you live under the flightpath?

- Would you take fewer flights to help the environment?

Send us your comments.

After losing the personal data of 25 million people, the government is accused of being “the biggest identity thief of all”.

Pressure group NO2ID has seized on the lapse to bolster its campaign against identity cards and the huge database that would go with them.

“This data disaster shows up the madness behind the government’s ID schemes,” says its National Co-ordinator Phil Booth.

Shadow Chancellor George Osborne says public confidence in the government’s ability to protect personal information has been destroyed.

The lapse exposes millions of families to the risk of identity theft and bank fraud.

Government Information Commissioner Richard Thomas calls it a “serious wake-up call” and wants new criminal penalties for those who recklessly ignore procedures.

“We have been warning about these dangers for years,” he says.

Chancellor Alistair Darling has apologised for the breach — potentially the largest data security lapse in British history – and says such an enormous loss must never be allowed to happen again.

“The police tell me there is no evidence there has been any criminal or unusual activity,” he says.

- Has this security breach changed your views on identity cards?

- Do you still trust public bodies with your personal details?

- Will you take any steps to protect yourself against becoming a victim of fraud?

Send us your comments.

With the hype reaching Biblical proportions, Apple finally launches its iPhone in Britain on Friday.

The believers call it the God Machine or the Jesus Phone — convinced that the sleek new gadget will change their lives.

The doubters don’t believe the marketing hype and say the “iBrick” will soon join all the other shiny gadgets at the back of the kitchen drawer.

Despite the acres of newspaper coverage and glossy adverts, it is just another mobile that takes pictures, plays music and lets you surf the Internet, says one blogger at Information Week.

“Nothing about the iPhone is convincing me it’ll slay dragons,” writes Mitch Wagner.

One magazine has listed the phone’s “50 biggest flaws”.

Another blogger has come up with “13 Reasons to doubt the
iPhone hype”.

Common gripes are the phone’s price, fiddly touchscreen and hotly-debated battery life.

But for every critical review, the Web is filled with glowing praise. Fans say it is easy to use, stylish and packed with useful features.

“In action, it is pure magic,” says one newspaper reviewer.

Apple’s Web site is crowded with thousands of customers eagerly discussing their new toy.

Will you be queuing up for an iPhone? Or are you one of the non-believers who’ll be sticking with your current mobile?

The government plans to crack down on cyber bullies who send abusive text messages and emails or post offensive comments and video clips on Web sites.

Ministers say a third of pupils have fallen victim and the problem is growing.

And it’s not just students who are being targeted. Unions say more and more teachers are being bullied and humiliated on Web sites.

Are you a victim of cyber bullying? What can be done to tackle the problem? Send us your views.

Thousands of A-level students are getting their results amid the intense annual debate over whether exams are being “dumbed down”.

Business leaders, opposition politicians and some teachers say easier exams are behind record pass rates.

Not so, say examiners and unions. Pupils are better prepared and teaching has improved.

What do you think? Are A-levels and GCSEs easier or has education improved?

Did you receive your results today? Are you a teacher or lecturer who knows the system? Or are you an employer who hires school-leavers?

Send us your comments.

Under-age drinking is fuelling a wave of vandalism, violence and disorder across the country, a senior policeman says.

Cheshire Chief Constable Peter Fahy thinks alcohol is too cheap, too strong and too easily available.

“A hardcore of parents turn a blind eye to the fact that their youngsters are out there, drinking under age and congregating in places where they cause nuisance,” he says.

He wants parents to get tough on their unruly children. The drinks industry and shops should look at the price of alcohol and the government should consider raising the minimum drinking age to 21.

Do you agree with him? Send us your comments.

Government plans to tackle the country’s growing household waste problem are a bit of a rubbish idea, according to a committee of MPs.

Ministers trying to find ways to encourage people to throw away less and recycle more to help reduce the amount of
household waste thrown away every week. Click here to read the story.

The Local Government Association, the body which represents councils, says Britain is the “dustbin of Europe” throwing more rubbish into landfill sites than any other country in Europe.

Councils risk huge fines if they fail to cut the amount of rubbish chucked into landfills under new European Union restrictions and are looking for ways to do this.

The most controversial has been the introduction of alternate bin collections, where councils collect general rubbish one week and waste for recycling the next.

Those who do not comply face a “bin tax”, while under government plans councils can also introduce a “pay-as-you-throw” tax, based on the amount of waste people produce.

As an incentive, people who recycle their goods properly into separate sections can receive a 20-30 pound reward.

MPs who looked at the proposals say the ideas have not been discussed properly in some areas and warn the measures could lead to protests, more fly-tipping and could even see people dumping their rubbish in other people’s bins.

So should the government bin its proposed strategy? Or should people be punished for failing to recycle and rewarded for cutting down how much they throw away.

Let us know what you think.