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Golden Globe Review: The Film Awards
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Despite being thoroughly outed by Vikram Jayanti in his superb documentary, The Golden Globes: Hollywood's Dirty Little Secret, the Globes do retain some credibility in certain quarters. I don't buy that they are any sort of barometer for Academy Award nominations, but they do give nominees the extra media attention that may tip an Oscar nod their way. That said, here's what I thought about tonight's results and what they may portend.
BEST MOTION PICTURE, DRAMA
American Gangster
Atonement (Winner)
Eastern Promises
The Great Debaters
Michael Clayton
No Country for Old Men
There Will Be Blood
The win by Atonement had to be the biggest shock of the night after it seemed all but settled that No Country for Old Men would triumph. I think it still will at the Oscars, but Atonement may now actually be a contender. Prior to tonight, I didn't expect it to even get a nomination. It's a fine movie, but seems a little staid beside fiery pictures like No Country and There Will Be Blood.
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BEST MOTION PICTURE, MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Across the Universe
Charlie Wilson's War
Hairspray
Juno
Sweeney Todd (Winner)
It really only came down to Sweeney Todd and Juno. Juno has been coming on strong for the last few weeks, but all that attention may have come too late for Hollywood Foreign Press voters (who love Depp anyway). I'm not sure either of these films will contend at the Oscars in the Best Picture category, but Page and Depp are strong possibilities for acting noms.
FOREIGN LANGUAGE PICTURE
4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (Romania)
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (France/USA) (Winner)
The Kite Runner (USA)
Lust, Caution (Taiwan)
Persepolis (France)
No surprise here--The Diving Bell and the Butterfly was a lock to win in this category. It would be an upset, but don't be shocked if it manages to sneak into the Oscars as a Best Picture candidate.
BEST DIRECTOR
Tim Burton, Sweeney Todd
Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, No Country for Old Men
Julian Schnabel, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (Winner)
Ridley Scott, American Gangster
Joe Wright, Atonement
Other than Atonement winning Best Picture, Schnabel's win was the biggest surprise of the evening. Again, I was sure the Coen brothers were a lock here, but I guess that's why they count the votes. What's crazy is that Paul Thomas Anderson was not even nominated.
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BEST DRAMATIC ACTOR
George Clooney, Michael Clayton
Daniel Day-Lewis, There Will Be Blood (Winner)
James McAvoy, Atonement
Viggo Mortensen, Eastern Promises
Denzel Washington, American Gangster
I wonder if Vegas will even take odds on Daniel Day-Lewis not winning an Oscar for his role as Daniel Plainview in There Will Be Blood. He's been winning everything in sight--a trend that will almost surely continue at the Oscars. The only way that's derailed is if the palpable Clooney-love in Hollywood rises enough to propel him to victory. I doubt it.
BEST DRAMATIC ACTRESS
Cate Blanchett, Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Julie Christie, Away From Her (Winner)
Jodie Foster, The Brave One
Angelina Jolie, A Mighty Heart
Keira Knightley, Atonement
Christie won. I think most people expected her to win. She'll receive some competition from Marion Cotillard at Oscar time (I hope), but I think Christie wins there, too.
BEST ACTOR, COMEDY OR MUSICAL
Johnny Depp, Sweeney Todd (Winner)
Tom Hanks, Charlie Wilson's War
Ryan Gosling, Lars and the Real Girl
Philip Seymour Hoffman, The Savages
John C. Reilly, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story
Reilly won me over with his deranged performance as Dewey Cox, but Depp was a sure-fire winner as Best Actor in a Comedy or Musical. I'd be surprised, though, if anyone other than Depp manages to snag an Oscar nomination.
BEST ACTRESS, COMEDY OR MUSICAL
Amy Adams, Enchanted
Nikki Blonsky, Hairspray
Helena Bonham Carter, Sweeney Todd
Marion Cotillard, La Vie en Rose (Winner)
Ellen Page, Juno
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As I mentioned above, I think Cotillard will be Julie Christie's main competition at the Oscars. The only way that doesn't happen is if Ellen Page sneaks in on a Juno wave.
SUPPORTING ACTOR
Casey Affleck, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Javier Bardem, No Country for Old Men (Winner)
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Charlie Wilson's War
John Travolta, Hairspray
Tom Wilkinson, Michael Clayton
I would love to see Affleck win for his remarkable performance as Robert Ford, but Bardem has all the momentum. At Oscar time, it would be nice if Josh Brolin picked up a nod for No Country as well since Bardem's Chigurh is not the same without Brolin's Moss.
SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Cate Blanchett, I'm Not There (Winner)
Saoirse Ronan, Atonement
Julia Roberts, Charlie Wilson's War
Amy Ryan, Gone Baby Gone
Tilda Swinton, Michael Clayton
Amy Ryan has been winning everywhere up until now. She'll definitely get an Oscar nomination, but I'm not sure her performance in Gone Baby Gone was particularly ground-breaking. I was glad to see Blanchett win in an upset.
ANIMATED FILM
Bee Movie
Ratatouille(Winner)
The Simpsons Movie
Pixar will win this category every year they release a movie and deservedly so.
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SCREENPLAY
Diablo Cody, Juno
Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, No Country for Old Men (Winner)
Christopher Hampton, Atonement
Ronald Harwood, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Aaron Sorkin, Charlie Wilson's War
The Oscars will split these nominees up into Adapted and Original Screenplays. I expect the Coens to win for Adapted and Diablo Cody to win for Original. In any other year, I'd go with Hampton for his adaptation of the difficult, complex Atonement.
ORIGINAL SCORE
Dario Marianelli, Atonement (Winner)
Howard Shore, Eastern Promises
Clint Eastwood, Grace Is Gone
Michael Brook, Kaki King, Eddie Vedder, Into the Wild
Alberto Iglesias, The Kite Runner
The Hollywood Foreign Press completely whiffed by failing to notice Jonny Greenwood's powerful score for There Will Be Blood. I hope that gets remedied by the Academy.
SONG
Despedida from Love in the Time of Cholera
Grace Is Gone from Grace Is Gone
Guaranteed from Into the Wild (Winner)
That's How You Know from Enchanted
Walk Hard from Walk Hard
Another huge whiff for the Globes. Once was hands-down the best musical of the year. I can sort of understand skipping it in the Best Picture category because it was such a small film, but any one of its great songs should have been nominated and won. Let's hope that gets fixed at Oscar time.
Photos courtesy of Focus Features and Paramount Vantage
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