And gloating. Yeah I didn’t bother watching the Golden Globes since I had other things to occupy my time with, but that doesn’t mean I don’t care about what the results are, I do in fact care. I just wanted to see if my Deadzone like powers of foresight will allow me to take my predictions on the road and dominate every single Oscar pool available. So let’s not stand around wondering if I am right or wrong, time to for the results!
Best Motion Picture – Drama
Nominees:
The Descendants (2011) – Predict/Actual Winner
The Help (2011)
Hugo (2011/II)
The Ides of March (2011)
Moneyball (2011)
War Horse (2011)
Boom, called it and with predictable results. Moneyball and War Horse just seemed like they were there because of the initial buzz and performance they did at the box office, but if there is one thing that Golden Globes and women around the world love, it is a George Clooney driven film. Hell if that was the case, the collective female audience should have been ovulating with both Ryan Gosling and George Clooney on screen in The Ides of March. But it is a one man show for Clooney and The Descendants deserved it.
Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
Nominees:
The Artist (2011) – Predicted/Actual Winner
Bridesmaids (2011)
50/50 (2011)
Midnight in Paris (2011)
My Week with Marilyn (2011)
Was there any doubt that The Artist wouldn’t come out on top of the Comedy and Musical category. The Artist is deserving of every award it is nominated for and the fact that a silent era film, in this day and age, was able to captivate and enthrall the moving going audience and make us long for the days when acting and film is truly an art form. Everything about this movie will have me re-watching this film again and again will be remembered more than any other film in the category. I will say, I am still happy that 50/50 got a nomination.
Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama
Nominees:
George Clooney for The Descendants (2011) – Predicted/Actual Winner
Leonardo DiCaprio for J. Edgar (2011)
Michael Fassbender for Shame (2011)
Ryan Gosling for The Ides of March (2011)
If you are going to win the best drama award, the main actor has to be charismatic enough to carry the film. George Clooney again steals the show with another stellar role and continues his conquest of women and awards and generally being the guy every man wants to be. George I salute you sir. Still a bit upset that Ryan Gosling isn’t getting nominated for his role in Drive, which was the superior role of his this year.
Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama
Nominees:
Glenn Close for Albert Nobbs (2011)
Viola Davis for The Help (2011) – Predicted Winner
Rooney Mara for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)
Meryl Streep for The Iron Lady (2011) – Actual Winner
Tilda Swinton for We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011)
I knew I should have stuck with my guns on the awards shows handing out awards for people playing existing characters in the real world. I wanted to see the Golden Globes not fall for the predictable, “this actor/actress played an actual living person very well” and give it to a person who has to breathe life into a character that only exists in fiction. I will admit that Streep was fantastic as Thatcher, but God that movie was terrible.
Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
Nominees:
Jean Dujardin for The Artist (2011) – Predicted/Actual Winner
Brendan Gleeson for The Guard (2011)
Joseph Gordon-Levitt for 50/50 (2011)
Ryan Gosling for Crazy, Stupid, Love. (2011)
Owen Wilson for Midnight in Paris (2011)
Yes yes yes. Phenomenal acting and I mean real acting from Jean Dujardin for The Artist. Thankfully there was an actor nominated that played some sort of historical figure in the Musical or Comedy category, which would have stolen the award from Dujardin. If you haven’t watched The Artist, go see it and marvel at what it takes to create a compelling character on the screen.
Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
Nominees:
Jodie Foster for Carnage (2011)
Charlize Theron for Young Adult (2011)
Kristen Wiig for Bridesmaids (2011) – Predicted Winner
Michelle Williams for My Week with Marilyn (2011) – Actual Winner
Kate Winslet for Carnage (2011)
Sigh. Again, another actress wins for portraying an famous, historical figure. I am going to have write an article about my disdain for this sort of award giving for actors and actresses who imitate famous figures in film and not for honoring those that create a persona and breathe life into a fictional character. I won’t deny that Williams doesn’t deserve the award, she is having to play an iconic figure in the minds of Americans, but then again, you are watching a movie that has Michelle Williams playing Ms. Monroe. I think Wiig deserved it for making a compelling and moving character in Bridesmaids, but getting nominated for role along with top notch actresses like Winslet and Theron is an award unto itself.
Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Nominees:
Kenneth Branagh for My Week with Marilyn (2011)
Albert Brooks for Drive (2011)
Jonah Hill for Moneyball (2011)
Viggo Mortensen for A Dangerous Method (2011)
Christopher Plummer for Beginners (2010) – Predicted/Actual Winner
That is what I am talking about. Christopher Plummer pulling the win for his endearing role in Beginners, which is one of my favorite romance films this year and he was just a joy to watch on screen. Plummer has been showing up a lot lately in films, especially in the high profile film The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. I am excited to see him still have the gravitas to beat out the younger crowd, but also props to Jonah Hill getting out of his raunch comedies and turning in a compelling role with Moneyball. Although Albert Brooks was a badass in Drive.
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Nominees:
Bérénice Bejo for The Artist (2011)
Jessica Chastain for The Help (2011) – Predicted Winner
Janet McTeer for Albert Nobbs (2011)
Octavia Spencer for The Help (2011) – Actual Winner
Shailene Woodley for The Descendants (2011)
Someone from The Help was going to win this category and while I wished it was Jessica Chastain, who was having a hell of a year, Octavia Spencer pulls out the win. I haven’t seen The Help, so I can’t really comment on the film, other than I will probably never see it.
Best Director – Motion Picture
Nominees:
Woody Allen for Midnight in Paris (2011)
George Clooney for The Ides of March (2011)
Michel Hazanavicius for The Artist (2011) – Predicted Winner
Alexander Payne for The Descendants (2011)
Martin Scorsese for Hugo (2011/II) – Actual Winner
Tough call for this category, but I figured that The Artist was going to sweep up at the Golden Globes. In the end, it came down to two films that both brought to life the magic of film and reminded us why we go to the movies. If Michel was going to lose, I am glad that Scorsese took the win.
Best Screenplay – Motion Picture
Nominees:
The Artist (2011): Michel Hazanavicius
The Descendants (2011): Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash
The Ides of March (2011): George Clooney, Grant Heslov, Beau Willimon
Midnight in Paris (2011): Woody Allen – Predicted/Actual Winner
Moneyball (2011): Steven Zaillian, Aaron Sorkin, Stan Chervin
I had a good feeling that Woody was going to take the win. With both Moneyball and The Descendants being adapted screenplays, Allen was poised for a comeback after a series of faults in his past films. I am a bit jaded with Woody Allen films, I think that he gets a lot of praise because he is Woody Allen and some of his bombs just get overlooked and disregarded (I am looking at you Scope and Vicky Cristina Barcelona). Otherwise, this is a return to form for Woody and a good win.
Best Original Song – Motion Picture
Nominees:
Albert Nobbs (2011): Brian Byrne, Glenn Close(“Lay Your Head Down”)
Gnomeo & Juliet (2011): Elton John, Bernie Taupin(“Hello Hello”)
The Help (2011): Mary J. Blige, Thomas Newman, Harvey Mason Jr., Damon Thomas(“The Living Proof”) – Predicted Winner
Machine Gun Preacher (2011): Chris Cornell(“The Keeper”)
W.E. (2011): Madonna, Julie Frost, Jimmy Harry(“Masterpiece”) – Actual Winner
I thought that The Help would get the win with an ensemble group of musicians and singers, but I was honestly not expecting W.E to get the win. Show what I know about his category.
Best Original Score – Motion Picture
Nominees:
The Artist (2011): Ludovic Bource – Predicted/Actual Winner
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011): Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross
Hugo (2011/II): Howard Shore
War Horse (2011): John Williams
W.E. (2011): Abel Korzeniowski
That is what I am talking about. I think it would have been a bit ironic that a film that needs the help of a cinematic score to propel the film it was carrying might lose out on the category it was born to win. While Reznor and Ross were teaming up to create magic once again, I just felt it was more mood music than really propelling the story. It was there to remind me that Dragon Tattoo was a dark film.
Best Animated Film
Nominees:
The Adventures of Tintin (2011) – Actual Winner
Arthur Christmas (2011)
Cars 2 (2011)
Puss in Boots (2011)
Rango (2011) – Predicted Winner
DAMN! I thought that something new and original like Rango would win, but there is no denying that Tintin has the world wide appeal. Thankfully Cars 2 didn’t win since it was just a giant commercial for more Mater toys.
Best Foreign Language Film
Nominees:
The Flowers of War (2011)(China)
In the Land of Blood and Honey (2011)(USA)
The Kid with a Bike (2011)(Belgium)
A Separation (2011)(Iran) – Predicted/Actual Winner
The Skin I Live In (2011)(Spain)
Yep, the Iranian film won, although I have not seen it….yet.
So…overall I was 8/14 this time around, still above the 50% mark though so kudos to me. Now we move on to some other award show and more of my predictions.