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The Golden Globeszzzzzzzzzzzzz ….
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Oh, I’m sorry. I was writing this post during the Golden Globes “press conference” last night. Ye gods, was that boring or what? People have been talked before about how much better it would be if they simply announced the winners and were done with it, but if that means shows like this, I’ll take the ceremony, thank you very much.
I know NBC got put between a rock and a hard place with the writer’s strike, but did they HAVE to have Billy Bush be one of the “newscasters?” He makes my brain hurt. He wouldn’t notice that effect because he doesn’t have one.
And to add insult to injury, NBC axed some of the minor categories like Best Score and Song. I know a lot of people don’t care about the smaller prizes, but if they’re good enough for the big show, they ought to be good enough for the small one.
Still, awards were handed out, so it’s time for some commentary.
Best Screenplay
The Coens took on their first bona-fide adaptation with No Country for Old Men, faithfully adapting Cormac McCarthy’s novel, but still maintaining their singular voice. That’s the mark of a great adaptation.
Best Score
I wonder: would the score for Atonement have won were the typewriter not providing percussion? Maybe not, but no matter - it’s a fine choice
Best Song
One of Eddie Vedder’s tunes from Into the Wild, “Guaranteed,” wins. I’m not much of a Vedder fan, really - most of his songs sound the same to me. I would have preferred “That’s How You Know” from Enchanted - but I would have really preferred the non-nominated “Falling Slowly” from Once.
Best Supporting Actress
Cate Blachett wins for I’m Not There - no shock there. Gone Baby Gone’s Amy Ryan was thought to be a strong contender, since she’s already won several critics prizes. But Blanchett’s is the kind of very showy performance award-givers love. And it’s deserving to boot - although I thought the pseudo Bob Dylan bio as a whole has been considerably overrated. Blanchett is far and away the best thing about it.
Best Animated Film
Ratatouille won, as it jolly well should have.
Best Actress, Comedy/Musical
Anne Cotillard wins for La Vie en Rose. I would have preferred Amy Adams, as any regular reader of this blog knows, but I’m not at all surprised. Cotillard was playing famed French singer Edith Piaf, and this is the Hollywood FOREIGN press we’re talking about here. I still think when Oscar comes around, the race is between Juno’s Ellen Page or Away from Her’s Julie Christie.
Best Supporting Actor
And the land of no surprises continues - Javier Bardem is pretty much everyone’s choice in this category for his work in No Country for Old Men.
Best Director/Foreign Language Film
Wow, something of a surprise by picking the lesser known Julian Schnabel would get it, but he’s fully deserving - his work on The Diving Bell and the Butterfly is nothing short of extraordinary in the way it puts us inside the mind of mind who is almost completely paralyzed. I also wholeheartedly applaud its win in the foreign film category.
Best Actor, Comedy or Musical
They go for Depp, which is fairly well expected and warranted - I had reservations about the overall film, but not Depp’s performance.
Best Picture, Musical or Comedy
Sweeney Todd winning is a little bit of a surprise - I thought maybe Juno might have a shot here, but Sweeney Todd has bigger names, and the Globes have always been star-happy. Still, I have a hard time seeing Todd as one of the Oscar nominees. The buzz simply isn’t there.
Best Actress, Drama
Julie Christie’s win makes complete sense, especially since she hadn’t won a Globe before, but she has won an Oscar, for Darling. Will that make a difference in Oscar? Maybe, maybe not. I still say the race is her or Page
Best Actor, Drama
Daniel Day-Lewis’ win only solidifies my belief that he’s the man to beat for Oscar. There Will be Blood opens here Friday.
Best Picture, Drama
Well, Atonement got a much-needed boost, after missing some recent award percursors. I think the film is fully deserving, but whether the Globe win means much of anything remains to be seen.
Indeed, even before this year’s fiasco, the Globes were fairly insignificant in the grand scheme of things, and this year they were more meaningless than ever. One can only hope some sort of deal can be worked out so the Oscars can go on. I say again to the writers: People are on your side, but if you do to the Oscars what you did to the Globes, people will turn on you, and history will look poorly on you.
So what did you think of the winners? Or of the telecast? What will happen to the Oscars?
Permalink | Comments (6) | Categories: Movie awards
Comments
By SRCputt
January 21, 2008 10:02 AM | Link to this
Actually, Globes were given in the music branch, just not announced on the show. Atonement won score for Dario Marianelli, and “Guaranteed” from Into The Wild won a Globe for Eddie Vedder.By Kim
January 16, 2008 3:32 PM | Link to this
Hey Me - I agree that the writers shouldn’t cave to the greedy producers overall - I would like to see them get fair treatment. I’m just asking/hoping that they will at least let the Oscars go on. I think they will be hurting other people more than those greedy producers if they bomb that one - possibly including themselves. I think it will erode the sympathy that they are currently enjoying, and would allow them to come across as the “class act” in the fight.By ME
January 16, 2008 2:38 PM | Link to this
Thanks I totally agree with you Sircritic! What a snooze. What was worse was what CNN did to the announcement of the awards which was overrun by commentary by Larry King. OH YUCK! How bad can it be with his 2 cents! YUCK again! I think would have rather seen the list in the paper thanks! As for Kim. I have to say I don’t agree with you on one thing you may be upset because of the strike - but the little guys should cave? NO WAY. I don’t care how long it takes this isn’t their fault. It’s the greedy producers who won’t even do what is right. I don’t blame the writers. I blame the greed at the top. It may be frustrating, but its necessary. I worry that this is just a sign of a bigger problem out there in our world. Capitalism wins and we all lose!By Cali
January 15, 2008 5:10 PM | Link to this
I totally agree. I can’t believe they didn’t even give awards for best score or song. Yet they give those awards in the normal show. It’s all gone too far, and needs to get resolved some way or another.By SRCputt
January 14, 2008 1:20 PM | Link to this
Oh, dear. I mean how can you express it? That was American Music Awards level of bad. I can only think having those morons from Access Hollywood up there reminding me why I never watch their idiotic show was the only way NBC could think of to make the show SEEM like it was 3 hours long. I haven’t cringed that much in one hour since I saw that Uwe Boll film. Congratulations, Hollywood Foreign Press. You just went to kinda entertaining, kinda irrelevant to completely irrelevant. Now take your corrupt I-wanna-be-a-star-or-at-least-meet-one organization and leave us all alone.By Kim
January 14, 2008 11:19 AM | Link to this
I watch it for the red carpet - the stars - the glamour - the fashion. So there was NO reason for me to watch this fiasco. And I agree on the Oscars - if the writers sabotage that as well, it will be the equivalent of cutting off their noses to spite their faces. WHO will they punish by preventing that ceremony and celebration? The producers and studios? Not really. They are punishing the fans that generate the paychecks for ALL of them, and the “co-workers” who have worked for the recognition, as well as themselves. They need to lighten up on that one and participate, or I for one will lose all respect for their cause. I think the fans are already becoming quickly lost in this debacle - if there is no one watching, then there is no reason for them to write anything. I see their point of view, but it’s very frustrating.