Oh, the Golden Globes. Honestly, I’m not a big Golden Globes guy. It’s the JV Oscars for me. Why would I talk about the CFL when the NFL is just around the corner? It’s always tough to analyze the Globes too, because I still haven’t seen a lot of these films, which drives me crazy. I also hate how the Golden Globes separates Drama and Comedy. Yeah, it gets more people involved, but to me it’s like the College Bowl system – just have one true playoff bracket where everybody is competing for the same title. But enough football analogies, let’s get to it. Overall, I’m not too shocked by anything, but there’s definitely some snubs (aren’t there always). But here it is…my take on the major film categories for this year’s Golden Globes…
On Motion Picture – Drama:
Nominees: 12 YEARS A SLAVE, CAPTAIN PHILLIPS, GRAVITY, PHILOMENA, RUSH
Honestly…this list is awful. I’m sorry. 12 Years a Slave, Gravity, and Captain Phillips were all expected, but other then Tom Hanks, I really don’t get the love for Captain Phillips. This is something I’ll talk about more at Oscar time. Philomena is the annual Judi Dench film nobody has heard of or will see. But where’s Prisoners? Where’s Mud? Where’s Fruitvale Station? Where’s Dallas Buyers Club? Where’s The Place Beyond the Pines? Where’s Out of the Furnace? You’re saying Rush is better than those films…cut me a break. I give this category a D-.
On Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical:
Nominees: AMERICAN HUSTLE, HER, INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS, NEBRASKA, THE WOLF OF WALL STREET
Now that’s more like it! Now granted, I haven’t seen four of these films, but by all accounts, The Wolf of Wall Street, Her, Inside Llewyn Davis, and American Hustle all seem stellar, and are movies with proven directors. I have seen Nebraska though, which is without question deserving. This is a conditional “Great Picks” analysis. But what gives…no Movie 43?
On Best Actor – Drama:
Nominees: Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave), Idris Elba (Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom), Tom Hanks (Captain Phillips), Matthew McConaughey (Dallas Buyers Club), Robert Redford (All is Lost)
The Best Actor race at this year’s Oscar will be one for the ages. No surprises here except Idris Elba. It just seemed like Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom got such ‘blah’ reviews, I figured this would be tossed aside. I would have liked to of seen Hugh Jackman (Prisoners) and Christian Bale (Out of the Furnace), but the real snub is no Michael B. Jordan (Fruitvale Station)…wow.
On Best Actress — Drama:
Nominees: Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine), Sandra Bullock (Gravity), Judi Dench (Philomena), Emma Thompson (Saving Mr. Banks), Kate Winslet (Labor Day)
No surprises here. Cate Blanchett is the front runner.
On Best Actor – Comedy or Musical:
Nominees: Christian Bale (American Hustle), Bruce Dern (Nebraska), Leonardo DiCaprio (The Wolf of Wall Street), Oscar Isaac (Inside Llewyn Davis), Joaquin Phoenix (Her)
Leonardo DiCaprio. Christian Bale. Bruce Dern. Joaquin Phoenix. Early analysis…this category isn’t fucking around. Those are some heavy hitters. With DiCaprio, Bale, and Phoenix, this list is basically the Daniel Cohen all-stars. All it’s missing is Ryan Gosling. And let’s not forget Oscar Isaac…a Drive alum! I absolutely love this category.
On Best Actress – Comedy or Musical:
Nominees: Amy Adams (American Hustle), Julie Delpy (Before Midnight), Greta Gerwig (Frances Ha), Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Enough Said), Meryl Streep (August: Osage County)
Yeah, haven’t seen any of these movies yet. Any list that has Meryl Streep, Amy Adams, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus is probably fine though. One snub I would have liked to of seen here though is Scarlett Johansson in Don Jon. It’s probably the best performance I’ve ever seen from her.
On Best Supporting Actor Role:
Nominees: Barkhad Abdi (Captain Phillips), Daniel Bruhl (Rush), Bradley Cooper (American Hustle), Michael Fassbender (12 Years a Slave), Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club)
Michael Fassbender and Jared Leto…absolutely. I’m going to assume Bradley Cooper is deserving, but still need to see American Hustle. Seriously though, get Daniel Bruhl and Barkhad Abdi out of there. Those guys over Matthew McConaughey (Mud), Woody Harrelson (Out of the Furnace), Casey Affleck (Out of the Furnace), Ray Liotta (The Place Beyond the Pines), and Jake Gyllenhaal (Prisoners)? Whatever, Golden Globes.
On Best Supporting Actress Role:
Nominees: Sally Hawkins (Blue Jasmine), Jennifer Lawrence (American Hustle), Lupita Nyong’o (12 Years a Slave), Julia Roberts (August: Osage County), June Squibb (Nebraska)
Solid list here. Jennifer Lawrence continues to take over the world, and her performance is getting the most buzz out of that film. This is most likely a dead heat between June Squibb and Lupita Nyong’o though. I’m surprised Sarah Paulson (12 Years a Slave) didn’t get in, and Octavia Spencer (Fruitvale Station) is a huge snub.
On Best Director:
Nominees: Alfonso Cuaron (Gravity), Paul Greengrass (Captain Phillips), Steve McQueen (12 Years a Slave), Alexander Payne (Nebraska), David O. Russell (American Hustle)
Steve McQueen, David O. Russell, Alfonso Cuaron, and Alexander Payne are all fine. Look…I haven’t seen The Wolf of Wall Street yet, but no Martin Scorsese just seems strange with the amount of buzz that film is getting. Get Captain Phillips out of there! Paul Greengrass?! Are you kidding me with this? The middle hour of the film is a bunch of guys on a confined life boat looking grumpy…how riveting.
