It's Golden Globes time! The world is waiting for glamour, and so far we've got a red thing on Eva Longoria, some awesome gray hair on Alec Baldwin (sporting a very fetching bit of chewing gum he used to intimidate The Vile Seacrest), and way too much eyeliner on Debra Messing (who, according to Canyon, keeps doing her "sexy face", which sounds unpleasant). Anyway, remember when I said I was done with lists? WRONG! Why not one more? Here is who I would love to win tonight, though I really don't think any of them actually will. We're avoiding the actual award results tomorrow (we're taping the awards on Sky Movies Premiere and won't get to watch it until tomorrow night), so there will be a long period with this completely inaccurate speculation sitting here without comment from us. Bear in mind, many of these are not my real favourites of the year. For instance,
Frost/Nixon is not my favourite of the year (see posts passim), but compared to
Slumdog Millionaire, or
The Curious Case of Benjamin Buttons (as the idiots as E! called it a little while ago), it was easily the tops. My choice for each is in italics.
BEST MOTION PICTURE, DRAMA * The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
*
Frost/Nixon * The Reader
* Revolutionary Road
* Slumdog Millionaire
BEST MOTION PICTURE, COMEDY * Burn After Reading
* Happy-Go-Lucky
*
In Bruges * Mamma Mia!
* Vicky Cristina Barcelona
ACTOR, DRAMA * Leonardo DiCaprio, Revolutionary Road
* Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon
* Sean Penn, Milk
* Brad Pitt, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
*
Mickey Rourke, The WrestlerACTRESS, DRAMA
* Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married
* Angelina Jolie, Changeling
* Meryl Streep, Doubt
* Kristin Scott Thomas, I've Loved You So Long
*
Kate Winslet, Revolutionary RoadACTOR, COMEDY OR MUSICAL
* Javier Bardem, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
* Colin Farrell, In Bruges
*
James Franco, Pineapple Express * Brendan Gleeson, In Bruges
* Dustin Hoffman, Last Chance Harvey
This is a tough category. I'd be happy if either of the
In Bruges actors won as well, and I wouldn't cry if Javier won either. The sexy bastard.
ACTRESS, COMEDY OR MUSICAL
* Rebecca Hall, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
* Sally Hawkins, Happy-Go-Lucky
*
Frances McDormand, Burn After Reading * Meryl Streep, Mamma Mia!
* Emma Thompson, Last Chance Harvey
A win for Rebecca Hall would also be cool. She was the best thing about that inexplicably adored movie.
SUPPORTING ACTOR * Tom Cruise, Tropic Thunder
* Robert Downey Jr., Tropic Thunder
* Ralph Fiennes, The Duchess
* Philip Seymour Hoffman, Doubt
*
Heath Ledger, The Dark KnightSUPPORTING ACTRESS * Amy Adams, Doubt
* Penélope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
* Viola Davis, Doubt
*
Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler * Kate Winslet, The Reader
I've not seen
Doubt, but I'd also like Viola Davis to win, because she's so amazing in everything and should win awards on a regular basis.
DIRECTOR * Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
* Stephen Daldry, The Reader
*
David Fincher, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button * Ron Howard, Frost/Nixon
* Sam Mendes, Revolutionary Road
I didn't like
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button(s), but Fincher's direction, despite the odd peculiar choice, was still the most impressive of the candidates in this category. I am astonished by the scope of the movie even as I am annoyed by its narrative slightness.
SCREENPLAY * Simon Beaufoy, Slumdog Millionaire
* David Hare, The Reader
*
Peter Morgan, Frost/Nixon * Eric Roth, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
* John Patrick Shanley, Doubt
FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM * The Baader Meinhof Complex (Germany)
* Everlasting Moments (Sweden)
*
Gomorrah (Italy) * I've Loved You So Long (France)
* Waltz With Bashir (Israel)
I don't know if the subject matter is too dark, but
Gomorrah should walk this. It's a breathtaking movie.
ANIMATED FEATURE FILM * Bolt
*
Kung Fu Panda (Obviously!!!)
* WALL-E
ORIGINAL SCORE *
Alexandre Desplat, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button * Clint Eastwood, Changeling
* James Newton Howard, Defiance
* A.R. Rahman, Slumdog Millionaire
* Hans Zimmer, Frost/Nixon
ORIGINAL SONG * "Down to Earth," WALL-E; music by Peter Gabriel, Thomas Newman; lyrics by Peter Gabriel
* "Gran Torino," Gran Torino; music by Clint Eastwood, Jamie Cullum, Kyle Eastwood, Michael Stevens; lyrics by Kyle Eastwood, Michael Stevens
* "I Thought I Lost You," Bolt; music & lyrics by Miley Cyrus, Jeffrey Steele
* "Once in a Lifetime," Cadillac Records; music & lyrics by Beyoncé Knowles, Amanda Ghost, Scott McFarnon, Ian Dench, James Dring, Jody Street
*
"The Wrestler," The Wrestler; music & lyrics by Bruce SpringsteenTELEVISION
TELEVISION SERIES, DRAMA * Dexter
* House
* In Treatment
*
Mad Men * True Blood
ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES, DRAMA * Sally Field, Brothers & Sisters
* Mariska Hargitay, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
* January Jones, Mad Men
* Anna Paquin, True Blood
* Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer
I only watch
Mad Men of these shows, but I want anyone other than January Jones to win. Give it to Mariska Hargitay as a consolation for being in
The Love Guru.
ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES, DRAMA * Gabriel Byrne, In Treatment
* Michael C. Hall, Dexter
*
Jon Hamm, Mad Men * Hugh Laurie, House
* Jonathan Rhys Meyers, The Tudors
TELEVISION SERIES, COMEDY OR MUSICAL * 30 Rock
* Californication
* Entourage
*
The Office * Weeds
ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES, COMEDY OR MUSICAL * Christina Applegate, Samantha Who?
* America Ferrera, Ugly Betty
*
Tina Fey, 30 Rock * Debra Messing, The Starter Wife
* Mary-Louise Parker, Weeds
ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES, COMEDY OR MUSICAL *
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock * Steve Carell, The Office
* Kevin Connolly, Entourage
* David Duchovny, Californication
* Tony Shalhoub, Monk
If Alec wins I hope he's still chewing gum.
MINISERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION * A Raisin in the Sun
* Bernard and Doris
* Cranford
* John Adams
*
RecountACTRESS IN A MINISERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION * Judi Dench, Cranford
* Catherine Keener, An American Crime
*
Laura Linney, John Adams * Shirley MacLaine, Coco Chanel
* Susan Sarandon, Bernard and Doris
I actually haven't seen
John Adams, but I love Laura Linney. Terrible bias, I know.
ACTOR IN A MINISERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION * Ralph Fiennes, Bernard and Doris
* Paul Giamatti, John Adams
* Kevin Spacey, Recount
*
Kiefer Sutherland, 24: Redemption * Tom Wilkinson, Recount
Why Kiefer? Because DAMMIT!!!!
ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINISERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION * Eileen Atkins, Cranford
*
Laura Dern, Recount * Melissa George, In Treatment
* Rachel Griffiths, Brothers & Sisters
* Dianne Wiest, In Treatment
ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINISERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION * Neil Patrick Harris, How I Met Your Mother
*
Denis Leary, Recount * Jeremy Piven, Entourage
* Blair Underwood, In Treatment
* Tom Wilkinson, John Adams
I chose Denis because he's the only performance I've seen of those this year, but of course it would also shut out Doctor Mercury (aka Piven). That would be sweet.
Tracey Morgan was just on extolling the virtues of collard greens, which was the perfect moment to sign of and go to bed. I look forward to finding out how much the Golden Globes judges disagree with me (i.e. by voting for
Slumdog Millionaire over and over again).
The foreign-language short-list has been officially announced, knocking the sixty-five country submissions down to nine before the official five nominees are announced on the 22nd. Matteo Garrone's Gomorrah was the big oversight this round of elimination, but if that's the only blunder they've made thusfar (remember 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days and Persepolis didn't even make the short-list last year), they're off to a good start. The 9 are:
Other than Gomorrah, the other two big oversights didn't come as much of a surprise. No one expected Chile's Tony Manero to make it to the finalists; it's too sinister for the crusty Oscar crowd. Tulpan, Kazakhstan's submission, was also missing from the list; the film won the Un Certain Regard award at this year's Cannes. It had already been determined that Argentina made the wrong choice with Leonera as their pick, as it's been regarded as much lesser of a film than the country's other offerings from 08: The Headless Woman, Birdsong, Liverpool. After it's win at the Globes this past Sunday (a first for the Foreign Press to award a non-fiction film) and its increasing topical nature, Waltz with Bashir looks like the film to beat. Again, the Oscar nominations will be announced on 22 January.
