It’s hard to believe that the Golden Globes are already upon us! I haven’t been thinking about awards season much lately, but then the other night I stumbled upon the Critics’ Choice Awards taking place. Even though the Critic’s Choice Awards don’t mean so much as far as awards shows go, the broadcast still got me pumped for the Globes and Oscars being just around the corner! Tomorrow Ricky Gervais will host the Golden Globes, and here are my picks:
BEST MOTION PICTURE, DRAMA
Nominees: Black Swan, Inception, The King’s Speech, The Fighter, The Social Network
Who I’d like to win: Inception
Who I think will win: The Social Network
Unfortunately, I think that The Social Network is going to sweep most of the big categories at all the major awards shows. It’s a damn shame, because I will argue to the death that Inception is by far the best picture of the year and the rightful owner of a number of other major awards. In my mind, how can The Social Network even compare? Christopher Nolan created this complex and thrilling world through ten years of thought and contemplation, while David Fincher directed an adaptation from a book. Don’t get me wrong, I saw The Social Network and thought it was really well written and a fine film indeed. But in my humble opinion, Nolan’s “Inception” isn’t even on the same planet as Network. There, I’ve (very) briefly made my case.
BEST MOTION PICTURE, MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Nominees: Burlesque, Red, The Kids Are Alright, The Tourist, Alice in Wonderland
Who I’d like to win: Don’t care
Who I think will win: The Kids Are Alright
I haven’t seen a single one of these five nominees, so I really couldn’t care less about who takes home the trophy. I guess if I had to pick one, I’d like to see Red win it, but only because it’s the one film I even considered going to see. But I think Kids has a lock on this one – it got a fair amount of buzz while it was in theaters, particularly about award-worthy performances by Julianne Moore, Annette Bening, and Mark Ruffalo.
BEST DIRECTOR
Nominees: Christopher Nolan (Inception), Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan), David Fincher (The Social Network), David. O. Russell (The Fighter), Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech)
Who I’d like to win: Christopher Nolan
Who I think will win: Darren Aronofsky
Obviously, based on what I said before, I think that Nolan deserves this hands down. But, as a friend of mine argued, Inception may have been too mainstream to win awards. I’ll buy that, and in turn pick Aronofsky for Black Swan, which was very artsy and much less mainstream. I think that Fincher could win for The Social Network as well just because the world seems to be in love with that film and I feel like the Globes are more subject to the “popularity contest” mentality than the Oscars.
BEST DRAMATIC ACTOR
Nominees: Colin Firth (The King’s Speech), Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network), James Franco (127 Hours), Ryan Gosling (Blue Valentine), Mark Wahlberg (The Fighter)
Who I’d like to win: Colin Firth
Who I think will win: Colin Firth
I’m pretty positive that Firth has a lock on this one, as he should! His portrayal of the stuttering George VI is exceptional and makes all the other contenders’ performances pale in comparison. Besides Firth nailing the role, his part in The King’s Speech is really the most demanding out of the five nominations. Mastering that speech impediment on top of the usual challenges of acting make the performance even more impressive. Plus, Colin Firth really deserves an Oscar in general, especially after the highway robbery of last year (damn you Jeff Bridges!). I’ll admit that I never saw Crazy Heart, but Firth’s performance in A Single Man was perfection – I think it took far more courage and talent than Bridges’ portrayal of an old country singer.
BEST DRAMATIC ACTRESS
Nominees: Natalie Portman (Black Swan), Halle Berry (Frankie & Alice), Jennifer Lawrence (Winter’s Bone), Michelle Williams (Blue Valentine), Nicole Kidman (Rabbit Hole)
Who I’d like to win: Undetermined
Who I think will win: Natalie Portman
I can’t say who I’d like to win the Golden Globe on this one because I haven’t seen a single of these actresses’ performances. I’m planning on seeing as many of them as I can before the Oscars, but I’ve yet to see any of them. However, based on all the buzz surrounding the Portman / Kunis duo in Black Swan I feel like she probably has a lock on this one.
BEST ACTOR, COMEDY OR MUSICAL
Nominees: Jake Gyllenhaal (Love & Other Drugs), Paul Giamatti (Barney’s Version), Johnny Depp (Alice in Wonderland), Kevin Spacey (Casino Jack), Johnny Depp (The Tourist)
Who I’d like to win: Undetermined
Who I think will win: Johnny Depp (Alice in Wonderland)
Once again, here’s a category that I’ve seen very little of. I saw Love and Other Drugs, but the rest of the nominees I’ve yet to see. So it doesn’t matter to me who wins it. I think that Depp has a good chance (besides the fact that he’s nominated twice in one category)because his performance in Alice is the most elaborate. He had to create and take on a cartoon-ish character and wear ridiculous makeup and costumes. So my guess is that the voters will see him as the most deserving actor here.
BEST ACTRESS, COMEDY OR MUSICAL
Nominees: Angelina Jolie (The Tourist), Anne Hathaway (Love & Other Drugs), Annette Bening (The Kids Are Alright), Emma Stone (Easy A), Julianne Moore (The Kids Are Alright)
Who I’d like to win: Anne Hathaway
Who I think will win: Annette Bening
The only performance of these that I’ve seen is Anne Hathaway’s in Love in Other Drugs, so I’ll admit I’m a bit biased. But I really do believe that her turn as a young artist struggling with Parkinson’s Disease was underrated by critics across the board. I don’t know if people’s dislike of the film caused them to overlook Anne’s great work here, but it would be nice if she got the Golden Globe for it. However, most people seem to agree that Bening’s the front runner in this category.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Nominees: Christian Bale (The Fighter), Andrew Garfield (The Social Network), Geoffrey Rush (The King’s Speech), Jeremy Renner (The Town), Michael Douglas (Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps)
Who I’d like to win: Christian Bale
Who I think will win: Christian Bale
Ever since Bale went on his foul-language rampage, I’ve disliked the guy. I work in the industry, so I understand the severity of the mistake made when the Director of Photography ruined the take and thus triggered Bale’s rage. But I’ve always felt that, regardless of the DP’s major blunder, he hardly deserved Bale’s lengthy and obscene scream-fest. That being said, there is no denying that Bale’s performance in The Fighter was the performance of the year. His transformation into crack addict Dickie Ecklund is mesmerizing – he completely becomes the character and never once do you feel like you are watching Christian Bale act. Give this man a Golden Globe, an Oscar, and every other award there is.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Nominees: Amy Adams (The Fighter), Helena Bonham Carter (The King’s Speech), Jacki Weaver (Animal Kingdom), Melissa Leo (The Fighter), Mila Kunis (Black Swan)
Who I’d like to win: Melissa Leo
Who I think will win: Melissa Leo
This one’s a tough because it could go to a few of the nominees. I think that Melissa Leo really deserves the award because, like Christian Bale in the same movie, she completely transforms into her character. Then again, so does Amy Adams. And Mila Kunis is supposedly excellent in Black Swan, so she’s surely a contender. I think that Leo might have an advantage on Kunis and Adams because of her age though – voters may reason that, being older, she will have much fewer chances at future Globes than her younger competitors do.
BEST ANIMATED FILM
Nominees: Toy Story 3, Despicable Me, How to Train Your Dragon, Tangled, The Illusionist
What I’d like to win: Toy Story 3
What I think will win: Toy Story 3
Poor Dreamworks. This could have been their year if Pixar hadn’t unleashed Toy Story 3. How to Train Your Dragon was a great film and easily takes 2nd place behind Toy Story 3. But TS3 was so excellent that Pixar will continue its reign of dominance at the awards shows this year.
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE PICTURE
Nominees: Biutiful, I Am Love, In a Better World, The Concert, The Edge
What I’d like to win: Undecided
What I think will win: Biutiful
Unsurprisingly, I haven’t seen any of these films and probably won’t (besides Biutiful, which I will be seeing Thursday). The only film I’ve even heard of is Biutiful, which boasts Javier Bardem and the director of Babel and 21 Grams. With those two advantages, I’m guessing Biutiful will get the nod.
BEST SCREENPLAY
Nominees: 127 Hours, Inception, The Social Network, The Kids Are Alright, The King’s Speech
What I’d like to win: Inception
What I think will win: The Social Network
You know the drill by now – Inception deserves it, but The Social Network will get it. I thought that Aaron Sorkin’s script forNetwork was excellent, however. He is clearly one of the best in the business, and the film certainly benefited from his impeccable screenplay. But once again, the complexity and originality of Nolan’s script for Inception just tops everything else.
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Nominees: A.R. Rahman (127 Hours), Danny Elfman (Alice in Wonderland), Hans Zimmer (Inception), Alexandre Desplat (The King’s Speech), Trent Reznor (The Social Network)
Who I’d like to win: Hans Zimmer
Who I think will win: Hans Zimmer
Though I’m a little weary of Trent Reznor swooping in and stealing the Globe away from Zimmer, I’ll stick with my pick of Hans winning it. Reznor’s score for The Social Network was catchy and really set the mood of the film, which I liked. But Zimmer’s score for Inception was phenomenal. Besides really setting the tone for the movie, the music was almost acting like an additional character. Recently I’ve seen a number of trailers and commercials that have clearly tried to mimic Zimmer’s haunting Inception riff that people are most familiar with. But I think most people would be pleasantly surprised if they downloaded the entire Inceptionsoundtrack and gave it a listen. There are some really beautiful tracks that make the entire thing award-worthy as a whole.
BEST SONG
Nominees: “Bound to You” (Burlesque), “You Haven’t Seen the Last of Me” (Burlesque), “Coming Home” (Country Strong), “I See the Light” (Tangled), “There’s a Place for Us” (The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader)
What I’d like to win: Don’t Care
What I think will win: “I See the Light” (Tangled)
I haven’t seen any of these movies because I wasn’t interested in any of them. I’m not a big musical person, especially the country-musical variety of Country Strong. There seems to be a fair amount of buzz surrounding Tangled though, so I’m picking that for the gold.
BEST TV SERIES, DRAMA
Nominees: Boardwalk Empire, Dexter, Mad Men, The Good Wife, The Walking Dead
What I’d like to win: Boardwalk Empire
What I think will win: Boardwalk Empire
I’ve only seen an episode here or there of each show, so it’s tough for me to make a solid judgement. I know that Mad Men has been great as always, but the show always seems to get overlooked during awards season. Same goes for Dexter. The Good Wife and The Walking Dead were both well-received, but I don’t think they were strong enough to win. I think the most amount of buzz was generated by Boardwalk Empire, and the episode or two that I saw were excellent – what you’d expect from an HBO show.
BEST TV SERIES, MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Nominees: Glee, 30 Rock, The Big Bang Theory, Modern Family, Nurse Jackie
What I’d Like to Win: Modern Family
What I think will win: Modern Family
I’ve never seen 30 Rock, Nurse Jackie, or The Big Bang Theory. But I do watch Glee and Modern Family consistently and honestly I was disappointed in Glee this season. It wasn’t nearly as funny as Modern Family and often took itself far too seriously than it used to. I really wish Community was nominated because I think that’s possibly the funniest show on TV right now. But, seeing how it wasn’t, I’m going to have to settle with the less-funny but still amusing Modern Family.
BEST ACTRESS, TV DRAMA
Nominees: Piper Perabo (Covert Affairs), Elisabeth Moss (Mad Men), Julianna Margulies (The Good Wife), Katey Sagal (Sons of Anarchy), Kyra Sedgwick (The Closer)
Who I’d like to win: Julianna Margulies
Who I think will win: Julianna Margulies
I think this could be Julianna Margulies’ year. She’s by far the nominee most buzzed about in this grouping. Kyra Sedgwick and Elisabeth Moss might contend, but I’m hoping Margulies gets it. I always thought she was great when she was on ER.
BEST ACTOR, TV DRAMA
Nominees: Michael C. Hall (Dexter), Steve Buscemi (Boardwalk Empire), Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad), Hugh Laurie (House), Jon Hamm (Mad Men)
Who I’d like to win: Steve Buscemi
Who I think will win: Steve Buscemi
I think this race is really about the only newcomer, Buscemi. I’m sure the other actors gave impressive performances this year in their respective shows, but they’ve had their chances. Every other nominee is on a show that has been airing for at least three seasons. So I think the voters will lean towards giving the Globe to the fresh blood.
BEST ACTOR, TV MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Nominees: Alec Baldwin (30 Rock), Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory), Matthew Morrison (Glee), Steve Carrell (The Office), Thomas Jane (Hung)
Who I’d like to win: Don’t Care
Who I think will win: Steve Carrell
This might be a close call between Parsons, Morrison, and Carrell. The Big Bang Theory seems to be pretty hot right now, as doesGlee, while The Office is old-hat. However, I think the fact that Carrell is leaving The Office will tip the scales in his favor and he’ll go home with the trophy.
BEST ACTRESS, TV MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Nominees: Lea Michele (Glee), Toni Collette (United States of Tara), Laura Linney (The Big C), Tina Fey (30 Rock), Edie Falco (Nurse Jackie)
Who I’d like to win: Don’t Care
Who I think will win: Tina Fey
There really weren’t any breakout musical or comedic actresses this year, so I think the default win will go to Tina Fey. Plain and simple.
BEST MINISERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Nominees: Temple Grandin, You Don’t Know Jack, Carlos, The Pacific, The Pillars of the Earth
Who I’d like to win: The Pacific
Who I think will win: The Pacific
This race is easily between Temple Grandin, The Pacific, and You Don’t Know Jack, all of which share ties to HBO. It’ll be a close call, but I think The Pacific will be taking home the Globe this year – it seems to have been an awards powerhouse so far this year and I think that will carry through the Golden Globes as well.
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MINISERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Nominees: Claire Danes (Temple Grandin), Hayley Atwell (The Pillars of the Earth), Jennifer Love Hewitt (The Client List), Judi Dench (Return to Cranford), Romola Garai (Emma)
Who I’d like to win: Undecided
Who I think will win: Claire Danes
Admittedly I have yet to see any of these actresses in any of the shows or movies that they’ve been nominated for. Some of them I haven’t even heard of before (looking at you, Hayley Atwell). But I have surely heard about Dane’s performance in Temple Grandinand that seems to be the favorite here. I think it’s hard to contend with an actor/actress who is able to accurately capture the essence of a character who is burdened with a physical or mental illness (similar to Firth’s George VI and Bale’s Ecklund this year). Portraying such a person always seems more impressive than other actor’s turns as normal people with fairly common problems (no matter how great the acting is). So with that in mind, Danes should have this one in the bag.
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MINISERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Nominees: Al Pacino (You Don’t Know Jack), Dennis Quaid (The Special Relationship), Edgar Ramirez (Carlos), Ian McShane (The Pillars of the Earth), Idris Elba (Luther)
Who I’d like to win: Undecided
Who I think will win: Al Pacino
I haven’t even heard of three out of five of the nominees here. And generally, the rule of thumb is that if most people haven’t heard of or seen a film, it wont be taking home an award. There have been exceptions of course, like Marion Cotillard’s (extremely well deserved) Oscar win for La Vie en Rose, so it can happen. But I think for this round, Al Pacino will get the gold for his turn as controversial death-doctor Jack Kevorkian. It seems like one of those performances in which the actor truly disappears into his character, judging by clips of You Don’t Know Jack that I’ve seen.
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINISERIES, OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Nominations: Hope Davis (The Special Relationship), Jane Lynch (Glee), Julia Styles (Dexter), Kelly Macdonald (Boardwalk Empire), Sofia Vergara (Modern Family)
Who I’d like to win: Julia Styles
Who I think will win: Julia Styles
I’m betting against Jane Lynch on this one, which is risky business these days. The actress entered the spotlight with her turn in Gleeand she continues to be one of the most popular actresses right now. However, I think that Julia Styles could surprise here with a win for her turn in Dexter. I haven’t seen a single episode of the show, but I get the feeling that the role is a bit of a new direction for Styles. And I’d like to see her get the gold, because honestly she hasn’t done too much else in her career to earn awards (Save the Last Dance anybody?). Sure, she was likable in 10 Things I Hate About You and she did fine in the Bourne films, but other than that, what has she done? So, I think winning here would be a great thing for Styles and an interesting upset.
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINISERIES, OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Nominees: Scott Caan (Hawaii Five-O), Chris Noth (The Good Wife), Chris Colfer (Glee), David Strathaim (Temple Grandin), Eric Stonestreet (Modern Family)
Who I’d like to win: Eric Stonestreet
Who I think will win: Eric Stonestreet
Stonestreet took home the Emmy last year for the same role, so I’m picking him to win the Golden Globe here. Besides being funny, Eric convincingly plays a flamboyantly gay man on Modern Family, which is impressive since he’s actually straight in real life. I think that his turn as Cameron stands out amongst the rest of the nominees. I’m actually pretty surprised Caan was nominated because in the few episodes of Hawaii Five-O that I’ve seen, his character seems pretty run-of-the-mill. And I think Colfer’s character on Glee is whiny, annoying and much less amusing than Cameron from Modern Family. So Stonestreet it is.
Well, those are my picks for the 2011 Golden Globes! What do you think of ’em?
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