Awards
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* OSCAR coverage here
'05 Golden Globe
AWARDS
by
Nathaniel R
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comments in every category
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Best Picture Drama
(Focus Features)
(Focus Features)
(Warner Indie Pictures)
(New Line)Post-Ceremony Comments
As expected Brokeback Mountain took the big prize cementing itself ever further as the Oscar leader. Ang Lee was so cute and gracious the whole night. And Michelle and Jake are an adorable couple. Best arrival moment? Anne Hathaway dissing her "arch-nemesis in Hollywood --yes I do have one" while talking to Isaac Mizrahi and then realizing she probably shouldn't have said it. And then trying to cover and clamming up about who it was. Best winning speech for BBM's three prizes? Ang Lee.Best dressed for the BBM table? Michelle Williams
Pre-Ceremony Prediction
This has to be going to Brokeback Mountain given its month of momentous momentum mounting (say that three times fast). In the event that pigs begins to fly and hell freezes over expect Good Night and Good Luck. to be the spoiler.Who I'm Rooting For: Brokeback Mountain
Table I'll Be Watching For the Most in Cutaways? (tie) Brokeback Mountain and A History of Violenece
The table most likely to be three sheets to the wind? Good Night, and Good Luck.
Nomination comments:
WOW. I just. They really shook up the race here. Very happy for Brokeback and Violence, my two favorite films of the year. Violence needs all the support it can get. There's probably no way it can nab a shortlist spot with Oscar but the more attention it gets the more likely Cronenberg will receive his long overdue Lone Best Director bid.
Omissions from this race, the most high profile of all precursors, can be very damaging. Geisha and Cinderella Man, previously on life support, have probably received toe tags. Done. Crash, previously resurging, gets a didn't-see-it-coming sideways blow to the head. It's not necessarily fatal (given the likely SAG and overall acting support). Least damaging but most stinging? A no thank you to Munich (though they hedged in the director category)
Predictions: (I scored 40% and I'm pretty happy to have scored low)
BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN, CRASH, GOODNIGHT AND GOOD LUCK, MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA, MUNICH
alt: cinderella man, a history of violence, king kong
Best Picture Comedy/Musical
(Weinstein Co)
(Focus Features)
(Samuel Goldwyn Mayer)
(Fox)Post-Ceremony Comments
Walk the Line as predicted. I still hold that my current Oscar predictions are correct and that it's Munich and not Walk the Line that's taking the BP fall on Janujary 31st when the Oscar nominations are announced.
Pre-Ceremony Prediction
This race is more interesting. With Walk the Line losing momentum in the final run up to Oscar nominations, we could see an upset here. If that occurs Pride & Prejudice should waltz its way to the winning crown. But, more often than not this category will go to a musical when one is nominated. And it's not going to the Producers.Who I'm Rooting For: Pride & Prejudice
Table I'll Be Watching For the Most in Cutaways? The Squid and the Whale
The table most likely to be three sheets to the wind? (tie) The Producers & The Squid and the Whale.
Nomination comments:
Good lineup. I haven't seen The Producers yet but the rest of the choices? Respectable or even heartily deserved (Pride & Squid and the Whale)What does this mean for Oscar? It's hard to say. The Comedy/Musical category usually only helps films in their other Oscar hopes. So this reinforces Walk the Line's nomination but it also does things like help Noah Baumbach closer towards a Screenplay nomination for Squid and raises Pride's acting and tech hopes. Who do these nominations hurt? The Family Stone and Casanova (which could theoretically have gotten a boost for its tech elements here.
Predictions: (I scored 80%)
CASANOVA, MRS HENDERSON..., PRIDE & PREJUDICE, PRODUCERS, WALK THE LINE
alt: rent, the family stone, wallace and gromit, squid and the whale
Best Actor Drama
Post-Ceremony Comments
So my hopes for a shake-up here are dashed. And I had my first pre-visualization of what will be a nightmare for me on Oscar night: Swank handing Phillip Seymour Hoffman a prize. Two of my least favorite actors both celebrated at once. Oy. That said I think Hoffman went a long way toward leaving his nearest competitor (Heath Ledger) in the dust on the road to an Oscar win with this speech. It was nothing like his screen performances. i.e. he wasn't smarmy, cocky, or obnoxious. Just a humble gracious actor.Best Dressed? Terrence Howard. My oh my. Wow. And you noticed that everyone was talking about him during the arrivals. He has, in other words, arrived. And as with Best Picture, I feel very good about my Oscar predictions. I think he's going to (improbably) make it to an Oscar nom as well.
Pre-Ceremony Comments
Hoffman and Ledger have split all the precursor prizes among them. This one, though? Tough to say. The Globes like to be predictive of Oscar (common feeling says that leans towards Hoffman) but they also love to go sexy (general consensus is that leans toward Ledger). Since this race, even for Oscar, will probably go down to the wire I'm giving the edge to Heath Ledger. It's either going to be the Globes or the Oscars that can't resist the photo ops of "his" and "her" statuettes for Heath and Michelle.Who I'm Rooting For: Heath Ledger
Best Dressed on Monday Night? Well we already know that David Strathairn looks great in a tux.
Nomination comments:
You know. All year long I've stuck by Ralph Fiennes for an Oscar nomination but precursor season has shown us something odd. Even when groups love The Constant Gardener they ignore him. It's very odd. And the other truly odd thing? Preferring Russell Crowe's fine -but no more than that- Depression era boxer to Fiennes's very intense fully rounded character work. I don't get that. Maybe people don't think he's as much of a pompous ***hole as I do? And therefore they're still starstruck. Because this performance is NOT better than Fiennes. Nor is it better than Mortenson's (another BP nominated leading actor snubbed here). I'd love to believe Howard has a real shot now with Oscar but I'm still doubtful. And I'm doubtful because he's not playing a real character. He, Heath Ledger, Fiennes, and Mortenson have that disadvantage because awards groups just prefer actors who play real non-fictional people. Even when the performances aren't as good. They just do. sigh.
Predictions: (I scored 60% but i got the tricky one -Howard)
BANA -Munich, FIENNES -Constant Gardener, HOFFMAN -Capote, HOWARD -Hustle & Flow, LEDGER -Brokeback Mountain
alt: STRATHAIRN -Goodnight and Good Luck, JONES -Three Burials, CROWE -Cinderella Man
Best Actor Comedy/Musical
Post-Ceremony Comments
Joaquin Phoenix won his first and last big award of the season. Good for him. Jeff Daniels did seem to be enjoying the night and I'm still so happy for him to be receiving any recognition at all for this. Jeff Bridges played a similar character in 2004 and got zip from anyone, except me. So it's nice to see people look beyond unattractive character traits to notice the brilliant performance conveying them.Can't say as I noticed who was Best Dressed. But I did perk up during the one (only one -argh) shot we got of Cillian Murphy that night.
Pre-Ceremony Predictions
Joaquin Phoenix. Plain and simple. Even with Walk the Line's buzz fading and Phoenix's Oscar chances being zippo (in light of the past month of Ledger/Hoffman celebrations) Globes love screen starpower too much to go with Daniels (the critical choice) or Lane (the musical choice) and they'd probably be too shy to go crazy with Depp (given the mixed response to that performance) --plus he'll surely be back.Who I'm Rooting For: Jeff Daniels
Best Dressed on Monday Night? Depp and Murphy might be interesting but I assume Joaquin Phoenix will clean up nice.
Nomination comments:
Pierce Brosnan for the Matador is a shock. But they like the Weinstein Co apparently (other major nods as well for the Post-Miramax outfit). Hoorahs are in order for nominated the very incisive fascinating performance by Jeff Daniels. But this category is a no brainer. Joaquin Phoenix will win. That's the way this cookie crumbles. And Lane and Depp? They reveal the HFPA's unfortunate tendency to be starf***ers when they could really think about "performance". Depp's performance was oft-panned and early word says the Lane couldn't tone down his broad stage persona for the less over-the-top demands of the silver screen.
Predictions: (I scored 60%)
DANIELS -Squid & Whale, HOSKINS -Mrs Henderson Presents, LANE -The Producers, LEDGER -Casanova, PHOENIX -Walk the Line
alt: PITT -mr & mrs smith, CARRELL -40 Year Old Virgin, MURPHY -Breakfast on Pluto
Best Actress Drama
Post-Ceremony Comments
The Power of De-Glam continues with Felicity Huffman's awards grabbing turn in Transamerica taking the drama Globe. I understand that some people find the performance touching but I just want to remind everyone (again for how many years now?) that the "transformation" they're so excited about is achieved with considerable help from costumes, prosthetics (in one scene), and makeup etc...I shouldn't whine. I know I'm a broken record about this subject. But it just exhausts me. Show me an actor digging into their characters soul (Paltrow), illuminating very complicated internal conflicts with ferocity and inspiration (Bello) --hell, even show me an actor struggling to give depth to a movie without any (Theron --not award worthy per se but better than Huffman whose not bad or anything but geez). But don't keep pointing to "transformations" of beautiful woman as the only thing worthy of praise when discussing their talent.
All that said. Felicity's speech: It rocked. Possibly the best of the night.
Best Dressed: (tie) Felicity Huffman & Maria Bello both looked super in white.
Pre-Ceremony Predictions
Were it not for the Golden Globe Desperate Housewives fanbase, I'd say this was actually a tough call. They probably know intrinsically that this doesn't affect the Oscars that much (since Reese will be taking home that naked gold man in March) so they theoretically could go anywhere. But Desperate Housewives gives Felicity Huffman that edge that she'll need. In the event of a spoiler let's say Maria Bello just on the odd chance that the HFPA is freeling very alternative and frisky (when released from Oscar predictive precursor prison --again Reese is winning the Oscar). The HFPA has already rewarded Paltrow and Theron and they don't seem to love Geisha overall. So Maria is the only possible spoiler the way I see it.Who I'm Rooting For: Maria Bello
Best Dressed on Monday Night? Could be anyone. But I think it'd be swell if Gwynnie got her glamour groove back.
Nomination comments:
Seven Words: MARIA BELLO in A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE.
What does this mean for Oscar? When it comes to Bello this either means she just got a leg up for a supporting nomination or they just messed with vote splitting for her. I can't see Oscar going to her for lead. But Damn is this a good call or what. Although it suddenly makes me go hmmmm, is she a lead? I'm normally so fussy about placement and I also had her competing for a supporting bid. I think I will decide later for my own awards.
Who does this hurt? Joan Allen in The Upside of Anger. In a big way. Completely sucks that does. And for whom Zhang Ziyi? Please. Of her five performances that have gotten the most American attention (Crouching Tiger, 2046, House of Flying Daggers, Hero, and Geisha) ...this is easily her least impressive performance. Awkward, semi-vacant, merely adequate. And over Joan Allen? I call foul.Who else does this hurt? ME. When will the de-glam gimmick STOP working on awards groups? I haven't seen Huffman's performance yet. I hope it's good but the point is this: Even if you suck at this sort of role they nominate you. It's so tired. Someone, anyone, let. it. go...
Predictions: (I scored 40% here. GG Drama Actress race is often a shocker though ~see also 2003)
ALLEN -Upside of Anger, DANES -Shopgirl, RICHARDSON -White Countess, THERON -North Country, ZHANG -Memoirs
alt: ZELLWEGER -Cinderella Man, PALTROW -Proof, WATTS -King Kong, COLLETTE or DIAZ -In her Shoes
Best Actress Comedy/Musical
Post-Ceremony Comments
No one else had a prayer when Reese Witherspoon finally got a heavy duty dramatic role with which to counterpoint her heavy duty comedic gifts.Best Dressed? Well, it wasn't Reese. Yikes. I didn't see Laura Linney's dress. But she was positively radiant last night and since she is hit and miss on the awards circuit she should book that hair and makeup guy/gal for everything. And give him/her a bulky tip, too.
Pre-Ceremony Predictions
Reese Witherspoon all the way. No one else has a prayer. Sorry.Who I'm Rooting For: Reese Witherspoon
Best Dressed on Monday Night? This whole night will be about crowning Reese Witherspoon the new queen of Hollywood. Julia has left the building.
Nomination comments:
What this means for Oscar? Here is where Squid and the Whale really showed its rising cachet. Fine film. See it! Also kind of a strange to see Sarah Jessica Parker in the lineup. Not because they don't love her (they definitely love her, she has a few of their trophies) but because Keaton, who received most of the buzz for this film for months, is nowhere to be seen. Strange. Although the Globes snubbed Keaton for Marvin's Room in favor of Meryl Streep back in the day and Oscar reversed that. So who knows...Who does this hurt? Groupies, gossip lovers, and starf***ers who wanted to see an Aniston (Rumor Has It)/Jolie (Mr & Mrs Smith) showdown. Both were snubbed. This will be a very tight battle between Dench and Witherspoon which means Keira (theoretically) might not get much mileage from her nod here.
Predictions: (I scored 60%)
DENCH -Mrs Henderson Presents, HUFFMAN -Transamerica, JOLIE -Mr & Mrs Smith, KNIGHTLEY -Pride & Prejudice, WITHERSPOON -Walk the Line
alt: PARKER -Family Stone, STREEP -Prime, DAWSON -Rent, LINNEY -Squid and WhaleDirector / Supporting / And more...
