Here they are, the Golden Globe noms. Sometimes more respected than the Oscars, but still in the same vein of accessible art films & epics. We won't get into glaring omissions today, but let’s see how they did...
Best Drama
American Gangster – Who doesn’t like a Cinderella Gangster story? A well done film, but can it match others in creativity?
Atonement– It’s the twist that has me hooked. Otherwise, very pretty, very tragic, but just falls short of others.
Eastern Promises – Nothing new here. I don’t understand its popularity.
The Great Debaters
Michael Clayton
No Country for Old Men & There Will Be Blood – This is the big western race of Marfa, TX (where they were both filmed). Two superb films, swimming in brilliant metaphors. However, No Country is easier for most folks to digest and should win out.
Best Director
Tim Burton – Sweeney Todd
Ethan & Joel Coen – No Country for Old Men. Seriously, the Globes haven’t delivered to the Coens? They inspire great performances -- pay up.
Julian Schnabel – The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. Ah, such a splendid film. But is it all cinematography? Tight race.
Ridley Scott – American Gangster. Great performances, another good contender.
Joe Wright – Atonement. Performances all well done, but the characters are shadows by design.
Best Screenplay
Diablo Cody – Juno. I love this film, but it may not have the heft to compete with other topics.
Ethan & Joel Coen – No Country for Old Men. It’s pretty hard to fight the Coen Bros. working from a great book.
Christopher Hampton – Atonement. Spoke with him this week—he almost didn’t put in the twist. Thank goodness he did, but I think others are more complex.
Ronald Harwood – The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. How to turn this book into a film? Tough work that should be rewarded.
Aaron Sorkin – Charlie Wilson’s War. It sometimes felt like one of his TV shows, and therein lies the problem.
Actress in Drama
Cate Blanchett – Elizabeth: The Golden Age. Don’t insult her with her own lousy movie when she has so many better ones to choose from.
Julie Christie – Away from Her
Jodie Foster – The Brave One
Angelina Jolie – A Mighty Heart (have yet to see, but am surprised it’s getting awards after the initial mediocre reception)
Keira Knightley – Atonement. Good, but not fully center stage.
Supporting Actress
Cate Blanchett – I’m Not There. Oh, just give it to her.
Julia Roberts – Charlie Wilson’s War. Julia is Julia – no stretch here.
Saoirse Ronan – Atonement. Not bad for a 13-year-old, but the range was limited.
Amy Ryan – Gone Baby Gone
Tilda Swinton – Michael Clayton
Actor in Drama
George Clooney – Michael Clayton
Daniel Day-Lewis – There Will Be Blood. He consumes this role – give it to him.
James McAvoy – Atonement. Great effort, but again, not fully center stage.
Viggo Mortensen – Eastern Promises. As with Cate’s Elizabeth, don’t insult him.
Denzel Washington – American Gangster. He was great, but I think DDL took it to the next über-level.
Supporting Actor
Casey Affleck– The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Javier Bardem – No Country for Old Men. The Devil couldn’t have done better.
Philip Seymour Hoffman – Charlie Wilson’s War. A joke role for him, wait for better.
John Travolta – Hairspray. No.
Tom Wilkinson – Michael Clayton
Best Foreign Language
4 Months, 3 weeks & 2 Days (Romania)
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (France/USA) – So very lovely. Will be tough to beat.
The Kite Runner (USA) – Saptacular and too neatly tied up. Needs to be grittier.
Lust, Caution (Taiwan)
Persepolis (France)
Best Comedy/ Musical
Across the Universe
Charlie Wilson’s War – Lighthearted, yes, but a full-on comedy?
Hairspray – Fine, but should have been edgier.
Juno – Yes, please. Great script, director, actors...I dare you not to love this film.
Sweeney Todd
Actress in Comedy/Musical
Amy Adams – Enchanted
Nikki Blonsky – Hairspray. Good, but not groundbreaking.
Helena Bonham Carter – Sweeney Todd
Marion Cotillard – La Vie En Rose. Music in a movie does not a musical make. By definition, the music drives the plot in a musical. She should be moved to the Drama category, and she should win it.
Ellen Page – Juno. Another reason to tick me off for misplacing Marion Cotillard. Page would have this category wrapped up if it weren’t for that snafu.
Actor in Comedy/Musical
Johnny Depp– Sweeney Todd
Ryan Gosling – Lars and the Real Girl. Hmm, another miscategorization. Sure, the plot sounds funny, but this is a drama about a psychologically troubled man. However, Gosling does an excellent job.
Tom Hanks – Charlie Wilson’s War. See above, not a comedy. And like Julia, Tom is Tom – nothing new.
Philip Seymour Hoffman – The Savages. A film right up his alley, and he does it well. I’d give him odds.
John C. Reilly – Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story
Best Animated Film
Bee Movie
Ratatouille
The Simpsons Movie – Hey, it wasn’t bad. For an 18-year-old series, they kept it pretty fresh (Spider Pig, anyone?).
Best Original Score
Michael Brook, Kaki King, Eddie Vedder – Into the Wild. A good fit.
Clint Eastwood – Grace is Gone
Alberto Iglesias – The Kite Runner. One of my favorite film composers, but are his scores starting to sound the same?
Dario Marianelli – Atonement. Simple, haunting and memorable.
Howard Shore - Eastern Promises. Never terribly original, but always attached to a big film. Nah.
Best Original Song
“Despedida” – Love in the Time of Cholera
(Music by: Shakira, Antonio Pinto; Lyrics by: Shakira)
“Grace is Gone” – Grace is Gone
(Music by: Clint Eastwood; Lyrics by: Carole Bayer Sager)
“Guaranteed” – Into the Wild
(Music & Lyrics by: Eddie Vedder)
“That’s How You Know” – Enchanted
(Music By: Alan Menken; Lyrics By: Stephen Schwartz)
“Walk Hard” – Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story
(Music & Lyrics by: Marshall Crenshaw, John C. Reilly, Judd Apatow, Kasdan)