The Golden Globes have been announced, minus all the pomp and nonsense (which the writers' strike put the kibosh on). The shocker of the evening - Atonement, a movie all the prognosticators said was down for the count, took home the prize for Best Drama. I liked it personally, though it was not in my final top 5. Best Director went, also surprisingly, to Julian Schnabel for The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. No prize for the Coens for No Country for Old Men, or Tim Burton for Sweeney Todd, or Joe Wright for Atonement. The director and drama prizes being split means there's no consensus Best Picture Oscar favorite - at least that's what all the handicappers will say. Atonement will be a slight favorite, with Juno moving up the list because of its box-office.
As for Best Picture - Comedy: Juno was beaten by Sweeney Todd. I don't think this will hurt Juno's chances to be nominated for the Oscar for Best Picture...it's a feel-good movie like Little Miss Sunshine and they always like to slide one of those in to balance off the grimness of the other heavy-hitting stuff. Plus, a movie like Juno has a lot of people rooting for it - it's that Cinderella-story thing, and that brings attention (as if the Oscars needed more of it).
Best Actress - Drama went to Julie Christie who is now the clear favorite to win the Oscar. Marion Cotillard is #2 behind Christie after winning Best Actress - Musical or Comedy (dumb distinction since Cotillard's performance is every bit as "dramatic" as anyone else's; of course the Oscars don't split the categories that way, and good thing). Best Actor - Drama was given to Daniel Day-Lewis for There Will Be Blood - this ought to quiet the George Clooney for Best Actor drumbeat a little. I just want Viggo Mortensen to be nominated so he'll show up looking all hot (assuming there's a real Oscar presentation at all).
Best Actor in a Comedy or Musical was given to Johnny Depp for Sweeney Todd. I never have any problem with Johnny being given an award. Supporting Actress went to Cate Blanchett for I'm Not There, a movie I didn't think all that much of myself. At least it wasn't given to Amy Ryan for that ridiculous Bahston crackho performance in Ben Affleck's heavy-handed Gone Baby Gone. I wouldn't have minded seeing Saoirse Ronan win it for playing the young version of Briony in Atonement. Kid was good.
Best Supporting Actor went to Javier Bardem as Chigurh in No Country for Old Men - that's the no-brainer of all no-brainers. If anyone else wins the Oscar, forget it. Animated film went to Ratatouille - who cares? The Diving Bell and the Butterfly won Best Foreign-Language Film - again, who cares? The TV awards turned into an orgy of love for this thing Mad Men that I've never seen but that everyone says is so fantastic. Plus Tina Fey won Best Comedy Actress and David Duchovny won Best Comedy Actor. David is somewhere bare-assed, happy as a clam...and I wish I was there with him.
