Mark picks apart last week's Golden Globes shortlist and predicts the results of the ceremony
As a result of the Golden Globes' position in the awards season calendar, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) annually finds itself in a dilly of a pickle. The first, best way to make anybody care about their ceremony would seem to be attracting big time celebrities to their red carpet, so that the event can at least be assured of high publicity.
The HFPA are just as subjective as BAFTA, or the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, who dole out the Oscars every February, so there's no reason for you to agree with their particular choices for the best films, performances or scripts of the past year. However, they are also pretty much unaccountable, and notable for nominating, or giving awards to famous people they want to come to their ceremony.
Most infamously, in 1981, the Best Newcomer award went to Butterfly's Pia Zadora. No? Me neither. But Zadora's millionaire husband, Meshulam Riklis, treated members of the HFPA to a trip to Vegas for a screening of the film, which may or may not have swayed their vote in his wife's particular category.
Much more recently however, we had the farce of last year's nominations for Best Musical or Comedy, which, after the obligatory choice and eventual winner, included Alice in Wonderland, RED, Burlesque and The Tourist. Burlesque seemed to have been included as the operative Musical part of the category, while RED was an unorthodox, but not unfathomable choice. The really boggling choices were the two movies that happened to feature Johnny Depp.
For one thing, I'm not sure how Alice in Wonderland qualifies as either a Musical or a Comedy. For another, The Tourist is an example of what we in the business of watching films call “fucking terrible”. And apparently, Sony, who distributed The Tourist, also treated the HFPA to a trip to Vegas.
In his barbed opening monologue, “controversial” host Ricky Gervais spoke of the “ridiculous rumour” that The Tourist was only nominated because the HFPA wanted to hang out with its stars, Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie. "That is rubbish,” he joked. “That is not the only reason. They also accepted bribes."
Normally, we look forward to the announcement of the Golden Globes nominations each year, because they're good for a laugh. However, after the bad taste left by last year, this year's selection seems to be something of a palate cleanser. The HFPA are typically listing some of the favourites in this year's surprisingly open road to the Oscars, with The Artist securing six nominations, and The Descendants and The Help flagging close behind with five nods apiece.
While it's not possible to comment on The Descendants this far ahead, as it won't be released in the UK until January, it could be observed, if one were cynical enough, that the HFPA seem to be courting that film's star, George Clooney, this year. Clooney is nominated for co-writing and directing The Ides of March, and the film is up for Best Picture in the Drama category.
Also for The Ides of March, Ryan Gosling scooped a Best Actor nomination in the Drama category. As Gosling is So Hot Right Now, he's also got a nomination in the Comedy Or Musical category, for Crazy, Stupid, Love. It's been a busy old year for the actor, but surely the performance for which he most deserves recognition would be his lead role in Drive?
