The Golden Globe Nominations: PCB's View

MOVIES

DRAMATIC PICTURE
American Gangster
Atonement
Eastern Promises
The Great Debaters
Michael Clayton
No Country For Old Men
There Will Be Blood

There's been some talk about how it's so unprecedented for there to be seven nominations (seems the Globes have a more relaxed attitude to nomination slots than some other award shows), but this could have been cut down to five very easily. Eastern Promises was good but not great and certainly not awards worthy. I also don't think American Gangster is worthy of a nomination. Ridley Scott hasn't made a good film since Thelma & Louise.

MUSICAL OR COMEDY PICTURE
Across the Universe
Charlie Wilson's War
Hairspray
Juno
Sweeney Todd

I've somehow only managed to see one of these (Hairspray) though I have been relentlessly hounded by the trailers for three out of the remaining four (whereas I somehow only saw the trailer for Across The Universe once). I suspect Sweeney Todd will take the prize although the trailer doesn't give me much confidence and has rightly been taken to task for seemingly omitting that it is in fact a musical.

FOREIGN LANGUAGE PICTURE
4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (Romania)
The Diving Bell & the Butterfly (France/USA)
The Kite Runner (USA)
Lust, Caution (Taiwan)
Persepolis (France)

First of all, what is The Kite Runner doing here? Is the entire film foreign language? Second of all, why no nomination for La Vie En Rose?


BEST DIRECTOR
Tim Burton, Sweeney Todd
Joel Coen & Ethan Coen, No Country for Old Men
Julian Schnabel, Diving Bell & the Butterfly
Ridley Scott, American Gangster
Joe Wright, Atonement

Why has a nomination been wasted on Ridley Scott? WHY? The Coen brothers are likeliest to win here I think but I would love Joe Wright to take the prize.

BEST DRAMATIC ACTOR
George Clooney, Michael Clayton
Daniel Day-Lewis, There Will Be Blood
James McAvoy, Atonement
Viggo Mortensen, Eastern Promises
Denzel Washington, American Gangster

Viggo was easily the best thing about Eastern Promises but the nomination I'm happiest about is James McAvoy's. He is a phenomenally talented actor who first caught my attention in Bright Young Things four years ago. I seriously hope he wins though I very much doubt he will.

BEST DRAMATIC ACTRESS
Cate Blanchett, Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Julie Christie, Away From Her
Jodie Foster, The Brave One
Angelina Jolie, A Mighty Heart
Keira Knightley, Atonement

Were dramatic roles really at such a premium for women that Jodie Foster can score a nomination for her not particularly brilliant turn in The Brave One? I love her and she finally came out and it's not like she was nominated for Flightplan or anything but still.

BEST ACTOR, COMEDY OR MUSICAL
Johnny Depp, Sweeney Todd
Tom Hanks, Charlie Wilson's War
Ryan Gosling, Lars and the Real Girl
Philip Seymour Hoffman, The Savages
John C. Reilly, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story

Hurrah for Ryan Gosling! Nobody saw the movie (well, I did) so scoring this nomination is quite a coup. I doubt he'll win but if he hadn't dropped out of Lovely Bones, THAT would have hoovered up awards for him, I reckon. Somehow I don't see Marky Mark pulling off the same feat.

BEST ACTRESS, COMEDY OR MUSICAL
Amy Adams, Enchanted
Nikki Blonsky, Hairspray
Helena Bonham Carter, Sweeney Todd
Marion Cotillard, La Vie en Rose
Ellen Page, Juno

While I am happy for all the nominees in this category, except one (Bonham Carter), if anyone other than Marion Cotillard wins, I will be most unhappy. Her embodiment of Piaf was extraordinary. Why no nod for Laura Linney though?

SUPPORTING ACTOR
Casey Affleck, Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Javier Bardem, No Country for Old Men
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Charlie Wilson's War
John Travolta, Hairspray
Tom Wilkinson, Michael Clayton

a dead heat between Affleck and Bardem, I imagine and I honestly can't choose between them. And I'm not basing that on their nominated performances or anything worthwhile like that as I haven't actually seen either of them (am finally seeing Jesse James today and No Country opens in the UK next month), but just on how much I like them both as actors in everything else I have seen them in.

SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Cate Blanchett, I'm Not There
Saoirse Ronan, Atonement
Julia Roberts, Charlie Wilson's War
Amy Ryan, Gone Baby Gone
Tilda Swinton, Michael Clayton

Tilda Swinton can, in my opinion, do no wrong. Not even when she spends a week sleeping in a glass case and calls it art. She's always entrancing to watch in whatever she's doing. I love her. And I'm pleased that Saoirse Ryan got nominated as she was frighteningly good in Atonement. If anyone's name other than Blanchett's is called on the night though, I will be amazed.

SCREENPLAY
Diablo Cody, Juno
Joel Coen & Ethan Coen, No Country for Old Men
Christopher Hampton, Atonement
Ronald Harwood, The Diving Bell & the Butterfly
Aaron Sorkin, Charlie Wilson's War

I know there are many avid fans of the original source novel, but I really think Christoper Hampton deserves to win for turning 400 pages of tedious waffle and a horrible cheat ending into 2 hours of heartbreaking beauty.

ANIMATED FILM
Bee Movie
Ratatouille
The Simpsons Movie


I imagine Ratatouille will take this though a little part of me would love it if The Simpsons Movie won.

ORIGINAL SCORE
Dario Marianelli, Atonement
Howard Shore, Eastern Promises
Clint Eastwood, Grace is Gone
Michael Brook, Into the Wild
Alberto Iglesias, The Kite Runner

Clint Eastwood wrote the score to Grace Is Gone? How completely random. Why oh why though is this the first time that film and Into The Wild have cropped up? That is pretty criminal if you ask me.

TELEVISION

DRAMATIC TV SERIES
Big Love
Damages
Grey's Anatomy
House
Mad Men
The Tudors


Hmmmmmm. Am I the only one who thinks those nominations are a little, um, I don't know, uninspiring? Is Big Love really that good? Season One bored me so intensely I stopped watching three episodes in. Why no nomination for Dexter? Or Friday Night Lights? The Sopranos?

BEST ACTOR, TV DRAMA
Michael C. Hall, Dexter
Jon Hamm, Mad Men
Hugh Laurie, House
Jonathan Rhys Meyers, The Tudors
Bill Paxton, Big Love

I want Michael C. Hall to win. He is absolutely tip top magic in Dexter and as his five years of brilliance on Six Feet Under went unrewarded, this should make up for it. I can't believe Rhys Meyers was considered worthy of a nomination. He's a terrible terrible TERRIBLE actor.

BEST ACTRESS, TV DRAMA
Patricia Arquette, Medium
Glenn Close, Damages
Minnie Driver, The Riches
Edie Falco, The Sopranos
Sally Field, Brothers & Sisters
Holly Hunter, Saving Grace
Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer

I imagine this is Edie Falco's to lose, but Glenn Close would give her a run for her money. Personally, I would be happy with a Patricia Arquette upset. I love her in Medium and the third season was surprisingly strong.

TV SERIES, MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Californication
Entourage
Extras
30 Rock
Pushing Daisies

I am currently watching and loving Californication and 30 Rock but I would suspect the award will go to freshman favourite Pushing Daisies.

BEST ACTOR, TV MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
Steve Carell, The Office
David Duchovny, Californication
Ricky Gervais, Extras
Lee Pace, Pushing Daisies

It's all about Alec Baldwin. He's an absolute raving genius in 30 Rock. America's inexplicable love affair with the tiresome, unfunny, overexposed and overrated Ricky Gervais continues though so he'll probably win.

BEST ACTRESS, TV MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Christina Applegate, Samantha Who?
America Ferrera, Ugly Betty
Tina Fey, 30 Rock
Anna Friel, Pushing Daisies
Mary-Louise Parker, Weeds

A glut of worthy nods here. Tina Fey is fantastic as is Mary Louise Parker. I am surprised that Ugly Betty's genius second season merited a single nomination and it's for America Ferrara. Fine fair enough, but she is just one of many excellent performances in the show.

BEST MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee
The Company
5 Days
The State Within
Longford

I lasted ten minutes with The Company before the bad wigs made me switch off.

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MINI-SERIES OR A MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Bryce Dallas Howard, As You Like It
Debra Messing, The Starter Wife
Queen Latifah, Life Support
Sissy Spacek, Pictures of Hollis Woods
Ruth Wilson, Jane Eyre

I hope Queen Latifah wins, just to make up for the outrageous oversight of not being nominated for Hairspray.

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MINI-SERIES OR A MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Adam Beach, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee
Ernest Borgnine, A Grandpa For Christmas
Jim Broadbent, Longford
James Isaacs, The State Within
James Nesbitt, Jekyll

James Nesbitt? Seriously? He was godfuckingawful in Jekyll, which was also dreadful. Dreadful.

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Rose Byrne, Damages
Rachel Griffiths, Brothers & Sisters
Katherine Heigl, Grey's Anatomy
Samantha Morton, Longford
Anna Paquin, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee
Jamie Pressly, My Name is Earl

I do love Rose Byrne. The most deserving winner here though would be Samantha Morton.

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Ted Danson, Damages
Kevin Dillon, Entourage
Jeremy Piven, Entourage
Andy Serkis, Longford
William Shatner, Boston Legal
Donald Sutherland, Dirty Sexy Money

Ted Danson is still working? Impressive. I kind of hope Kevin Dillon wins this one. Jeremy Piven has been shown enough love now.