Hello friends!!
A couple of weeks ago, the 77th Annual Golden Globe nominations descended upon us. Unfortunately I was mid-3000-word-essay and so wasn’t able to write up a predictions post, but here we are now. Hey. Look at us.
My absolute favourite for these prediction thingies is 10000% the ‘should, will and could win’ template. Pretty self-explanatory and I’m sure we all have enough self-respect for me not to have to explain it. So let’s gooooo!
Best Motion Picture – Drama
Nominees:
- 1917 (dir. Sam Mendes)
- The Irishman (dir. Martin Scorsese)
- Joker (dir. Todd Phillips)
- Marriage Story (dir. Noah Baumbach)
- The Two Popes (dir. Fernando Meireilles)
Whew!! Look at all those women directors!!! I love progress!!!
Three Netflix movies nominated in this category alone! After the successes of Roma and Buster Scruggs last year it seems Netflix has done enough to play with the big boys.
Right so I’ve only seen two of these nominees so far, so I’m glad I’m making this list now so I have to go and watch them all before the Oscar noms come out and I’m even more embarrassed about having seen absolutely zero. It also means this list will look pretty different to my Oscar predictions, becuase repetition can suck my toe. Also worth noting – I’m absolutely desperate to see 1917 but like….. it’s not released here until 4 days after the Globes ceremony??? Absolute scenes.
ANYWAYS.
Should win: I’m gonna go out on a hubristic limb and say 1917. It just looks like it ticks all the awards-bait boxes and that cast? Pheeeewieee. It’ll definitely pick up Cinematography and I’m sensing it’ll be this season’s Dunkirk (extremely tenuous connection I know) but may have enough of an all-star cast to win the Best Picture category where Dunkirk couldn’t.
Will win: If you get all your information from Twitter then you’re probably thinking Marriage Story‘s got this one in the bag but I’m not sure. I thought it was poorly acted (from ScarJo, Adam Driver was good), unsure of itself tonally and was essentially an overdramatised story about how tedious and expensive Los Angeles divorce proceeds are. I think the heavyweight combo of Scorsese, De Niro, Pacino and Pesci might be enough to tip the scales away from Marriage Story and audiences’ favourite thing since sliced bread, Joker, and towards The Irishman.
Could win: Fine I’ll say it. Joker had enough popular and critical acclaim that it put comic book movies on the map, and it was pretty good. It had problems, and I’ll probably do a video on it nearer the Oscars, but it’ll almost definitely land Joaquin Phoenix an Best Actor Oscar nod and might have done enough to steal the top drama prize at the Globes.
Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
Nominees:
- Jojo Rabbit (dir. Taika Waititi)
- Knives Out (dir. Rian Johnson)
- Once Upon A Time… In Hollywood (dir. Quentin Tarantino)
- Rocketman (dir. Dexter Fletcher)
- Dolemite is My Name (dir. Craig Brewer)
Bro this category is staaaacked. Still no female directors but with the likes of Taika Waititi, Rian Johnson and Tarantino in the ranks it’s anyone’s call. Well, it’s mine.
Should win: Rocketman has been one of my favourite movies this year. The soundtrack is incredible and it’s an incredibly original and creative retelling of a well-known life, full of heart, magic and style. Again, it had its problems, but I found that those didn’t detract from a joyful and enchanting film. Also, Richard Madden!
Will win: Sorry, you did see where I wrote ‘Quentin Tarantino’ up there didn’t you. Yeah no one else is winning this category lol. I’m not sure if I’d personally count Once Upon A Time… In Hollywood as a …… comedy? But here we are. The cast and creative team is too dench. You don’t deny Tarantino awards or he’ll get his hair and makeup team to chainsaw you.
Could win: Again, this category is mental. I’ve heard brilliant things about Jojo Rabbit which still hasn’t been released over here (to my knowledge) but looks cracking and has its fair share of Oscar winners, and Knives Out is also in this category, and if we’re talking about stacked casts!!!!!!!! I’ll say indie film fest darling Jojo Rabbit could be the one to take down Quentin.
Best Director
Nominees:
- Bong Joon Ho (Parasite)
- Sam Mendes (1917)
- Quentin Tarantino (Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood)
- Martin Scorsese (The Irishman)
- Todd Phillips (Joker)
Should win: Sam Mendes’ 1917 is beautifully edited to resemble a single shot over the course of two hours, a remarkable feat for not only the editing team but for the director. From what I’ve seen of it, it also looks, cohesive, stylish, gripping and incredibly beautiful. Give it to our Sam.
Will win: I’m genuinely torn. Parasite has had absolutely incredible feedback and it would be brilliant for a director of a foreign language film to sweep up again this season, as Alfonso Cuaron did last year. However, this category contains legendary directors Tarantino and Scorsese, and those names carry weight. I’ll say Martin Scorsese might take this one, just for how bloody long his movie ended up being. I’m guessing all three and a half hours required a lot of directing.
Could win: It could go to Todd Phillips, whose previous films before Joker didn’t exactly achieve critical acclaim, but I’m betting on Tarantino. If only for getting Leonardo DiCaprio in a movie again.
Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama
Nominees:
- Scarlett Johansson (Marriage Story)
- Saoirse Ronan (Little Women)
- Charlize Theron (Bombshell)
- Renee Zellweger (Judy)
- Cynthia Erivo (Harriet)
This category is a very interesting example of Hollywood’s current obsession with biopics, with three of these actresses nominated for playing a real person. Huh! Also indicative of Hollywood’s ongoing race problem, which, while it’s not my place to speak on as a white person, it’s important to flag that this race inequality presented at awards shows is a real issue. This also goes hand in hand with the roles that specifically black women are being solely recognised for; in the words of Viola Davies:
“We don’t always have to be slaves or in the ’hood or fighting the KKK. […] I could be seen in the same way as Nicole Kidman, Meryl Streep, Julianne Moore. I actually came from the same sort of background.”
Cynthia Erivo, nominated for her portrayal of American slave and heroine Harriet Tubman, is an example of this portrayal of black women in Hollywood as only slaves, servants or women in poverty. In 2016, the New York Times’ Brandon Thorp watched every film that black actors were nominated for Oscars for; he came to a damning conclusion:
In the history of the Oscars, 10 black women have been nominated for best actress, and nine of them played characters who are homeless or might soon become so… No black woman has ever received a best-actress nomination for portraying an executive or even a character with a college degree.
So, whilst we should absolutely be celebrating the accolades of actresses of colour, it’s hugely important that Hollywood sees a shift in the roles that are given to these incredibly talented women.
Should win: World’s Most Talented Woman™ Cynthia Onyedinmanasu Chinasaokwu Erivo should win absolutely everything she puts her name to. Already having a Tony, Grammy, Emmy and Drama Desk Award under her belt, she doesn’t need a Golden Globe, but I’ll be damned if I don’t campaign for her to win one. I can’t believe we get to be alive at the same time as Ms Erivo. And if you still don’t get it, watch this. Pure magic. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKtFfqinmWo&list=PLzTaMxmfzVMclgQWoD9rfdryIGkkW9z7O&index=349
Will win: I reckon Renee Zellweger has this one in the bag for Judy. This is her eighth Golden Globe nomination and if I’m right, it’ll be her fourth win, after winning for Nurse Betty (2001), Chicago (2003) and Cold Mountain (2004), the latter two she was snubbed of the Oscar for. She didn’t personally convince me with this performance but as the oldest actress in the category she’s probably got this one down as a reward for a lucrative career, and because the voting bodies are GAGGING for biopics at the mo aren’t they. Let’s see what that new face can do, Renee!!
Could win: Saoirse Ronan actually took home the ‘Musical/Comedy’ edition of this award back in 2018 for Ladybird and this is her fourth Globes nomination, so I wouldn’t put it past her to do it again. However, she’s nominated for a Best Actress Globe for her role in what looks like it’ll be an ensemble piece, meaning her performance won’t be as poignant as Cynthia Erivo or Renee Zellweger’s respective eponymous projects. That also applies to her main rival for the ‘Could Win’ accolade, Charlize Theron, for her work in the Fox News biopic Bombshell, but I think Charlize’s age, reputation and the fact that it’s a biopic will edge Saoirse out.
Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama
Nominees:
- Christian Bale (Ford v Ferrari)
- Antonio Banderas (Pain and Glory)
- Adam Driver (Marriage Story)
- Joaquin Phoenix (Joker)
- Jonathan Pryce (The Two Popes)
This, too, is a tough category!! I’ve had a crush on at least two of the fine gentlemen in this category so there’s an element of conflict of interest here. Let’s see how that pans out. (Points to whoever can guess which two.)
Also is it called Ford v Ferrari or Le Mans ’66?!!? Pick one ffs.
Should win: God this is so hard. Joaquin Phoenix’s performance in Joker was emotional, restrained and conflicted, with a shocking physical transformation to boot, and his role certainly has had the most cultural impact out of this category, but equally it’s hard to overlook the consistent talent of the likes of Antonio Banderas or Christian Bale, or the awe-inspiring breakthrough of relative newcomer Adam Driver. I think I’ll have to give it to Phoenix based solely on this performance.
Will win: Oh MAN. I DON’T KNOW. There are so many established, successful and talented actors in this category that it’s really anyone’s game, so let’s do a process of elimination. It probably won’t be Jonathan Pryce, because I don’t know if anyone has actually bothered watching The Two Popes yet. It probably won’t be Antonio Banderas because Hollywood is inherently racist (he’s been nominated five times for a Golden Globe and has never won). It probably won’t be Adam Driver as he just feels slightly too fresh on the awards circuit and I’m not sure if the voting bodies are ready to commit to awarding Netflix movies yet. So here we are, with Christian Bale and Joaquin Phoenix. UGHHHHH right I’ll say Phoenix because his eponymous role in Joker was the most talked about this year, BUT:
Could win: if it’s not Phoenix, it’ll be King of my Heart, Howl Pendragon, Secret Welshman, Best Batman, Superior Dick Cheney: Christian Bale. I love this man and he is incredibly talented and brought the SPICE to Ford v Ferrari. Or Le Mans ’66. Or whatever the hell it’s called.
Best Actor – Musical or Comedy
Nominees:
- Daniel Craig (Knives Out)
- Roman Griffin Davis (Jojo Rabbit)
- Leonardo DiCaprio (Once Upon A Time… In Hollywood)
- Taron Egerton (Rocketman)
- Eddie Murphy (Dolemite Is My Name)
Now THIS is a category I can get behind.
Should win: Daniel Craig was pretty great as detective Benoit Blanc in a refreshing change of pace in Knives Out, but my vote has to go to my favourite performance of the year. Taron Egerton’s nuanced, sensitive, joyful and talent-filled role as Elton John in Rocketman was incredible, and truly cemented the young actor as a well-rounded entertainer and a slick performer who can easily compete with his rivals in this category. Now, I’ll say what I’ve been saying since May, which is that he won’t win the Oscar for this role (maybe not even get nominated), because Rami Malek won for essentially the same role a year before in Bohemian Rhapsody (a musical biopic about a gay icon directed by Dexter Fletcher). I’d argue that Egerton easily outperforms Malek in this role as he does his own singing (and also the rest of the movie is better in general), but those are the facts. The Globes are probably Egerton’s best shot at a win this season with its separate categories for Drama and Musicals.
Will win: bro. Leo DiCaprio is in this category. Though actually I don’t know if he’s guaranteed a win as Daniel Craig might snatch it. We’ll see.
Could win: If it’s not Leo, it’ll be Craggiest James Bond ™ Daniel Craig. I really, really enjoyed his performance in Knives Out and I’m excited to see how he does this season.
Right so the Globes start in an hour and a half and I haven’t finished this list bc I’m dumb and incapable of basic tasks. You’ll see the rest of my predictions as we come up to the Oscars but as far as the TV awards ago, assume all my answers are Fleabag.
Catch ya on the flipside!
freyski 