With the Golden Globe Awards coming up this weekend, quite a few folks are making predictions about the potential winners and losers,plus what this will mean for the Oscar nominations. Such a pop culture bandwagon just ready for jumping aboard I can not resist.
To keep things simple,I'm sticking to the movie section of the Globes(especially since it'll be awhile before the Emmys crop up again). My take on the awards may not be the stuff that sure bets are made of but hopefully they are somewhat entertaining:
BLACK SWAN'S BIG WIN WINGSPAN
The critical love given to Darren Aronofsky's mad as a hatter ballerina film all but guarantees it some major Oscar love in it's future. After all,one thing that draws fellow artists together is a story about the psychological drain that pursuing their chosen craft puts upon them.
That's not to say that Natalie Portman and company don't deserve accolades for their work here. With any luck,Aronofsky will be given the Best Director nod and Portman has a strong shot at Oscar gold,particularly if she gets the Globe for Best Actress.
There is some mainstream love for Black Swan as well,which could up the ante for the awards season. Any movie that's well known enough to be successfully parodied has the edge in making the most of the award show circuit:
ALL HAIL THE NEW KING IN TOWN
Speaking of edge,The King's Speech has a good number of them to ensue a handful of wins. For one,it's based on actual historical events and people(major catnip for voters)and involves overcoming a physiological setback,which has proven to be a bonus for any actor seeking a major award.
Another key factor is that this really seems to be Colin Firth's year. The Mr. Darcy fandom has made him famous but he's also taken good roles over the years both in artistic and commercial films. Just like last year was Sandra Bullock's time to shine,Colin Firth has only to step into the spotlight when his name is called to receive his proper due:
SING ALONG WITH GWYNETH
In the Original Song category,my toe tapping hunch goes to "Coming Home" from Country Strong. Despite the poor box office reception that the movie had on it's opening weekend(it came in at number six)and less than thrilling reviews,the music is what the movie's all about.
The main draw for Country Strong is leading lady Paltrow's singing and this song in particular is rather dramatic. The double dose of tunes from Burlesque tend to cancel each other out and neither the song from the latest Narnia flick or Disney's Tangled is as melodramatic as this C&W swan song:
THE BATTLE OF THE TECHNO GEEK FILMS
Two movies that will be breathing down each other's necks for award glory are the pair of technology inspired dramas that bring as many detractors along with fans.
Inception hit the ground running this summer,stunning audiences with it's dreamscape wonders and twisty plot points while The Social Network made a splash in the fall film season,showcasing the worldwide phenomenon known as Facebook.
Both films have their merits and flaws but the excessive amount of attention heaped upon them has created a backlash for each of them. The questions raised about each film are not merely jealous sneers-did The Social Network really need a 60 Minutes segment to promote it? Was Inception truly a thought provoking film or just overly complicated?
Film-goers will have to decide this for themselves but I won't be too surprised if award show voters choose to favor more down to earth based films instead. Inception and The Social Network will do well enough,award wise,yet may have worn out their welcomes sooner than expected:
Whatever happens on Golden Globe Night,the best we can hope for is an entertaining speech or two. The Globes have given us some real memorable sound bits and with any luck,even if the speeches are not as newsworthy as Kathy Griffin's infamous Emmy bit,perhaps a Faith Hill moment will be granted unto us:
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