Golden Globe Predictions

With the Golden Globes in about 12 hours I think it's time to spout some predictions off. You can sort of think of this as a way of testing my merit on the film industry, also don't be surprised if I change my answers after the results are announced.

BEST MOTION PICTURE DRAMA
American Gangster
Atonement
Eastern Promises
The Great Debaters
Michael Clayton
No Country for Old Men
There Will Be Blood

This is going to be a close one folks. But I’m putting my chips down for No Country for Old Men for two reasons: one it’s been dominating “Best Picture” awards so far and two it is the best movie on that list. I doubt American Gangster will connect. Michael Clayton's wrapped up in its message, while Eastern Promises is not a great powerhouse, I say give that director a few more films before he truly gives us a master piece. The only other movie that could take this category could be There Will Be Blood and it would be deserving, but I’m betting No Country will squeak out a winner. Also note a possibility of a split vote between Blood and Country and third movie taking the prize.

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

Also a difficult one, and may I just say I think it’s retarded that comedy and musical are lumped like this. But still Globes gets props for giving comedies a chance to win big awards if the Oscars won’t, even if it means creating a completely separate category for them. Anyway this is also is difficult. I’m going to go ahead and eliminate Across the Universe and Hairspray from the running as general feelings toward both are divided. Now Juno could win because of its amazing script, Sweeney Todd could pull it out because it’s Johnny Depp and Tim Burton, while Charlie Wilson’s War’s got Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, and Phillip Seymour Hoffman who people just love throwing awards to in a bio-pic by Aaron “You Can’t Handle the Truth” Sorkin. My bets on Sweeney Todd though. Tim Burton rarely gets the love, and this is the film that'll probably give it to him (I know what I said). Wilson despite it's powerhouse stars did not hit it out of the park, and Juno is a tad too quirkie/indie but will get screenplay so it’s got that going for it.

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

I think this is the Coen’s year. Truly No Country showed how great a director they are, plus with my belief that No Country will win Best Picture, it pretty much guarantees the director gets a statue as well, and I feel they have a better chance of getting Director than Picture anyway. However again Burton rarely gets love and Todd could be the one to give it to him, but still my money’s on the two-headed director.

BEST ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE DRAMA
George Clooney, Michael Clayton
Daniel Day-Lewis, There Will Be Blood
James McEvoy, Atonement
Viggo Mortensen, Eastern Promises
Denzel Washington, American Gangster

This a race between Clooney and Day-Lewis really. Truly Danny Boy had the better performance. I mean, it was just stellar, but Georgie Boy was certainly not bad in his role. Still it would surprise me if Daniel Day-Lewis did not get this.

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

I’m hearing great things about Julie Christie’s take on a woman with Alzheimer’s, and I’m pretty sure she’s got it clinched. No other role on this list is stellar enough to even be nominated, with possible exception of Cate Blanchett, but still this vacuum of nothingness will pretty much guarantee Christie.

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

I’m going to say no to Gosling, no to Hoffman, and no to Reilly. Gosling turned a great performance in a not so great movie and exactly like Half Nelson won’t win, Hoffman’s just up there because he’s great in general, but Savages is not his best, and Cox just lacks a true emotional range for Reilly to get it. So we got Depp and Hanks. Both were good in their respective films and both are good in general, but Hanks was kind of overshadowed by Phillip Seymour Hoffman in Charlie Wilson's War. And because of that I'm thinking this one will go to Depp.

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

Pretty much Ellen Page for Juno. Helena Bonham Carter's got a shot, but I'm thinking break through role, great performance in fairly dry field, young kid. The Golden Globes will gladly reward her work.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE
Casey Affleck, The 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

Difficult one. And may I say I am confused why Paul Dano was ignored for There Will Be Blood, when the boy stood toe-to-toe with Daniel Day-Lewis's great performance and gave some emotionally harrowing scenes. Anyway, I’m going to have to say, "No," to Hoffman, Travolta, and Wilkinson though. See my Best Actor reason for why Hoffman won’t get it and though I did say he stole the movie from Hanks it was more of his lines than his acting that did it, just plain no to John Travolta, and Wilkinson isn’t getting enough praise to shoot him for an award. So we’re left with the lesser Affleck and some Spanish dude. Now truthfully Affleck has had the better year overall with Jesse James, Gone Baby Gone, and truly evolving his Malloy character in Ocean’s 13 until he was the best part of that movie, but Javier Bardem was just so creepily good, and never has anyone made unscrewing a light bulb more badass. But I will say if Bardem doesn’t get a Globe for his work he’ll get the Oscar regardless.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE
Cate Blanchett, I'm Not There
Julia Roberts, Charlie Wilson's War
Saiorse Ronan, Atonement
Amy Ryan, Gone Baby Gone
Tilda Swinton, Michael Clayton

A much better showcase of talent the Best Actress Nominees and thus much harder to select a winner, but definitely the leaders of this back are Cate Blanchett and Amy Ryan. Both pulled off great performances and are experiencing awards already. However Cate Balnchett’s best thing going for her is also hindrance: the fact that she played Bob Dylan. Admittedly, she was spot-fucking-on, but it may be a tad too gimmicky, plus Amy Ryan is basically a new name, so she has that going for her, could go either way.

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

While the Coen Brothers are the greatest screenwriters of our generation (possible exception to Quentin Tarantino) and Aaron Sorkin’s writing is just so crisp and can balance superb comedy and drama, Diablo Cody is just so hot right now, and Juno’s not getting Best Picture so Best Screenplay is basically consolation prize for that

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Bee Movie
Ratatouille
The Simpsons Movie

Ratatouille.

BEST FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM
4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days (Romania)
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (France/U.S.)
The Kite Runner (U.S.)
Lust, Caution (Taiwan)
Persepolis (France)

A whole shit load of good foreign films. And since I haven’t seen any of these yet I can’t really put one over another, I’ll just give a rundown of what they have going for them. 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days won the Palme D’Or at Cannes, so it’s extremely good, perhaps too good and thus the rest of the world isn’t ready for it. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly already got its director a nod for Best Director. And for a foreign language film to do that is pretty damn good. The Kite Runner the highly praised movie based off the highly praised book. Lust, Caution is by the incomparable Ang Lee with the same crew as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (though the Chinese people don’t fly). And Persepolis is being lauded as the best cartoon of the year. Though if pressed for an answer I'd say The Diving Bell, because it's the only other one recognized in another category.

BEST SCORE
Atonement
Eastern Promises
Grace is Gone
Into the Wild
The Kite Runner

Really have no idea. Though Clint Eastwood did the score for Grace is Gone, which surprises me.

ORIGINAL SONG
''That's How You Know,'' Enchanted
''Grace Is Gone,'' Grace Is Gone
''Guaranteed,'' Into the Wild
''Despedida,'' Love In the Time of Cholera
''Walk Hard,'' Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story

Yeah, same as above.