What the Golden Globes mean for Oscar
Well, the push to get Heath Ledger a posthumous Oscar just got a bit more momentum.
At the 66th Annual Golden Globes, he picked up a gong for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Joker in the Dark Knight - ahead of the likes of Tom Cruise, Robert Downey Jr, Ralph Fiennes and Philip Seymour Hoffman.
Danny Boyle's latest Slumdog Millionaire also picked up traction in its Oscar campaign with three Golden Globes - including the all-important Best Director and Best Film gongs.
The Globes are always seen as an indicator of what's likely to be given out come Hollywood's big night, The 81st Annual Academy Awards aka the Oscars.
Nominations for those are due at the end of January, film fans with the gongs to be handed out at the usual glitzy ceremony on Sunday February 22 at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood.
There's already some early favourites - with Kate and Leonardo's pairing up once again in Sam Mendes' drama Revolutionary Road ( watch the trailer here ) , the tale of one family's struggles during the depression; also in with a pretty good chance after collecting a slew of early accolades is Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire, ( watch the trailer here ) the story of a "slumdog" kid from Mumbai who ends up accused of cheating on the Indian version of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?
However, though the big night always throws up some left field wins amid a tight run race.
This year, it appears the dramas are the big winners - and it's probably a bit too close to call between all of them.
I reckon Frost/ Nixon , Revolutionary Road, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Slumdog Millionaire will all be up for Best Picture, with their respective directors getting the nod to for their work behind the camera.
I'd also hope biopic Milk will get a nomination for Best Picture and its actor Sean Penn a nod too (he was nominated for a Golden Globe). You should see Mickey Rourke in there for his turn in The Wrestler (which picked up a Globe for best original song)
As for actresses, after winning for her latest outing in hubbie Sam Mendes' film, Kate Winslet will be in for Revolutionary Road ( she did win a gong for The Reader ) - and I'd expect to see Angelina Jolie up for her stunning turn in Changeling (directed by Clint Eastwood). And expect some love for Cate Blanchett for her part in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. ( watch the trailer for that here )
Animated feature will go to Wall-E - it beat off Kung Fu Panda and Bolt at the Golden Globes in a year which hasn't seen animation showcase its best.
Heath Ledger will pick up a nomination for Best Supporting Actor - and I'm thinking that he'll probably take home the award posthumously. While the Academy generally doesn't like comic book films, the fact the Globes awarded him a gong after his untimely death means it's the right time to do it.
I'd also love to see Jeffrey Donovan get some recognition for his incredibly creepy performance as Captain J J Jones the man in charge of the Missing Persons Unit in Changeling , who terrorises Angelina Jolie's Christine Collins as she hunts for her missing son.
And I believe James Franco deserves a nod for his role in Milk - he's perhaps the best thing in that after Sean Penn's Harvey Milk. As a supporting actor, he's done some great work in some films which have stunk ( Pineapple Express I mean you).
As for Baz Luhrmann's Australia , I don't think it's likely to score anything more than a nod for its cinematography - it certainly wasn't part of the Golden Globes this year - and although Meryl Streep was nominated for her role in Mamma Mia (she lost to Sally Hawkins in Happy-Go-Lucky ) I can't see there being a place for the biggest film of 2008.
And as for long shots, Colin Farrell's win for Best Actor in a Comedy or musical for two hitman stranded abroad in In Bruges has just given that film a shot at some further glory. The win for Vicky Cristina Barcelona may mean it's in with an outside chance for Best Picture.
Following Mickey Rourke's win for Best Actor in The Wrestler, I'm pretty sure that's going to be the comeback of the year - and could even be the quiet favourite to sneak some unexpected nominations as well when the contenders for the golden statues are unveiled at the end of January.
But hey, that's Oscar for you - you never can quite tell what's
going to happen on the night.
