Glden Globes: The Aftermath

So the Golden Globes are done and over with: after parties have been cleaned up, hang overs cured and all the free food consumed by celebrities. BUT we don't care about that! Any self-respecting person only cares about how close I was with my predictions! Lets get it started, then. This will be set up like my previous article on who I thought will win, with the category followed by the winner.

Best Motion Picture, Drama

Slumdog Millionare

Well, I can't say that I didn't see this one coming. Everyone that's seen this movie highly recommends it and I'm happy that this little film (that wasn't going to be shown in America/North America at all) is getting the recognition it deserves. I can't say much personally for this film, seeing as how I have yet to actually watch it, but I'll be sure to sit down and enjoy it as soon as I can, hopefully before the Oscars come around. And as for this category, I was kind of right (I said either BB or Slumdog would win....hey, it still counts!)

Best Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy

Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Yes! I am happy to say that I got this one wrong: dead wrong. I assumed that Mamma Mia! would walk away the victor here, seeing as how...well, its MAMMA MIA! for christ sakes, it seems like everything that Abba music touches turns to gold (obviously not Golden Globe gold, though). Again, I haven't seen this film, but I've heard okay things about it: not great, not terrible. Well....at least In Bruge didn't win.

Best Actor, Motion Picture Drama

Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler)

Wrong AGAIN! Rourke owned this one, leaving the other incredible actors in the dust. But I do have to say, Leo DiCaprio was out of his league....but it doesn't make me want to watch Revolutionary Road any less. 

Best Actress, Motion Picture Drama

Kate Winslet (Revolutoionary Road)

The only thing better than Winslet winning (and me being right about this one) is her acceptance speech. A genuinely shocked Winslet accepted her award, flubbing on Angelina Jolie's name and almost shaking to death. This is why I like Winslet: she seems genuine. Jolie looked a little too smug on camera when her name was called during the 'and the nominee's are...' portion, but Kate seems very..human. Now if only I could say the same about our next winner.....

Best Actor, Motion Picture Musical or Comedy

Colin Ferrell (In Bruge)

Wait, WHAT?! That drunk  leprechaun of a human being won? As if it wasn't absurd that he won, his acceptance speech tops it. What is he talking about? Curiosity is love? Ignorance is nemesis? I'm not kidding, those are his actual words, check it out here. Sorry for the bad quality. Looks like someones been doing some coke with Mickey Rourke.......I'm sure if James Franco won, his stoned-up speech would've been more coherent and entertaining. 

Best Actress, Motion Picture Musical or Comedy

Sally Hawkins (Happy-Go-Lucky)

Again, not much to say here. Streep didn't win for Mamma Mia! (yay) but I was surprised that with VCBarcelona's win, that Rebecca Hall wouldn't walk away with the award here. Wrong again, I guess. 

Best Supporting Actor, Motion Picture

Heath Leder (The Dark Knight)

Two words: Hell. YES! I literally jumped out of my chair when Ledgers name was called and ran around the house yelling 'YES! Hell YES!'....until reality sunk in and I realized that he was dead, and although the win is a great achievement, its also a bit tragic. Christopher Nolans acceptance speech was good, and summed up that feeling. A few shots of the celebrity audience did show that it's obvious Heath will be missed........now if only (Dare I say it) the Oscar were to go to him also......

Best Supporting Actress, Motion Picture

Kate Winslet (The Reader)

Apparently, this is the first time in a major awards show that one person has won for best actress and best supporting.....so congratulations to Winslet, I really am happy for her. And I got this one right! Yes!

Best Animated Feature Film

Wall E

Oh, who called it? Yes, that's right, I did. But really, this one was all sewn up. And by the way...The Jonas Brothers? Really? You couldn't find anyone else to present the award so you dragged out the Disney duds? Way to go, Hollywood Foreign Press Association, way to go.

Best Foreign Language Film

Waltz with Bashir

Wow, this is an interesting choice. An animated documentary on war? Now that is good.

Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Original Score

Slumdog Millionare

I'm just going to clump these all together because Slumdog took them all. Again, good going guys. I'm happy for the cast and crew.

Best Original Song

'The Wrestler' by Bruce Springsteen (from The Wrestler)

I was pretty sure that this one would win.....the Gabriel song was a long shot, and to be fair, this is a good song...classic, acoustic, blue collar Springsteen, but still good. After another listen or two, I've come to love it. Take a listen here, too.

So, those are the winners, folks. Some are expected, some are astounding (in the good and bad sense of the word). The Golden Globes is the first major award show of the year...and some have called it the Oscar Predictor......and sometimes, that's what it is. The difference between the GG's and the Academy Awards is that there are many, many, many more people that vote for who wins an Oscar than there are for who wins a GG....so its more unexpected and random. 

Hopefully, my boy Benjamin Button will come through a little more during the Academy Awards, seeing as how the film won nothing at this years GG's. No matter who wins though, its all about recognition: when you watch an awards show like this, you're introduced to films that you might not have heard of, or were interested in before the show. Afterwards, you might go out and rent that foreign film you heard so much buzz about, thus you are introduced to more cultures and you experience more films, and different films that what your used to. Its in this way that your mind is cinematically broadened, and you become a more well rounded person. So when the Academy Award Nominations come out on the 22nd (9 days from now)....you might want to write down a few titles, watch some movies, and experience some damn good cinema.