Thursday the Golden Globe nominations will be announced, further clarifying a rapidly focusing Oscar picture. Critics awards are coming in almost every day, giving a boost mostly to Kathryn Bigelow’s Zero Dark Thirty. Also, all films that are on the release calendar have been seen by at least some critics, giving them either negative or positive buzz. Here is breakdown of the likely nominees:
Best Picture
Locks: Argo, Les Miserables, Lincoln, Zero Dark Thirty
Safe Bets: Silver Linings Playbook, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Life of Pi
In the Mix: Django Unchained, Flight, The Master
Best Director
Locks: Steven Spielberg, Lincoln, Kathryn Bigelow, Zero Dark Thirty, Tom Hooper, Les Miserables
Safe Bets: Ben Affleck, Argo, David O. Russell, Silver Linings Playbook
In the Mix: Michael Haneke, Amour, Benn Zeitlin, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Paul Thomas Anderson, The Master
Best Actor
Locks: Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln, John Hawkes, The Sessions
Safe Bets: Bradley Cooper, Silver Linings Playbook, Hugh Jackman, Les Miserables, Denzel Washington, Flight
In the Mix: Jamie Foxx, Django Unchained, Anthony Hopkins, Hitchcock
Best Actress
Locks: Jessica Chastain, Zero Dark Thirty, Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook
Safe Bets: Marion Cotillard, Rust and Bone, Quvenzhane Wallis, Beasts of the Southern Wild
In the Mix: Emmanuelle Riva, Amour, Naomi Watts, The Impossible
Best Supporting Actor
Locks: Tommie Lee Jones, Lincoln, Robert DeNiro, Silver Linings Playbook
Safe Bets: Philip Seymour Hoffman, The Master, Leonardo DiCaprio, Django Unchained
In the Mix: Alan Arkin, Argo, Matthew McConnaughey, Magic Mike
Best Supporting Actress
Locks: Anne Hathaway, Les Miserables, Sally Field, Lincoln
Safe Bets: Amy Adams, The Master, Helen Hunt, The Sessions
In the Mix: Jacki Weaver, Silver Linings Playbook, Kelly Reilly, Flight
I would not have thought Beasts would be a ‘safe bet’ for best picture. I didn’t see it, but it was my understanding it was somewhat esoteric and maybe I’m just way off-base here, but I didn’t think it was in the running for anything except an independent spirit award for new filmmaker or something. …interesting.
Is Hawkes really a lock for Best Actor? He seems like someone who was considered a lock at the time of the film’s release, but now people maybe don’t care so much about him. Plus the movie was something of a dud at the box office and, take it from me, a lot of the older demographic seemed a little squeamish about the subject matter.
SAG nominations:
MOTION PICTURE
Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
Silver Linings Playbook
Lincoln
Les Miserables
Argo
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
Bradley Cooper, Silver Linings Playbook
Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln
Hugh Jackman, Les Miserables
Denzel Washington, Flight
John Hawkes, The Sessions
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
Jessica Chastain, Zero Dark Thirty
Marion Cotillard, Rust and Bone
Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook
Helen Mirren, Hitchcock
Naomi Watts, The Impossible
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
Alan Arkin, Argo
Javier Bardem, Skyfall
Robert De Niro, Silver Linings Playbook
Philip Seymour Hoffman, The Master
Tommy Lee Jones, Lincoln
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
Sally Field, Lincoln
Anne Hathaway, Les Miserables
Helen Hunt, The Sessions
Nicole Kidman, The Paperboy
Maggie Smith, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Kidman is the real suprise–Bardem is a lesser surprise (at least I’ve heard his name bandied about) Django gets ignored.
Golden Globes:
Best Motion Picture, Comedy
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Les Miserables
Moonrise Kingdom
Salmon Fishing in the Yemen
Silver Linings Playbook
Best Motion Picture, Drama
Argo
Django Unchained
Life of Pi
Lincoln
Zero Dark Thirty
Best Director, Motion Picture
Ben Affleck, Argo
Kathryn Bigelow, Zero Dark Thirty
Ang Lee, Life of Pi
Steven Spielberg, Lincoln
Quentin Tarantino, Django Unchained
Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama
Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln
Richard Gere, Arbitrage
John Hawkes, The Sessions
Joaquin Phoenix, The Master
Denzel Washington, Flight
Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Drama
Jessica Chastain, Zero Dark Thirty
Marion Cotillard, Rust and Bone
Helen Mirren, Hitchcock
Naomi Watts, The Impossible
Rachel Weisz, The Deep Blue Sea
Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical
Jack Black, Bernie
Bradley Cooper, Silver Linings Playbook
Hugh Jackman, Les Miserables
Ewan McGregor, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen
Bill Murray, Hyde Park on Hudson
Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical
Emily Blunt, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen
Judy Dench, Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook
Maggie Smith, Quartet
Meryl Streep, Hope Springs
Best Foreign Language Film
Amour (Austria)
A Royal Affair (Denmark)
The Intouchables (France)
Kon-Tiki (Norway/UK/Demark)
Rust and Bone (France)
Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Amy Adams, The Master
Sally Field, Lincoln
Anne Hathaway, Les Miserables
Helen Hunt, The Sessions
Nicole Kidman, The Paperboy
Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Alan Arkin, Argo
Leonardo DiCaprio, Django Unchained
Philip Seymour Hoffman, The Master
Tommy Lee Jones, Lincoln
Christoph Waltz, Django Unchained
Best Animated Film
Brave
Frankenweenie
Hotel Transylvania
Rise of the Guardians
Wreck-it Ralph
Best Screenplay for a Motion Picture
Zero Dark Thirty (Mark Boal)
Lincoln (Tony Kushner)
Silver Linings Playbook (David O. Russell)
Django Unchained (Quentin Tarantino)
Argo (Chris Terrio)
Best Score for a Motion Picture
Life of Pi (Mychael Danna)
Argo (Alexandre Desplat)
Anna Karenina (Dario Marianelli)
Cloud Atlas (Tom Tykwer, Johnny Klimek, Reinhold Heil)
Lincoln (John Williams)
Best Original Song, Motion Picture
“For You” – Act of Valor
“Not Running Anymore” – Stand Up Guys
“Safe & Sound” – The Hunger Games
“Skyfall” – Skyfall
“Suddenly” – Les Miserables
Jeez, more love for Kidman. Maybe they feel sorry for her that she had to pee on somebody. And Salmon Fishing in the Yemen? Seriously?
Wait, wait, wait. They added a song to Les Mis?
Yeah, no, no need to see people bumping into wide angle lenses or hear more music on top of what is basically an opera.
Yes. It’s a strange phenomenon—film versions of Broadway musicals almost always add new songs, probably just to get an Oscar nomination. It happened with Evita, Dreamgirls, Nine, etc.
Huh. I didn’t realize that.
I wonder if that happened with Chicago. That was the last musical I saw as a movie, but then, I never saw the musical, so I guess it doesn’t matter.
Yes, it did. It was nominated for a new song, “I Move On.” Weird.
Huh. I never picked up on that. That’s kinda funny that they’ve all done it.
Can’t understand how The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel keeps popping up in these award nominations. An OK timewaster at best that was very ho-hum and predictable; far too reliant on its excellent cast.
Simple. It appeals to old people. Also, the Golden Globes are foreign (non-American journalists), and movies set in exotic countries tend to do well. (See Salmon Fishing in the Yemen).