Tuesday, December 02, 2008

GG - Comedy/Musical: not a pretty sight

Yikes! Apparently the globe people are getting strict about dramedies trying to pass themselves off as comedies, even though they seem to have no problem with leading roles going supporting (sigh). Anyway, this year's GG comedy/musical field is pretty dismal. No real oscar hopefuls. Just one musical (and a widely reviled one, at that). Barely even any good movies to speak of. What a huge change from last year.

Rachel Getting Married, W, and Iron Man were all bumped up to drama, and that's not good news for any of them. In Rachel's case, I think that was the right call, though I now worry for Anne Hathaway's globe (and by extension oscar) chances. In W's case, I think, it's just plain wrong. All that film's value was in the comedy. Tragicomedy, sure, but I laughed at it a LOT (certainly more than I cried). And Josh Brolin really deserved that nomination.

Comedy actor is now particularly empty. All THREE leading contenders will apparently not be there. That'd be W and Iron Man again, plus Philip Seymour Hoffman in Synecdoche, NY. Who's left? Not many people! Dammit, why couldn't Glen Hansard in Once been eligible this year? Sigh. The hilarious thing is that the most likely candidate I can think of right now is actually Colin Farrell in In Bruges... wasn't he really good in that? It's apparently on the GG comedy list.

Anyway, don't be surprised if the list ends up looking like this:

Javier Bardem (Vicky Cristina Barcelona)
Steve Carrell (Get Smart)
George Clooney (Burn After Reading)
Colin Farrell (In Bruges)
Dustin Hoffman (Last Chance Harvey)

...with no one really looking like a frontrunner to win. Beyond these, there's Jack Black (Be Kind Rewind), George Clooney again (Leatherheads), Harrison Ford (Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull), Seth Rogen and James Franco (Pineapple Express). After those, you're really scraping the bottom of the barrell. Maybe they'll throw us a bone and put Robert Downey Jr's Tropic Thunder perf in lead?

I guess it's kind of cool in a way that the category's so vacant... it leaves possibilities for people you'd never think could surface here (like Bardem in Barcelona, or Farrell in anything). But it's also kind of depressing. I can't even remember the last time I literally couldn't picture ANY of the candidates winning. I was really counting on (and rooting for) Josh Brolin in W... or failing that, Robert Downey Jr. going all populist in Iron Man. Could Dustin Hoffman actually get a trophy again? How nuts.

Actress is a little better, but a little emptier now without Hathaway challenging for the win. These would be my predicted five:

Sally Hawkins (Happy-Go-Lucky)
Frances McDormard (Burn After Reading)
Sarah Jessica Parker (Sex and the City)
Meryl Streep (Mamma Mia!)
Emma Thompson (Last Chance Harvey)

...with Hawkins cruising to a win, barring a surge of love for silly, singing Streep (not impossible), or the HFPA's Carrie Bradshaw obsession running even deeper than we thought (also not impossible). I hope Hawkins wins; that'd be good consolation for her now that the oscar nod is looking less likely, what with Blanchett and Jolie breathing down her neck.

Other possible contenders here include Hathaway's other role (Get Smart), Amanda Seyfried (Mamma Mia!) Tina Fey (Baby Mama, having one of those years), Katherine Heigl (27 Dresses), McDormand again (for Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day), her costar Amy Adams, and the eponymous girls of Vicky Cristina Barcelona. We'll see what happens.

That leaves Best Picture. Yep, that one's pretty empty, too. Which of course means heterosexual male cinephiles everywhere will probably have to endure both Sex and the City and Mamma Mia! being up for this award (what's scarier is one of them could even win... the category still has no real frontrunner). If even my female directing professor loathes both these films, I can only imagine how straight men must feel.

My predictions, I suppose, would be as follows:

Burn After Reading
Happy-Go-Lucky
Mamma Mia!
Sex and the City
Vicky Cristina Barcelona

...but I could see any of these five being snubbed. Other very real possibilities include In Bruges, Last Chance Harvey, Tropic Thunder, and Pineapple Express. Somewhat longer shots: Get Smart, Cadillac Records, and Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day.

Any guesses at to what will win? I was really hoping (despite myself) that Rachel Getting Married would get placed here and then pull out a win. But with it out of the running, I'm worried that Sex or Mamma could really take it. But hopefully they split the divisive diva blockbuster vote, and the globes go all Mike-Leigh-highbrow with Happy-Go-Lucky.

It'll be interesting, at least.

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9 Comments:

Blogger Dame James said...

I have a sneaking suspicion that Zac Efron in HSM3 might sneak in for Best Actor (Musical/Comedy). Not only is it a weak year, but he was singled out in nearly all of the reviews as an actor who's finally "arrived" and the Globes love to throw a surprise in every once in awhile (Remember when Will Ferrel was nominated for The Producers over Gyllenhaal in Brokeback?!).

1:40 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

i have quite optimistic that anne hathaway will bag a nomination, regardless of the category. her performance is award worthy. if there is an actress who should be bumped from the list, it should be angelina jolie. i didn't find anything special with her performance in "the changeling". nicole kidman for best actress? oh please.

by the way is your blog new?

5:55 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

by the way, i meant "i am quite optimistic", not "have optimistic". lol.

5:55 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

what about brendan gleeson for in bruges?

10:49 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

i could see amy poehler or tina fey getting nominated for baby mama and potenitally jason segal for forgetting sarah marshall

8:23 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Comedy or Musical Picture:

1. Happy-Go-Lucky - Without Slumdog Millionaire...
2. Mamma Mia! -Thy love the musicals!
3. Vicky Cristina Barcelona
4. Cadillac Records - a la Dreamgirls
5. Sex & the City: The Movie - They love the TV serie
Alt: Burn After Reading - Now after NBR mention
Surprise: In Bruges - I hpoe so a la Thank you for Smoking
WTF?!: High school Musical 3 - YIKES!!

Comedy or Musical Actor:

1. Dustin Hoffman, Last Chances Harvey - We still didn't know about the film yet, Maybe he surprise us. He's still a respected career.
2. Javier Bardem, Vicky Cristina BArcelona - Duh!!
3. Jeffrey Wright, Cadillac Records - He's co lead with Brody here like Brody and he rceived raves with beyonce. PLUS: Respected actor.
4. Brad Pitt, Burn After Reading: The funniest guy of the film and please not again George Clooney!.
5. Paul Rudd, Role Models: My wishful thinking. He's funny, talented and smoking hot!. He deserves some recognition!.
Alt: Mark Ruffalo, The Brothers Bloom: A la Satellites Awards (If he and Wright are nominated and Brody doesn't, well... like Gere in 2002)
Surpise: One of In Bruges's guys: Gleeson gives the best performance but Farrell is the star...
WTF?!: Zac Efron, HSM3 - YIKES!! I prefer Sam Rockwell, Michael Cera or Louis Garrel in his place, but still is a big posibility.

Actress Comedy or Musical:

1. Sally Hawkins, Happy-Go-Lucky: maybe she didn't get the Oscar Nomination so this is her consolation prize.
2. Meryl Streep, Mamma Mia!: At her 60s she's still the power!.
3. Sarah Jessica Parker, sex & teh City: The Movie - Duh!!
4. Rachel Weisz, the Brothers Bloom - She has the best reviews of the film...
5. Frances McDormand, Burn After Reading - I put her because is a comic performance
Alt: Emma Thompson, Last Chances HArvey - Between McDormand and Thompson
Surprise: Anna Faris, The House Bunny - They surprised before
WTF?!: Katherine Heigl, 27 Dresses - Well, she's well know here.

8:41 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Drama Picture:

1. The Curious Case of B. B.: The epic romantic film of the year? Possible
2. Slumdog Millionaire: There's always an indie film.
3. The Reader: Minghella and Pollack were respected and beloved here...
4. Milk: Between the 1 to 4 has almost the same chances for winning this award. PLUS: With the nomiantion of the film, Penn has better chances for winning...
5. The Dark Knight: Nomination? YES Win? I don't think so
Alt (TIE): Revolutionary Road - NBR hurts the film's chances, but maybe HFFA help / Frost/Nixon: maybe the film will get Oscar Nomiantions, but here is possible.
Surprise: Gran Torino - It's Clint Eastwood's film
WTF?!: Australia - The film is not dead... YET!

Drama Actor:

1. Sean Penn, Milk: Right now, he's my frontrunner
2. Frank Langhella, Frost/Nixon: Even the positive reviews are so so... His chances are hurt?
3. Brad Pitt, The curious Case of B. B.: He's well likely here.
4. Leonardo DiCaprio, Revolutionary Road: a la Pitt
5. Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler: The weakest candidate here
Alt: Clint Eastwood, Gran Torino: Duh!
Surprise: Michael Fassbenger, Hunger: YES! My dark horse of this season
WTF?! (TIE): Benicio Del Toro, Che: Unfortunally, he's almost out of the season / Josh Brolin, W: A huge surprise.

Drama. Actress:

1. Anne Hathaway, Rachel getting Married: The IT Girl of this season, wonderful character and she's a star
2. Meryl Streep, Doubt: Well, she's stil meryl
3. Cate Blanchett, Teh Curious Case of B. B.: NEw Rule to the Oscar predictions: NEVER count out Cate Blanchett
4. Angelina Jolie, Changeling: HFFA loves her...
5. Kate Winslet, Revolutionary Road: Maybe her big card is "The Reader" and she's snubbed in thios category
6. Melissa Leo, Frozen River: Surprise are always in consideration (Sally Kirkland)
Alt: Kristin Scott Thomas, I've loved You So Long: Depedns how many people saw her film
Surprise: Nicole Kidman; Australia: She's a star after all...
WTF?!: Keira Knightley, The Duchess: Not again...

9:00 PM  
Blogger Glenn Dunks said...

I still say Anna Faris will pull a nomination for House Bunny. And I am being entirely serious. This is the same awards body that nominated Sandra Bullock for Miss Congeniality!

5:19 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'm surprised you're down on Tropic Thunder...I assumed it and Robert Downey Jr. would be locked for noms even before W. and Rachel got bumped.

12:16 PM  

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