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@JamesEpplerIt's not like we should expect the Golden Globes to get it just right. The voting body is made up of less than a hundred clowns called the Hollywood Foreign Press Association - many of whom are not full-time journalists.
They do occasionally work as a precursor for the Oscars, but that's not always a good thing.
This year's prime example is the omission of "Drive" from all but one major category. Comedian Albert Brooks was rightly nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his terrific turn as a violent gangster. But there's so much more here deserving of awards. The screenplay, direction and soundtrack are all pretty amazing. The film's star, Ryan Gosling, got nominated for two Globes, but the fools picked him for the wrong movies - "The Ides of March" and "Crazy, Stupid, Love."
I'm guessing the Academy will prove similarly tone-deaf to this movie. It's way too cool, hip, brutal and brave. That scares the living daylights out of Oscar voters, whose average age is about 126.
The Oscars also need to fix the "Bridesmaids" problem. I'm not saying the film itself needs to be nominated, but Melissa McCarthy sure does. Her supporting work is fantastic, and the Oscars have a bad habit of not recognizing good comedy. The Globes lauded the film with nominations for Kristen Wiig, the film and its screenplay. But not McCarthy. Huh?
I may be in the minority here, but I also happen to think Brad Pitt got nominated for the wrong movie. I think "Moneyball" is a very good film, if a bit overpraised. His work as Oakland A's GM Billy Beane is admirable, but I thought his performance in Terrence Malick's "The Tree of Life" was far more daring. The movie is a bit of a cluster, but Pitt is killer good as an explosive Texas father, whose emotional irrationality torments his three boys. He's riveting in a film that's often messy.
And it looks like "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" won't be recognized, unless the Academy does the right thing. That film brought a terrific series to an epic end - better than any of the "Lord of the Rings" pictures, all of which were nominated.
All this complaining aside, the HFPA did get some things right.
Although I haven't seen the film yet, on principle, I highly admire the choice to recognize Michael Fassbender as a Best Actor for his work in the NC-17 rated "Shame." The film about a sex addict won't be shown in many theaters across the country because most of the major theater chains refuse to show films with that rating. But it's possible awards buzz could help legitimize that rating. Cinemark is one of the chains that has banned the film, which means Lubbock audiences can't see it. It's now playing in Dallas, which is where I'll be seeing it.
Keep in mind, the Oscars have changed the rules yet again this year for Best Picture - anywhere from 5-10 films could be nominated.
Judging from these Globes nominations, it looks like the Best Picture race could shape up like this:
"The Artist" (no release date for Lubbock yet)
"The Descendants"
"The Help"
"Moneyball"
"The Ides of March"
"Hugo"
"Midnight in Paris"
"War Horse" (opens before Christmas in Lubbock)
Can we not make room for "Drive" or "Harry Potter?" Remember, Academy, you nominated "The Blind Side."
Yeah - we haven't forgotten that.
