George Clooney said it best a couple years ago while accepting his Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his performance in Stephen Gaghan’s labyrinth political thriller Syriana: How can one decipher the best performance of a year unless everyone was playing the same role?
That’s basically the truth of the matter that resides underneath the skin of every awards show: how can one pick the best out of five or six vastly different works? Complicating the dilemma even more is the unsung reality that every director is only as good as their crew and every actor is only as good as their director. Javier Bardem hit the nail on the head while accepting his Actors Guild award last year for his performance in No Country for Old Men: “Thanks to the Cohen Brothers for choosing the scenes I didn’t suck in.”
Still, there is a certain glamour; a certain joy in betting on which films will win awards, what designers stars will show up in, and how they will react when they are called up to the stage to accept their award. And there the audience is, sharing the glory from the comfort of their own home. It’s both infectious and addictive.
Needless to say, the 66th Annual Golden Globes aired last night, Sunday January 11, officially kicking off 2009s awards season. Here’s a brief recap:
Best Motion Picture- Musical or Comedy
It is this category that sets the Globes apart from the more conservative Academy Awards, recognizing films that normally wouldn’t be considered by the Academy. The award went to Woody Allen’s Vicky Christina Barcelona, and although it was not the best film up for nomination in the category, it’s win proved that, although not as consistent as was once the case, Woody Allen, at 74, still has the power in him to churn out good films.
A strange addition to this category was the inclusion of the unfocused and wholly unsatisfying Mamma Mia, which was a far inferior entry in the musical genre in 2008 than the sweet and popular High School Music 3: Senior Year.
Best Performance by an Actor/Actress in a Motion Picture- Musical or Comedy
Grabbing the acting awards in the Comedy/Musical category were Sally Hawkins for her brilliant performance in Mike Leigh’s wonderful Happy-Go-Lucky, and Colin Farrell, finally getting some due after several years of critical panning for his funny and affecting performance in the underrated In Bruges, proving that he is most at home in intimate character roles.
Best Performance/Supporting Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture- Drama
There is always a worry that an actor will split the vote when up for nomination in two different categories, and walk home empty handed. That wasn’t an issue for Kate Winslet, who overcame the problem by walking away with both the female acting awards for both Revolutionary Road (Best Lead) and The Reader (Best Supporting).
Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role- Drama
It may have been a disappointment to not see the brilliant The Dark Knight or Christopher Nolan’s names appear in the Best Picture or Director categories respectively (will the Academy follow suit?), but it was no surprise that the late Heath Ledger took home the Supporting Actor award for his best performance as Batman’s arch nemesis The Joker. Ledger’s death marked the loss of one of American’s most promising character actors. He will be missed.
Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture- Drama
Voters love nothing more than a comeback, and although Mickey Rourke has put in great supporting performances the last couple of years in the brilliant Sin City and the convoluted Domino, he was basically playing variations of himself: the untouchable tough guy. However, with a starring role in Darren Aronlfsky’s The Wrestler, Rourke dug deep, bringing to the screen years of pain, confusion and regret, laying himself bare without the slightest glimmer of inhibition, and reminding audiences what a great character actor they had lost over his years of inactivity in the business.
Best Director/Best Picture-Drama
The top awards went to Danny Boyle and his wonderful Slumdog Millionaire, which has been wowing critics and audiences alike since its debut at the Toronto International Film Festival last year where it won the Audience Award. Boyle has come a long way from his early days of making cult Eurotrash films like Shallow Grave and Trainspotting to becoming one of the cinemas true originals, and Slumdog shows him at the height of his talents. Part social exploration, part fairytale, Slumdog Millionaire was made for the love of cinema, the love of storytelling and, most importantly, the love of imagination and belief in oneself. It is a worthy recipient of the title of the year’s best picture.
