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Dramas aplenty vie for Golden Globe attention
2006-11-28
With nominations for the Golden Globe Awards just weeks away -- announcements are set for the early morning hours of December 14 -- a clear front-runner has yet to emerge for one of the ceremony's top two prizes, namely the best drama of the year. Unlike the musical/comedy race, in which the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. will surely fete Paramount/DreamWorks' big-screen adaptation of the award-winning Broadway production "Dreamgirls," the dramatic categories remain decidedly murky, and almost no one is willing to go on record supporting any particular movie as a lock for a best picture trophy. That said, a handful of films -- specifically Miramax's "Queen Elizabeth," Paramount/DreamWorks' "Flags of Our Fathers" and Warner Bros. Pictures' "The Departed" -- finally seem to be emerging as likely favorites for a nomination. But just when pundits were beginning to believe they had a handle on things, Warners issued a surprise announcement that it would release "Flags" director Clint Eastwood's companion World War II film, the Japanese-language "Letters From Iwo Jima," on December 20, just in time for awards consideration. Some have questioned the wisdom of that decision -- positing that two prestigious films from the same director in the same year might just split the vote -- but others say that the move is one more indication that this year's biggest prizes are still up for grabs. On paper, of course, "Flags" has everything going for it: Eastwood behind the camera and Steven Spielberg in the producer's chair, an adapted screenplay by Paul Haggis and William Broyles Jr. and subject matter with pointed parallels to today's military conflagration in Iraq. Yet the film has not drawn quite the enthusiasm of Eastwood's last two ventures, 2003's "Mystic River" and 2004's "Million Dollar Baby" (the latter of which won the best picture Oscar but lost out as best drama at the Globes to Scorsese's 2004 Howard Hughes biopic "The Aviator"). Scorsese's violent gangster picture starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon and Jack Nicholson, on the other hand, has drawn raves from critics, proclaiming that Scorsese has returned to form, and from audiences, who continue to turn up at the box office to support the film, which has earned upward of $111 million domestically. But the addition of "Letters" to the December lineup is complicating matters. The film has a much smaller budget than its sister project -- somewhere in the range of $20 million, insiders say -- only one widely known actor in the cast (Ken Watanabe) and the additional distinction of being shot in a foreign language with English subtitles. However, should the picture earn a warmer reception from the Hollywood Foreign Press than did "Flags," it might become a front-runner in its own right, or it might even wind up making its predecessor look like a more impressive achievement. In other words, "Flags" and "Letters" could be perceived as one cinematic undertaking -- though they were shot separately from one another -- much in the same way voters came to think of Peter Jackson's epic "Lord of the Rings" trilogy as one single piece of filmmaking. Then again, some members might favor one movie or the other, splitting the vote and inadvertently creating an advantage for a film such as "Queen" or "Departed," which would have to be a relief for Scorsese, who just can't seem to escape going head-to-head with Eastwood in the awards-season contests these past few years. But there are a few other unknown quantities that could swoop in and earn one of the five drama nominations. Perhaps the biggest question mark is Disney's "Apocalypto," the Mel Gibson Mayan adventure that takes place in a dead language and features a cast of unknowns. Unless the film can manage to match the critical success of 1995's "Braveheart" or the box office prowess of 2004's "The Passion of the Christ," it's going to be a tough slog come awards time, insiders say, especially if the studio opts to put its campaigning muscle behind "Prestige" and that film's director, Christopher Nolan. A few early screenings of "Apocalypto" did seem to suggest that it had something unique to offer, though, and if "Passion" proved anything, it's that the industry shouldn't discount what might seem like a wholly unmarketable project. Sony, too, appears to be scaling back its plans for "Marie Antoinette" -- though that film is sure to receive attention for its below-the-line achievements in costume and production design -- and is instead pinning its hopes on the upcoming "The Pursuit of Happyness," with Will Smith taking on a rare dramatic role in this real-life story of an unemployed father who becomes a stockbroker. Universal has equally high hopes for its Matt Damon starrer "The Good Shepherd," co-starring and directed by Robert De Niro, but the studio also has another very strong contender in its arsenal with Paul Greengrass' understated but affecting "United 93," which is still enjoying traction with awards-season voters even though it was released back in April. Some have even gone so far as to call it the year's best film. Warners has two additional drama contenders with the planned December releases "The Good German" and "Blood Diamond." "German" reteams director Steven Soderbergh with leading man George Clooney in a tale of intrigue set in post-World War II Berlin, while the politically charged "Diamond," directed by Edward Zwick, features DiCaprio as a South African who discovers a rare gem. Both films, given their international themes, could play well with the Hollywood Foreign Press, as might Paramount/DreamWorks' "Perfume: The Story of a Murderer," which drew positive reactions at screenings and has played like gangbusters in director Tom Tykwer's native Germany. Among specialty pictures generating buzz, two British-made movies stand out. "The Last King of Scotland" is director Kevin Macdonald's feature debut about Idi Amin (Forest Whitaker) and his young Scottish doctor (James McAvoy). It stands a good chance of being nominated in the screenplay category -- unlike the Oscars, the Globes doesn't divide scripts into original and adapted categories -- and an even better chance of a best dramatic actor nomination for Whitaker, who has earned rave reviews for his electrifying performance. If Whitaker appears to be an early favorite in the dramatic actor category, Helen Mirren is a near lock for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II in "Queen Elizabeth." Stephen Frears' examination of life inside Buckingham Palace in the wake of Princess Diana's death, which seems to be a shoo-in for a best drama nomination at the Globes, also features a nomination-worthy supporting turn from Michael Sheen as British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Renee Zellweger is likely to be a best actress contender for her work in the Weinstein Co.'s planned December release "Miss Potter," director Chris Noonan's biopic about author Beatrix Potter, as might Sienna Miller for her starring turn in director George Hickenlooper's "Factory Girl," another biopic about the life of Andy Warhol muse Edie Sedgwick. In fact, the best actress race is looking highly competitive, with Kate Winslet also in the running for her portrayal of an alienated suburban housewife in Todd Field's "Little Children" from New Line; Judi Dench also could easily earn a nomination for Richard Eyre's "Notes on a Scandal," which is slated for a late-December release through Fox Searchlight. Both films also have a shot at a best picture nomination. Whatever unconventional choices the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. might make, voters do have the option of really shaking things up by nominating one of the year's foreign-language films -- Sony Pictures Classics' "Volver," from director Pedro Almodovar, Picturehouse's "Pan's Labyrinth," from director Guillermo del Toro, or even Eastwood's "Letters" -- for best drama. Although no foreign film has ever won the Globes' top drama prize, insiders say it might be time to expect the unexpected. This year, anything is possible. Reuters/Hollywood Reporter
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