|
Movie veterans set for Golden Globe honors
2007-01-13
It could be a glamorous night for the veterans when the Golden Globes are handed out in Beverly Hills on Monday. Look for Helen Mirren, Meryl Streep and Peter O'Toole to add some hardware to their collections. MOTION PICTURE (DRAMA) Like "Brokeback Mountain" last year, "Babel" leads the Golden Globes pack with seven nominations. Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's multistrand, multilingual drama clearly has struck a chord with the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. But with awards momentum building for Helen Mirren's exquisite performance as Elizabeth II, the crown might yet go to "The Queen." A more modest, less "cinematic" offering than its rivals in this category, "Queen," directed by Stephen Frears, nonetheless delivers in every department. MOTION PICTURE (MUSICAL OR COMEDY) Comparing the satire of "Thank You for Smoking" to the megaglam of "Dreamgirls" is a fine example of how absurd awards season can be. "Smoking," "Little Miss Sunshine" and "The Devil Wears Prada" are all terrifically funny films that take chances. No wallflower in terms of risk-taking is the ultrairreverent "Borat," which would be the real upset here, in more ways than one, if it were to nab the award. And while stranger things have happened at the Globes, this is shaping up to be the year of "Dreamgirls." ACTRESS (DRAMA) Penelope Cruz's earth goddess ("Volver"), Judi Dench's needy manipulator ("Notes on a Scandal"), Kate Winslet's desperate housewife ("Little Children") and Maggie Gyllenhaal's recovering addict ("Sherrybaby") are four indelible performances from some of the finest actresses working in film. But Mirren might need to build a new room to contain all the plaques and statuettes she'll receive this year for "Queen," and the Globes will be no exception. Hers is a breathtaking portrayal of a familiar figure that transcends impersonation and digs deep. ACTRESS (MUSICAL OR COMEDY) These five disparate performances range from a relative newcomer (Beyonce Knowles in "Dreamgirls") to two highly regarded film veterans -- Annette Bening ("Running With Scissors") and Meryl Streep ("Devil") -- who continue to astonish. Bening receives her nomination for impressive work in a film that hasn't been warmly received; Streep, who has taken home Globes for work on the small screen (2003's HBO film "Angels in America") and a supporting film performance (2002's "Adaptation") is likely to add a leading-role Globe to her collection for her brilliantly nuanced fashion editor from hell. ACTOR (DRAMA) Leonardo DiCaprio's work this year in "Blood Diamond" and "The Departed" represents something of a breakthrough to complex adult roles. But with his votes split between two nominations, the leading contenders are Forest Whitaker for his thoroughly compelling portrayal of Idi Amin in "The Last King of Scotland" and Peter O'Toole for his elegant and elegiac turn in "Venus." Deep affection for a decades-long body of work could give O'Toole his fourth Globe and his first since 1970, for "Goodbye, Mr. Chips." ACTOR (MUSICAL OR COMEDY) For spectacle alone, we'd all like to see Sacha Baron Cohen/Borat accepting an award at the wine-laden Globes soiree. And it looks like more than an idle wish, given the impact of "Borat" and the added cachet of his nod from the Los Angeles Film Critics Assn. Should members of the HFPA opt for a more conventional performance, Will Ferrell's relatively toned-down turn in "Stranger Than Fiction" has a strong shot. DIRECTOR Neither of Clint Eastwood's two films about the Battle of Iwo Jima ("Flags of Our Fathers" and "Letters From Iwo Jima") was nominated in the best picture category, and his double nominations here will work against each other. The race -- and it's a tough one -- is between Frears ("Queen") and Martin Scorsese ("Departed"), with the latter likely to take the prize for his wildly entertaining cops-and-mobsters thriller. SCREENPLAY The race comes down to two of the best screenplays to be produced in many years. In "Departed," William Monahan gives us the kind of sharp, crackling dialogue that's all too seldom heard in films anymore, and the actors' delight in digging into those lines is apparent. But Peter Morgan might have the slight edge for his literate, incisive script for "Queen," which uses a light hand to convey provocative ideas and create complex characters. Reuters/Hollywood Reporter
"Letters" wins Golden Globe for foreign film (2007-01-15)Stars colorful, cold on Globes carpet (2007-01-15)Movie veterans set for Golden Globe honors (2007-01-13)Scorsese eyes Golden Globes glory as Oscars countdown begins (2007-01-12)'The Queen,' 'Casino Royale' scoop nominations for British awards (2007-01-12)
| 
