Reacting to the Nom Nom Noms

Ah yes, the Hollywood Foreign Press. Once every year the poke their heads out of a hole and try to predict whether we're bound to several more months of winter (or something like that).

No, actually its time for my Golden Globe nomination reactions.

First off I am very excited that Ricky Gervais is hosting as a Gervais appearance is inevitably a (if not THE) highlight of any given awards program he appears on.

As for the nominees themselves:

Best Motion Picture - Drama

Nominees:

Avatar (2009)

The Hurt Locker (2008)

Inglourious Basterds (2009)

Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire (2009)

Up in the Air (2009/I)

Interesting mix. I was expecting to see A Serious Man, A Single Man and Invictus in place of Avatar, Hurt Locker and Basterds. I really have no idea whether Avatar is just a "well it seems like it ought to be on here vote" or not. I don't see foreign votes connecting with the life of an obese, illiterate, inner-city youth no matter how well made the movie was. Its UITA's to lose. However, Basterds could pull an upset as it casts a wide international net.

Should Win: Basterds or Locker

Will Win: Up In The Air (and Offer will be one step closer to owing me 5 bucks).

Snub(s): A Serious Man, A Single Man, Bright Star, Where the Wild Things Are

Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy

Nominees:

(500) Days of Summer (2009)

The Hangover (2009)

It's Complicated (2009)

Julie & Julia (2009)

Nine (2009)

It still bugs me that these two categories are combined. Oh well. It really burns my hash that something like It's Complicated makes the cut because Nancy Meyers and her beige sweater movies ALWAYS do. I'd kind of love to see a Hangover win if only because it's such perfect alchemy to make such a big, dumb, successful comedy that connects with so many people. Also psyched to see (500) Days of Summer so high even though as I get further away from the film its more twee elements become increasingly pronounced. Nine wins because its the most awards bait-y. Still Frank seems to have given it the stamp of approval and he is the Fellini/Nine expert. Should win: I don't know

Will win: Nine

Snubs: In the Loop, The Informant!, Zombieland, The Brothers Bloom, Adventureland,

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama

Nominees:

Jeff Bridges for Crazy Heart (2009)

George Clooney for Up in the Air (2009/I)

Colin Firth for A Single Man (2009)

Morgan Freeman for Invictus (2009)

Tobey Maguire for Brothers (2009/I)

Very surprised to see Maguire on here (though the reviews I read of the film consistently singled him out). Haven't seen A Single Man or Crazy Heart yet but they're both likely to feature showier work than Clooney (Bridges especially has the age to get a "lifetime achievement" style award here so I'll say...

Should Win: Clooney

Will Win: Bridges

Snubs: Where's Jeremy Renner? He anchors an extremely riveting and well crafted film and helps put it over the top. It was never going to happen but Sam Rockwell in Moon would be nice too.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama

Nominees:

Emily Blunt for The Young Victoria (2009)

Sandra Bullock for The Blind Side (2009)

Helen Mirren for The Last Station (2009)

Carey Mulligan for An Education (2009)

Gabourey 'Gabby' Sidibe for Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire (2009)

As far as I'm concerned the category begins and ends with Mulligan. Again, unless the foreign press connects with Precious which I don't think they will. Hadn't even heard of the Mirren and Blunt films before today and while I dig both they're going to need way more traction.

Should Win: Mulligan

Will Win:Mulligan

Snubs: Tilda Swinton in Julia is caustic and brilliant. Unfortunate snubbing there. Same goes for Abbie Cornish in Bright Star who prevents her character from sliding into cloying/obnoxious territory many times. Sorry not to see Melanie Laurent's Shoshana in here as she is quite striking in her transformation from victim to vengeance seeker in Basterds.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy

Nominees:

Matt Damon for The Informant! (2009)

Daniel Day-Lewis for Nine (2009)

Robert Downey Jr. for Sherlock Holmes (2009)

Joseph Gordon-Levitt for (500) Days of Summer (2009)

Michael Stuhlbarg for A Serious Man (2009)

Cool list and makes me very excited to see Sherlock Holmes. The hardest worker here is I think Damon, though JGL is no slouch either. Stuhlbarg makes such a great debut, eh's like a more mainstream, less caricatured David Paymer.

Should win: Stahlberg or Damon

Will Win: Damon

Snubs: The huge snub here is Peter Capaldi in In the Loop and were he in the category he'd punch everyone in the kidneys. Oh and let me throw this at you; Adam Sandler in Funny People. Yeah, how do you like that?

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy

Nominees:

Sandra Bullock for The Proposal (2009/I)

Marion Cotillard for Nine (2009)

Julia Roberts for Duplicity (2009)

Meryl Streep for It's Complicated (2009)

Meryl Streep for Julie & Julia (2009)

Bullock? Really? Roberts is actually quite fun in Duplicity. I heard from Frank that Cotillard steals Nine (no mean feet considering who she's surrounded by). Streep is always great but I feel like voters may be getting tired of her, plus being slotted in twice divides her base.

Should Win: Cotillard

Will Win: Streep (oh who am I kidding)

Snubs: You know who gave a simple but funny and lovely performance? Maya Rudolph in Away We Go.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture

Nominees:

Matt Damon for Invictus (2009)

Woody Harrelson for The Messenger (2009/I)

Christopher Plummer for The Last Station (2009)

Stanley Tucci for The Lovely Bones (2009)

Christoph Waltz for Inglourious Basterds (2009)

Ooooo good category. But this is such a no-brainer, frankly " It's a BINGO!"

Should Win: Waltz

Will Win: Waltz

Snubbed: Even though its all Waltz I'd love to see him competing against Alfred Molina's work in An Education or Christian McKay doing what I thought only Maurice La Marche could do (a credible Orson Welles impression).

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture

Nominees:

Penélope Cruz for Nine (2009)

Vera Farmiga for Up in the Air (2009/I)

Anna Kendrick for Up in the Air (2009/I)

Mo'Nique for Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire (2009)

Julianne Moore for A Single Man (2009)

Maybe the toughest acting race to call outside of Best Actor. You've got the universally praised Mo'nique (who didn't really show herself as dramatic heavyweight in Phat Girlz, Beerfest and a billion seasons of The Parkers), the pair of great perfs in UITA. Then there's critical darlings Moore and Cruz (Cruz is especially favored by HFP). So what to do?

Should Win: Farmiga, she really emerges as a bonnafide leading lady here and has the best chemistry I've ever seen Clooney have with another woman in a film ever.

Will Win: Mo'nique, I don't see them bucking the trend. Good for her if she does by the way.

Snubs: Rachel Weisz revealed ample comedic chops in Brothers Bloom and was a frequent highlight that should not be overlooked. Even though she's only in it for a moment Emma Thompson just destroys in her scenes in An Eduaction.

Best Director - Motion Picture

Nominees:

Kathryn Bigelow for The Hurt Locker (2008)

James Cameron for Avatar (2009)

Clint Eastwood for Invictus (2009)

Jason Reitman for Up in the Air (2009/I)

Quentin Tarantino for Inglourious Basterds (2009)

Intriguing line-up with a lot of fun stories behind each. There's Reitman's riches to riches story, the once married couple now in competition and coming out of nowhere the two grizzled vets. I'll be happy with whoever wins (unless its Eastwood or Cameron).

Snubs: Lee Daniels looks like he's done producing with the very solid directing of his actors in Precious. Rob Marshall makes directing a musical look easy on film. For this he should definitely get SOME sort of award. Lone Scherfig was an unknown to me but she does powerful work with what could be stage-bound material in An Education. Spike Jonze and the Coens also delievered amazing work that would not get nearly as far with their careful hands.

Best Screenplay - Motion Picture

Nominees:

District 9 (2009): Neill Blomkamp, Terri Tatchell

The Hurt Locker (2008): Mark Boal

Inglourious Basterds (2009): Quentin Tarantino

It's Complicated (2009): Nancy Meyers

Up in the Air (2009/I): Jason Reitman, Sheldon Turner

Interesting mix but Meyers has no place in there. Let me also surprise my constituency and say that maybe District 9 shouldn't be there either. Of the remaining three I can see Up In the Air taking it because the script supports the material and builds its characters well. Basterds on the other hand is bold but even I'll admit its a very indulgent bit of writing.

Should Win: Basterds

Will Win: Up in the Air

Snubbed: The smartest script that arrived this year was Armando Ianucci's In the Loop, followed by the Pixar team's Up. Kind of surprised that the Coen's aren't here either.

Best Original Song - Motion Picture

Nominees:

Avatar (2009): James Horner, Simon Franglen, Kuk Harrell("I Will See You")

Brothers (2009/I): U2, Bono("Winter")

Crazy Heart (2009): T-Bone Burnett, Ryan Bingham("The Weary Kind")

Everybody's Fine (2009): Paul McCartney("(I Want To) Come Home")

Nine (2009): Maury Yeston("Cinema Italiano")

Haven't really heard these yet though I'm looking forward to Crazy Heart and Cinema Italiano.

Should Win: Crazy Heart

Will Win: Cinema Italiano

Snubs: Where's The Princess and the Frog offerings?

Best Original Score - Motion Picture

Nominees:

Avatar (2009): James Horner

The Informant! (2009): Marvin Hamlisch

A Single Man (2009): Abel Korzeniowski

Up (2009): Michael Giacchino

Where the Wild Things Are (2009): Carter Burwell, Karen Orzolek

Maybe the best mix of genres represented anywhere.

Should Win: The Informant! Wild and surprising and funny and critical to the film's silly tone.

Will Win: Up. No slouch either.

Snubs: Alexander Desplatt gets better with each new score and his work in Fantastic Mr. Fox is no exception.

Best Animated Film

Nominees:

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009)

Coraline (2009)

Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)

The Princess and the Frog (2009)

Up (2009)

Very exciting to see so many legitimate contenders this year. But come on, who is better than Pixar?

Should Win: Up

Will Win: Up

Snubs: A Town Called Panic is supposed to be phenomenal though I'm yet to see it.

Best Foreign Language Film

Nominees:

Los abrazos rotos (2009)

Baarìa (2009)

Das weisse Band - Eine deutsche Kindergeschichte (2009)

La nana (2009)

Un prophète (2009)

Interesting mix of stuff here.

Should Win: White Ribbon. Haneke's new masterpiece?

Will Win:Broken Embraces. HFPA loooooves Almodovar (rightly so).

Snubs: Thirst

I was originally going to do TV too but you know what, this is not the Sickness TV so forget it.