My Golden Globes Predictions (part 1)

Awards season is starting! My favorite time of year cinematically. The Golden Globe is probably the 2nd most prestigious award for films and I personally think they're more accurate than the Oscars which can get caught up in their own drama. 

So here are my predictions for the 2010 Golden Globes:

Best Picture - Drama

Nominees

Avatar

The Hurt Locker

Inglourious Basterds (should win)

Precious 

Up in the Air (will win)

While UITA is a wonderful and surprising film, Inglourious Basterds tells several different stories and yet never loses sight of any of them. The twists come and they come hard, the lines are quotable and resonant, and let's not forget Tarantino's flair for visual brilliance. 

Best Picture - Musical/Comedy

Nominees:

(500) Days of Summer

The Hangover (should win)

It's Complicated

Julie & Julia

Nine

I actually cannot predict this one. I am sure of one thing: Nine was only placed to fulfill the "musical" quota of the category. The Hangover deserves to win because it plays like a mystery story except it's wildly funny and wholly original. Summer might win because of its non-linear story-telling format. J&J and It's Complicated have the Meryl Effect but neither of them were as critically acclaimed as their star. 

Best Actress - Drama

Nominees:

Emily Blunt for The Young Victoria

Sandra Bullock for The Blind Side

Helen Mirren for The Last Station

Carey Mulligan for An Education (pictured; should win)

Gabourey Sidibie for Precious (will win)

Every awards season needs a breakout star. This year we have two but it's not a good thing. The difference between Mulligan and Sidibie is that the latter almost cheated her way into the limelight. She's not (nor did she ever plan to be) a professional actress, she's playing a role a little too close to home and she never studied acting a day of her life. Mulligan on the other hand earned her way to her first lead role (she acted in the Keira Knightley Pride & Prejudice as well as in several stage productions on the London and the New York stage ). Mulligan's Jenny is sarcastic, confused, confident and she has the most enchanting voice. I would be delighted if either Blunt or Bullock won but I think the nominations are their wins. 

Best Actor - Drama

Nominees:

Jeff Bridges for Crazy Heart

George Clooney for Up in the Air (will win)

Colin Firth for A Single Man (should win)

Morgan Freeman for Invictus

Tobey Maguire for Brothers

It would be amazing if Maguire won because it would be a win for the unsung Brothers, a powerful PTSD film. Clooney (and his film) is the critics' darling and does deserve to win. But Firth's studied, tragic and completely effortless performance as a man who lost his partner is just mind-blowingly subtle. I haven't seen Crazy Heart or Invictus. 

Best Actor - Musical/Comedy

Nominees:

Matt Damon for the Informant!

Daniel Day-Lewis for Nine (will win)

Robert Downey Jr. for Sherlock Holmes

Joseph Gordon-Levitt for (500) Days of Summer (should win)

Michael Stuhlbarg for A Serious Man

Probably the blandest of all fhe categories, this is probably the one award that Nine will win. It was nominated for many GGs, but I don't think it has a chance at winning them due to lack of critical and financial success. I havsn't seen it but Day-Lewis is the only male among many femalea and most of the songs are female solos. Does he actually do anything? JGL's win would also be his co-star Zooey Deschanel's win but it seems unlikely with past award winner Day-Lewis in the category. 

Best Actress - Musical/Comedy

Nominees:

Sandra Bullock for The Proposal (should win)

Marion Cotillard for Nine

Julia Roberts for Duplicity

Meryl Streep for It's Complicated

Meryl Streep for Julie & Julia (will win)

Sandra Bullock is just too funny in this romantic-comedy but she displays a subtle vulnerability behind the tough boss mask. But I think the Julia Childs act has the edge because it is, in fact, a biopic. Personally, I'd just bury Streep with awards for the It's Complicated trailer alone ("It's appears I'm a bit of a slut!" still makes me laugh every time I hear/think of it) but alas! I am not the voter. Julia Roberts just cashed in on her screen persona which was entertaining but it just lacked the depth of Bullock's performance. 

Part 2 (Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress, Director, Screenplay and Animated Feature) coming up. Post your thoughts. Thanks for reading!