Best Picture — Drama
Bohemian Rhapsody
If Beale Street Could Talk
Of all the nominees it is the only real “Best Picture” threat in the bunch. The Hollywood Foreign Press (HFP) will do whatever they have to do to get Lady Gaga on that stage (more on that later). This is the perfect way to tie a bow on the night.
Best Picture — Comedy or Musical
Crazy Rich Asians
Green Book
Mary Poppins Returns
Vice
I am many things. One thing I am not is stupid. Crazy Rich Asians in any other year would have a great case to win. Except that the newest offering from Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos features not one or two Oscar-caliber performances… but three. Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz in support of a FABULOUS Olivia Coleman turn all coalesce into a film that is bitterly satirical. Also, is Green Book or Vice really a comedy?
Best Actor in a Motion Picture — Drama
Bradley Cooper, A Star Is Born
Willem Dafoe, At Eternity’s Gate
Lucas Hedges, Boy Erased
Rami Malek, Bohemian Rhapsody
John David Washington, BlacKkKlansman
Look. Regardless of opinions on the film itself THE standout of the less than stellar biopic is the performance of Malek as Queen frontman Freddie Mercury. For me, I thought Cooper was a show stopper especially when you consider he also directed, wrote and sung on it. Again I think that Malek is the way the HFP will go.
Best Actress in a Motion Picture — Drama
Glenn Close, The Wife
Lady Gaga, A Star Is Born
Nicole Kidman, Destroyer
Melissa McCarthy, Can You Ever Forgive Me?
Rosamund Pike, A Private War
Remember earlier when I said they REALLY want Lady Gaga at the show? This is the very same awards show that awarded her a Golden Globe for her work on American Horror Story: Hotel. Whether you agree or not that should tell you something right there. Here however Gaga deserves to be there this time without question. A surprise turn from Melissa McCarthy and the veteran saavy of Glenn Close are all about to be undone by the very same young lady that a decade ago showed us her “Poker Face”.
Best Actor in a Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy
Christian Bale, Vice
Lin Manuel Miranda, Mary Poppins Returns
Viggo Mortensen, Green Book
Robert Redford, The Old Man & the Gun
John C. Reilly, Stan & Ollie
Viggo would’ve been the odds-on favorite…but he’s had some things happen that are going to for sure make it difficult for him to win this award and even sniff the Oscar. Redford is fabulous in what he’s said is his last role. Bale has the type of performance ward shows love. Look no further than last years and Gary Oldman in Darkest Hour. Whether I agree with it or not this is the exact type of thing the Globes and often the Oscars salivate for.
Best Actress in a Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy
Emily Blunt, Mary Poppins Returns
Olivia Colman, The Favourite
Elsie Fisher, Eighth Grade
Charlize Theron, Tully
Constance Wu, Crazy Rich Asians
SO listen up. Olivia Colman is going win this and it isn’t really a Globes “Race”. I’d have loved young Elsie Fisher to have had a shot because she’s great. Likewise, both Wu and Theron are underrated and I’m glad they got a nom. As I said though this statue is Colman’s without a doubt.
Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Mahershala Ali, Green Book
Timothée Chalamet, Beautiful Boy
Adam Driver, BlacKkKlansman
Richard E. Grant, Can You Ever Forgive Me?
Sam Rockwell, Vice
I truly believe this is where the upset goes down. As it sometimes does. Two of the last three winners were not the front-runner, nor did they win the Oscar. One of those losers? Ali in 2016 for Moonlight. He lost to an Aaron Taylor-Johnson performance that was good but not great. If there’s anywhere a risk could pay off its here with Grant and his performance in the Melissa McCarthy lead vehicle.
Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Amy Adams, Vice
Claire Foy, First Man
Regina King, If Beale Street Could Talk
Emma Stone, The Favourite
Rachel Weisz, The Favourite
IT’S ABOUT DAMNED TIME. Regina King has been putting in absolutely wonderful work on screens both big and small. She easily could’ve had a lead nomination for the wonderful Support the Girls. This, however, may be her best piece of acting. While Amy Adams is long overdue for any and all awards she receives further it isn’t her year…again. Weisz and Stone, though brilliant, cannibalize the vote and Foy is for sure the best part of the sluggishness that is her film. King is the Queen and she’ll finally get her crown here…and possibly in late February.
Best Director — Motion Picture
Bradley Cooper, A Star Is Born
Alfonso Cuarón, Roma
Peter Farrelly, Green Book
Spike Lee, BlacKkKlansman
Adam McKay, Vice
How to win the Best Director award at any show: Shoot film. Assure film is absolutely gorgeous-looking. Also be a fantastic cinematographer for said film. Now make that film one of 2018’s best. Three of the films here fit the first two as both Cooper’s debut and Spike Lee’s reintroduction are completely beautiful. Both of the remaining two are nothing special from the aesthetic perspective. This one is Cauron’s and I think another golden little dude is on the way as well.
Best Screenplay — Motion Picture
Alfonso Cuarón, Roma
Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara, The Favourite
Barry Jenkins, If Beale Street Could Talk
Adam McKay, Vice
Peter Farrelly, Nick Vallelonga, Brian Currie, Green Book
Smart, funny and packed with a hell of a lot of snark that’s what it sometimes takes to win a screenplay award. Other times you just have to present old dialogue a new way or new dialogue a unique way. My pick for this award does a couple of those things with grand aplomb. McKay and Farrelly both normally bring more of the yucks. Instead, here they try to be smart and unlike his adaptation of The Big Short and it likewise comes of short…bigly. Jenkins and Cauron don’t really separate themselves from the pack. This is an easy victory for Davis and McNamara.
Best Motion Picture — Animated
Incredibles 2
Mirai
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Do I really need to tell you WHY? I mean go read the review. Not only did Sony change the game with this one they crafted what might be the best representation of a superhero origin story in quite some time. From the aesthetic (a very important thing for animation) to the smart script and fun dialogue, to the absolutely breathtaking approach, everything here feels fresh. Ralph Breaks the Internet is good and Mirai is a classic anime tale that’s well told. Incredible 2, though good, feels old hat for Pixar visually. Wes Anderson’s second venture into stop-motion is fantastic…but it feels very at odds against something like our selection here.
Best Picture — Foreign Language
Capernaum
Girl
Never Look Away
Shoplifters
Esto debería ser obvio. La selección de México para Best Picture – Foreign Language es la crema de la cosecha. Desde su maravilloso aspecto visual hasta su relato simple y desgarrador, es un ganador. Japón (Shoplifters) y el Líbano (Capernaum) traen lo mejor, pero nada detiene a Netflix y Alfonso Cauron.
Best Original Score — Motion Picture
Marco Beltrami, A Quiet Place
Alexandre Desplat, Isle of Dogs
Ludwig Göransson, Black Panther
Justin Hurwitz, First Man
Marc Shaiman, Mary Poppins Returns
Outside of Claire Foy’s great work only Justin Hurwitz’ gorgeous score stand out in Damian Chazelle’s newest piece. Where Desplat sticks to what he knows, and what has won in the past Hurwitz wants to lasso the moon and does. Göransson is a good score but most think of the soundtrack and not so much the score. It’s a shame because those tribal drums are absolute fire. Shaiman is strictly here because his film is a pseudo-musical with a halfway decent piece of backing.
Best Original Song — Motion Picture
“All the Stars,” Black Panther
“Girl in the Movies,” Dumplin’
“Requiem for a Private War,” A Private War
“Revelation,” Boy Erased
“Shallow,” A Star Is Born
