I have never done this badly with awards predictions before. Ever. That just goes to show you how unpredictable this year has been. There is no consensus on anything, which is both great and frustrating. It’s great in that there is a real, exciting race this year, but frustrating because I don’t like being wrong. But I was. It happens.
The night’s first award set the tone for my losing streak, with Kate Winslet winning Best Supporting Actress for Steve Jobs. Upon first hearing her name, I made the same shocked face Winslet did. Steve Jobs has been ignored by almost everyone since it came out, so if you saw this coming, good on you. But we all should have. The Golden Globes love their stars, and Winslet is a favorite. Remember, this is a woman who won Best Lead and Supporting Actress in the same year. The same goes for Steve Jobs screenwriter Aaron Sorkin. He is a big name, and I should’ve seen it coming.
Actually, many times when I was wrong, the award went to the bigger star. Sam Smith won the award for his awful Bond song Spectre song “Writing’s on the Wall” (I love that movie way more than most people, but the song is awful). Jennifer Lawrence took the Comedy Best Actress award over her best friend, Amy Schumer.
I can rationalize Alejandro González Iñárritu winning Best Director as a makeup for not winning for Birdman last year, but I am quite surprised by The Revenant taking Best Picture. I knew it was well-liked in the press but not to the extent of taking home that prize. But the HFPA are big Leonardo DiCaprio fans, so I guess it makes sense in that way.
I did get some things right (I went 50% for the night). Leo won. Brie Larson won (yay!). Matt Damon won. Sylvester Stallone won. Ennio Morricone won (yay!). Thankfully, the Globes have little correlation when it comes to the Oscars, and we all know that’s what really counts, though this did cement Leo for sure winning and definitely upping Larson’s chances to about 95%.
The show itself was a mess but in an amusing way. Ricky Gervais was not as strong as he has been in previous years, but he still had some great moments, particularly as the night went on and the booze was sinking in. His exchange with Mel Gibson was great. Tom Hanks deserves an award for being the only person in history to make awards show copy sound good. Larson, Stallone, and Gael García Bernal had great speeches. Quentin Tarantino was his usual, rambling self that I enjoy. Also, anyone who was upset that he used the word “ghetto,” please consult a dictionary and learn what that word actually means. He used it in a correct context.
All in all, it was a night that kept me on my toes, made me rethink my Oscar predictions slightly, and made me laugh from time to time. That’s kind of what you hope for out of an awards show.
Categories: Awards
Reel Projection 