Reacting to the Golden Globes

Initial Thoughts:

• The multiple-nominated individuals. This is truly the year of Sacha Baron Cohen, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Frances McDormand. Recognizing these individuals in more than one category for their terrific work is something that the Globes did right this year, particularly Taylor-Joy, who managed to have a career breakout year in the collective hellscape of 2020 and spark an interest in chess at the same time.

• The unseen films. It wasn’t until it got nominated for two Golden Globes that I learned of Sia’s upcoming writing/directing debut of Music, starring Kate Hudson. And that’s a real shame, considering I’ve been staying pretty on top of critics’ “best of year” and “most anticipated” lists. Who at the Hollywood Foreign Press Association saw this movie? How did they see it without most critics being aware of it? There are also a few nominated films that I haven’t seen due to the reviews being bad, so I’ll save my judgments for if I (probably never) watch them; I’m looking right at you, Hillbilly Elegy.

• Globes will be Globes. The Globes love celebrities as much, if not more, than any other awards show, but the celebrities they’ve gone out of their way to recognize just don’t feel like the celebrities I pay any attention to (@Kate Hudson). Additionally, the Globes usually pay attention to the “buzziest movies”, so films that earned solid critical reviews while also being successful at the box office, and again, featuring our favorite celebrities. But in a year where there was no real box office, and a distinct lack of mainstream “hit” movies, what the hell was a “buzzy” movie in 2020?

Notable Snubs:

• Every small movie I liked. At the time of writing this, I’ve seen 14 movies released in 2020 (+ either 5 or 1, depending at how you look at Small Axe, the best thing I saw all year), and based my choices largely off critics’ lists. Some films I would have loved to see recognized, and that are honestly better than many of the films that were recognized, include Never Rarely Sometimes Always, First Cow, The Vast of Night, and The Assistant. The first and last of those tackle extremely sensitive, feminist-adjacent topics in incredible ways that I found far more appealing than Promising Young Woman. But alas, the Globes will be Globes.

• Da 5 Bloods. I really loved this movie too, and unlike the four I mentioned above, this film was made by a celebrity director starring recognizable actors including a standout supporting performance by the late Chadwick Boseman. Da 5 Bloods could replace The Trial of The Chicago 7 in basically every category for which the latter was nominated, especially best film and best director. Also, the Globes sure have some stones if they’re going to have Spike’s children serve as “Awards ambassadors” without even nominating his excellent movie in a single category – which is exactly what they did.

• The Invisible Man. This felt like the buzziest movie at the start of quarantine, which means that it’s one of the only movies to get legit buzz in all of 2020. It also tackles some #MeToo themes quite profoundly, as socially conscious horror films often do, by making the film about an abusive ex-boyfriend and portraying the gaslighting that victims can face. But hey, the Globes will be Globes, and the Globes don’t like horror.

Big players yet to be released:

• Minari. This film appeared in virtually every critics’ top 10 list that I checked out this year, and I know that it’s slotting as a “foreign film” for the Globes came with some controversy. The SAG awards seem to have reversed this by nominating Minari in multiple categories, including Lead Actor and Supporting Actress. Minari getting a win at the Globes feels important (don’t ask me why) for its chances at the Oscars, who can keep making their picks after the Globes ceremony.

• Nomadland. This film has topped most critics’ lists, so it’s a delight to see it score several nominations at this bogus-but-popular awards show. Can’t wait to see it.

• The Father. This film appeared on several lists that I checked out this past year and seems to be more of an acting showcase than a powerhouse of an entire film. That being said, Anthony Hopkins and Olivia Colman are terrific actors, so I’ll certainly go watch them perform.

• Judas and the Black Messiah. This is probably my most anticipated movie, as it crosses over with some events and characters from Trial of the Chicago 7, but reviews have hailed this film as the more exciting, angry, incendiary movie that Chicago 7 could have been. Plus, it stars two terrific younger talents in Daniel Kaluuya and LaKeith Stanfield exploring the oft-overlooked humanity of the Black Panther party. See you real soon on HBO Max.

• United States vs. Billie Holliday. I’m less familiar with the cast of this movie than the director, Lee Daniels, who is always capable of making a splash for awards and running right at sensitive societal issues.

The Over-nominated:

• Trial of the Chicago 7. Aaron Sorkin is perhaps my favorite modern screenwriter, but he just doesn't quite have it as a director. Chicago 7 clearly sought to capture the social mood of the summer of 2020, but gave us a cartoonishly feel-good ending, too much sentimentality, and too little anger in its filmmaking to do that. Bring back the guy who wrote the morally challenging screenplays for Steve Jobs and The Social Network please. All that said, I would still consider the courtroom scenes very well-written here and enjoyed Baron Cohen’s performance, so I would keep the Best Screenplay nomination and the Best Supporting Actor. I turned the movie off before its Original Song started playing, but I guess that nomination can stay too.

• Promising Young Woman. This film was certainly wild and interesting, and Carey Mulligan deserves every nomination coming her way, but I wouldn’t consider it one of the top 5 dramas I saw this year, and certainly wouldn’t consider Emerald Fennell among the top 5 directors of the year. I appreciate the Globes’ inclusion of women-directed/written films in the category, but Kelly Reichardt for First Cow, Eliza Hittman for Never Rarely Sometimes Always, or Kitty Green for The Assistant were all better picks in my opinion.

• One Night in Miami. I really, really enjoyed this film, and “over-nominated” isn’t entirely accurate. I would simply swap the Best Director nomination for Best Screenplay or even throw it a Best Picture nod. I’m glad to have Regina King behind the camera and she shows a lot of promise in her debut, but see my above comments referring to women whose direction more impressed me this year. All this said, if you haven’t checked this movie out, I would absolutely recommend it.

The Under-nominated:

• Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. Chadwick Boseman gives perhaps the best male lead performance I saw all year, with the only awards threats being Delroy Lindo in Da 5 Bloods, Riz Ahmed in Sound of Metal, and Steven Yeun in Minari (only time will tell). I’m pumped that Boseman was recognized here, but more pumped for his other SAG nominations including his work in Bloods. Viola Davis also impresses here, but I would have loved to see some more Supporting Actor, or possibly Screenplay recognition as I’m advocating for Miami. Adapting a play to screen is challenging, but the dialogue and pacing of this story are exquisite.

• Soul. Soul is easily one of the best movies I saw all year, despite being slightly inferior to Inside Out. It’s existential exploration of purpose, life, death, and personality don’t belong in a kid’s movie, but Pete Doctor was able to get it there anyway. It also tenderly portrays the black community in a way that Pixar hasn’t done before, and I think it could have very easily scored a Best Picture – Comedy nomination to go along with its current nods.

• Sound of Metal. This film is great, and it’s a real shame that the Globes only has 5 Screenplay slots; hopefully, future awards will nominate this movie just for existing and drawing terrific characters. I think this is a better, if not more entertaining, movie than both Promising Young Woman and Chicago 7. However, the most notable miss here is not nominating Paul Raci for Best Supporting Actor; his work as the tough, wise, grace-giving leader of an all-deaf community is one of the most moving parts of an exceptionally moving film.

The Just-Right-nominated:

• Mank. I’ve been holding off on a top 10 list since I’m not actually a professional critic, and thus haven’t been able to see films such as Nomadland, Minari, and Judas that have been cracking or topping plenty of critics’ top 10s. However, Mank will absolutely be on my list. David Fincher expertly directs this magnificent, albeit slightly flawed, ode to/demystification of/jaded look at old Hollywood. I’m not sorry at all that many people feel like watching perhaps the greatest movie ever (Citizen Kane) feels like “homework” to get the most out of this movie, but its ability to pay homage to that masterpiece, weave in 2020-related election disinformation into the 1930’s, create a nuanced portrayal of an under-appreciated Hollywood figure, and give us some of the best filmmaking of the entire year.

• Tenet. This is the best blockbuster-level movie of the year, and it’s a shame not all of us got to have it blow us away in a movie theater. Nolan is letting his complex “time-travel” (time inversion, it’s complicated) do all the cooking in some of the most visually creative, jaw-dropping action scenes I’ve seen in a long, long time. Ludwig Goransson’s score is an electrically charged, mind-bending piece of work all on its own, and I’m glad to see it recognized. I can’t say that the movie deserved any more Globe nominations yet I’m already furious that the SAG awards overlooked it in the “stunt ensemble” category, as every action scene was filmed forwards and backwards, with stunt performers moving forwards and backwards, to achieve a remarkably practical level of filmmaking for such a heady concept. Here’s holding out hope that the craftspeople who worked on this spectacle get their due as awards season continues.