Reflection on Golden Globes

Golden Globes last night were mostly what everyone of us expected to be or at least I thought so. Few surprises - few pleasant, few unpleasant but mostly acceptable. Until today, many of us have talked a lot about who should have been nominated and who should not have been. Now that winners are announced, let me focus solely on nominees and Winners rather than complaining about who should have been here. So let me get down to business. These are some of the last night's winners from the categories I had something to say about.

Best Supporting Actor - Christopher Plummer (Beginners)

As expected. Not much more to say (See!! I am not complaining about Nick Nolte not being nominated.)

Best Television Series: Drama - Homeland

Soo happy for this. Homeland is Incredible for all the twists and turns in its very first season. I never saw any of those coming.

 

Best Original Score - Ludovic Bource (The Artist)

Since I haven't seen The Artist yet, I won't complain. Some of the other nominees were brilliant(Hugo and The Girl with Dragon Tattoo). So, I will assume that it is better than them. Many others fellow bloggers seem to think so as well.

Best Original Song - Madonna for 'Masterpiece' from W.E.

SERIOUSLY ??

Best Actress: Comedy/Musical - Michelle Williams (My Week With Marilyn)

There should not have been any doubt in anybody's mind that anyone else would have won this. And she did.

Best Supporting Actor in a Series or Mini-Series - Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones)
I am currently reading Third Book of the Series and Dinklage's Tyrion Lennister is by far my favorite character of the Series. After watching Game of Thrones 1st Season, every time I read, I picture him saying those lines. He is just made for this role.

Best Animated Feature - The Adventures of Tintin

I actually have not seen any of the nominees. But the other option was Rango and Jonney Depp is doing the same characters for many years that I am bored now. So, Good Job !!

Best Screenplay - Midnight in Paris

Many expected to The Artist to win. Not Me. I WANTED Midnight in Paris to Win. So, I am delighted to see it happen.

Best Foreign Language Film - A Separation
Makes me want to see this even more. It beat The Skin I Live In.

Best Actress, Television Series Drama - Claire Danes (Homeland)

Whoot !! Whoot !! Brilliant...Simply Brilliant !!

Best Supporting Actress - Octavia Spencer (The Help)
I really don't have anything against Spencer. She did great in The Help. I just think Jessica Chastain or Shailene Woodley were just a tad better. (Again, No Carrey Mulligan but not complaining.)

Best Director - Martin Scorsese (Hugo)
Wow. Even you thought that Hazanavicius had this in bag, Right? Me too. But I am happy for Scorsese. Hugo was brilliant. My no.2 of the Year!!

Best Actor: Comedy/Musical - Jean Dujardin (The Artist)
Well...Almost No Contest here.

Best Actress: Drama - Meryl Streep (The Iron lady)
Nooo. It actually was a two way between Viola Davis and Meryl Streep. But still Nooooo.....

Best Picture: Comedy or Musical - The Artist

Again. As Expected. Not that I am disappointed. I am really happy for The Artist even though I haven't seen it. Yet.

Best Actor: Drama - George Clooney (The Descendants) 

Brad Pitt was amazing and so is Michael Fessbander(as they say) but still it is completely expected. Did you listen to his speech afterwards ? I would have given him one more for that. He was brilliant in The Descendants too.

Best Picture: Drama - The Descendants

Either Hugo or The Descendants. I would not mind.

So, overall Very much what I expected them to be. What do you think ?

Award Nominations: SAG and Goldden Globes

It has been a week of Nominations. 2 important awards announced their nominations - Screen Actor's Guild and Golden Globes. Here is what I think about them.

Best Picture

Golden Globes - Drama                                                            Golden Globes - Musical Or Comedy 

The Descendants                                                                                50/50  

The Help                                                                                           The Artist

Hugo                                                                                                Bridesmaids 

The Ides of March                                                                              Midnight in Paris 

Moneyball                                                                                         My Week with Marilyn

War Horse

                                                         SAG

The Artist                                     

                                                         Bridesmaids

                                                        The Descendant

                                                        The Help

                                                        Midnight in Paris

SAG Basically has a Best Cast Ensemble award. So I was expecting Ides of March to be there, which does have a pretty strong cast. As for the globes, I will not comment on whether any particular film is musical or comedy or drama but other than that since they have more options, they are doing alright. Though, I might be missing something but Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close was getting a lot of attention. Whatever happened to that? And if you ask me to predict anything from this, I shall say come Oscars, I will expect The Artist, The Descendent and The Help to get nominated. 

Best Actor: Male 

Golden Globes - Drama                                                              Golden Globes - Musical Or Comedy 

George Clooney – The Descendants                                                   Jean Dujardin – The Artist

Leonardo DiCaprio – J. Edgar                                                            Brendan Gleeson – The Guard

Brad Pitt - Moneyball                                                                      Joseph Gordon-Levitt – 50/50

Michael Fassbender – Shame                                                           Ryan Gosling – Crazy, Stupid, Love

Ryan Gosling – Drive                                                                      Owen Wilson – Midnight in Paris

                                                                 SAG

                                                     Demián Bichir – A Better Life

                                                     George Clooney – The Descendants

                                                     Leonardo DiCaprio – J. Edgar

                                                     Jean Dujardin – The Artist

                                                     Brad Pitt – Moneyball

SAG again is pretty surprising. No Michael Fessbender(Shame), No Michael Shannon(Take Shelter) or Ryan Gosling. I don't know much about A Better life, but anyone of above three would have easily replaced DiCaprio. Globes missed Shannon as well. Gary Oldman(Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy) was generating a lot of buzz but looks like he is Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close here. And again, from this I think Come Oscars, Clooney, Dujadin and Pitt should almost certainly get nominated. I would love to see Fessbender and Gosling with them.

Best Actor: Female 

Golden Globes - Drama                                                              Golden Globes - Musical Or Comedy 

Glenn Close - Albert Nobbs                                                               Kate Winslet - Carnage

Viola Davis - The Help                                                                     Kristen Wiig - Bridesmaids

Meryl Streep - The Iron Lady                                                           Michelle Williams - My Week with Marilyn

Rooney Mara - The Girl with Dragon Tattoo                                        Jodie Foster – Carnage

Tilda Swinton - We Need to Talk About Kevin                                      Charlize Theron – Young Adult

                                                                         SAG

                                                          Glenn Close – Albert Nobbs

                                                          Viola Davis – The Help

                                                          Meryl Streep – The Iron Lady

                                                          Tilda Swinton – We Need To Talk About Kevin

                                                          Michelle Williams – My Week with Marilyn

 

SAG again missed Charlize Theron and Rooney Mara. I am happy with Michelle Williams' inclusion and Davis, Streep and Swinton are everywhere. So that leaves Close to make way for either of them and I am not much interested in Albert Nobbs as well. So, I will be happy with that. I am also not commenting on Globes - Musical and Comedy. They just need 5 nominees - that is only explanation and their Drama is probably the most satisfying group here. I liked Elizabeth Olsen(Martha Marcy May Merlene) and Kirsten Dunst(Melancholia) too. But, even I am finding hard to get rid of anyone else. Oscarwise, I think Davis, Streep and Swinton should be certain. I would love Williams and Theron to join them.

Best Supporting Actor: Male
 

Golden Globes                                                                                   SAG

Kenneth Branagh - My Week with Marilyn                                Kenneth Branagh - My Week with Marilyn

Christopher Plummer - Beginners                                           Christopher Plummer - Beginners

Albert Brooks - Drive                                                           Arnie Hammer - J. Edgar

Viggo Mortensen - A Dangerous Method                                  Nick Nolte – Warrior

Jonah Hill - Moneyball                                                          Jonah Hill - Moneyball

                                                                         

This is like they are afraid of making all the right decisions. Globes got Brooks in but missed Nolte and SAG did vice versa and they both have Jonah Hill. Seriously? Do you know someone Called Ben Kingsley(Hugo) or at least John Hawkes(Martha Marcy May Merlene)? And Arnie Hammer ? I will reserve my judgement of Mortensen though because I have mixed reviews. For Oscars, Branagh and Plummer should enjoy the company of ideally Brooks, Nolte and Kingsley but I will be content with Hawkes and maybe even Mortensen.

Best Supporting Actor: Female

Golden Globes                                                                                         SAG 

Bérénice Bejo – The Artist                                                            Bérénice Bejo – The Artist 
Jessica Chastain - The Help                                                          Jessica Chastain - The Help 

Octavia Spencer - The Help                                                          Octavia Spencer - The Help 

Janet McTeer - Albert Nobbs                                                        Janet McTeer - Albert Nobbs 

Shailene Woodley – The Descendants                                             Melissa McCarthy - Bridesmaids

WHERE IS CARRY MULLIGAN ? How can you forget HER ? SAG is even worse. No disrespect to Melissa McCarthy - she was nice in Bridesmaids but definitely not enough to keep Woodley out. I have heard good things about McTeer but still I want Carry Mulligan(Shame) in the mix here. BTW, I am extremely happy for Jessica Chastain. I do not care which role she gets nominated for as long as she does.

Best Director 

Golden Globes                                                                                                        

Woody Allen – Midnight in Paris

George Clooney – The Ides of March

Michel Hazanavicius – The Artist

Alexander Payne – The Descendants

Martin Scorsese – Hugo

Nice to see Clooney here. He was good but at least I wasn't expecting him to get nominated. Payne, Scorsese and Hazanavicius are almost certain to get in. Spielberg(War Horse) is one more veteran that might make it. How many times do you have a chance of seeing Spielberg, Scorsese and Allen fighting with virtually unknown guy, Hazanavicius. And the best part is he actually has a realistic chance of winning.

So, all in all though Globes improved over SAG, there is still lot of hope for Improvement. Come On Academy !!

Hunger

23rd March 1931. The Day every Indian remembers as 'Shaheed Diwas' i.e 'Martyr's Day' because on that day 3 of the Indian revolutionaries, Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev, were hanged at the tender age of 24. Along with around 25 other revolutionaries, they were being tried for the case that is known as 'Lahore Conspiracy Case'. While the case was being tried in court, Bhagat Singh and his fellow revolutionaries went on Hunger strike. Their demand was to be treated like 'Political Prisoners', on equal terms as other European prisoners. By Law, they were needed to be treated equal. So, Indian revolutionaries were asking for Clean clothes, Separate cells, Books and Newspapers just like any other political prisoners. This hunger strike went on for 116 days before the British Government, then ruling India, relented and agreed to give them what they were asking for and claimed life of 1, Jatindra Nath Das on his 63rd Day of Fast. Legend has it, he died saying 'Not a Single Drop, Bhagat' as he died of a beating he took while Police were force-feeding them to break their fast. And when I watched Hunger(2008) today, I could not help but draw some parallels here.

Hunger(2008) here, is about the strikingly similar event that happened against the same government, some 50 years after in Ireland. It focuses on Second Hunger Strikes in 1981 by Bobby Sands and other IRA members. 9 of them died before Margaret Thatcher relented. Bobby Sands himsel died after 66 days of Strike. It opens up with prison guard Raymond Lohan leaving for work, making sure that he is not getting killed by IRA(which he eventually does, in a horrible fashion). He checks the road is empty before leaving, bends down to see if someone has planted a bomb in his car, and still hesitates before turning the ignition On, all the time with his wife watching him from the window, as if praying to keep him alive. Tension is palpable here. In Prison, IRA members are on Blanket Protests which are escalated into Dirty Protests against the cancellation of  'Special Category Status'. Story moves forward with concentrating on two prisoners, Davey Gillen and Gerry Campbell, who are in a cell together with just a blanket on them. Part of Blanket Protests and Dirty Protests is told as their story. We see the brutalities they suffer at the hands of Guards as they refuse to leave their cells and themselves to be cleaned up. And we also get introduced to Bobby Sands, who is also part of these protests. Third part of the story concentrates on Bobby Sands and his Hunger Strike and is by far most disturbing segment I have seen.

What this movie is best known for is 16 and half minute conversation between Bobby Sands and his Priest. Though whole film is about the political intentions and rights, this scene is the only occasion where they actually discuss about it aloud. The reason why this scene is so special is not only because it was shot in one single long take(and I thought Inglourious Basterds(2009) had longest single take scene. Looks like Michael Fassbender has some fascination for them), but also because you will hardly find anything so explosive with the dialogues like 'Jesus Christ had a backbone but them disciples, every disciple since... you’re just jumping in and out of the rhetoric and dead-end semantics.' and he is talking to a priest who makes his leaving giving sermons to everyone. Conversation that takes place between them here is extremely well constructed. Initially they take friendly digs at each other, eventually it turns to more serious matters at hand when Sands mentions about the Hunger strikes.  Our Priest is troubled by the fact that previous Hunger strikes have failed to achieve anything out of it. He questions his integrity, his motives, his commitment(According to Wikipedia, Liam Cunningham, who plays Priest moved in with Fassbender and they use to rehearse this scene almost 12 times everyday. How is that for a commitment?). However, Sands is not going back - 'I will ACT. I will not stand by and do nothing'.

Main reason why I wanted to watch this movie was because of all the buzz around director Steve McQueen with the release of Shame(2011) - THE Movie I am looking forward to. This is his debut movie. And what a debut it is !! Even though I was very much interested in all the politics in the background, it is evident that he had a different direction in mind and he takes it forward in that direction like a master controller. He is not interested in making it a political propaganda taking either of the sides. He very casually skips by everything that is happening outside, even a fact that Sands gets elected to the House of Commons is only mentioned in the ending slides. He has named his movie Hunger for a reason and he focuses on that. In many ways, it is a debut movie for Michael Fassbender and he is equally devastating as well. He embodies Bobby Sands - his resolve, his determination to perfection. He works wonders in the 16 and half minute scene with his dialogue delivery but he is equally effective even when he is not even talking e.g a look on his face when UDA orderly who refuses to help him or him pushing his protruding ribs in a desperate attempt to stand up. And it is your worst nightmare to see him die slowly and slowly. Fassbender does all this with such a finesse that makes you wonder where was he all these years? I knew about Christian Bell loosing 28 Kg for The Machinist(2004). But, I did not have the faintest idea of Michael Fassbender undergoing similar regime.

Hunger can make you feel nauseated, it can very easily kill your appetite. It makes you uncomfortable almost the whole time. But even then you know that you are watching something great, something you never have and probably will not experience again. With the kind of buzz around Shame(2011), we can only expect more greatness is to follow. While in College, I always wanted to know more about 3 things - IRA, Stalin and Napolean. Not a start I imagined !

Rating(out of 5):