Musings on 2021 Golden Globes nominations – Snubs + Surprises

On February 3, 2021February 3, 2021 By ruthIn Awards Chatter14 Comments

Well, whaddayaknow. Award season is officially here, folks… though I doubt anyone is rolling out the red carpet just yet given Covid-19 (and its myriad of strains) are far from being contained.

Well, here are the full nominations below and my commentary in each category + some of my winner pick/prediction highlighted in bold magenta:

Best Motion Picture – Drama

“The Father” (Sony Pictures Classics)
“Mank” (Netflix)
“Nomadland” (Searchlight Pictures)
“Promising Young Woman” (Focus Features)
“The Trial of the Chicago 7” (Netflix)

I’ve only seen two on this list so I guess I should catch up on the rest, but I really want Promising Young Woman to get recognized. It’s such a bold, provocative film that makes a strong statement of a timely topic. Perhaps one of the few films that really stayed with me long after the end credits rolled.

Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy

“Borat Subsequent Moviefilm” (Amazon Studios)
“Hamilton” (Walt Disney Pictures)
“Palm Springs” (Neon)
“Music” (Vertical Entertainment)
“The Prom” (Netflix)

I actually haven’t seen any of these yet. The only one I want to see is Palm Springs and Hamilton, so my prediction here is pure gut instinct.

Best Director – Motion Picture

Emerald Fennell, “Promising Young Woman” (Focus Features)
David Fincher, “Mank” (Netflix)
Regina King, “One Night in Miami” (Amazon Studios)
Aaron Sorkin, “The Trial of the Chicago 7” (Netflix)
Chloé Zhao, “Nomadland” (Searchlight Pictures)

Glad to see three female filmmakers being recognized here, perhaps the first time women outshone men in this category!! I think Fennell did an outstanding job making Promising Young Woman, and it’s her directorial debut, which is all the more amazing. But Chloè Zhao’s done some extraordinary work and Nomadland is a phenomenal film in its own right, so I’d be happy if any of those women win this year.

Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama

Viola Davis (“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”)
Andra Day (“The United States vs. Billie Holiday”)
Vanessa Kirby (“Pieces of a Woman”)
Frances McDormand (“Nomadland”)
Carey Mulligan (“Promising Young Woman”)

I think it’s safe to say I’m cheering for Promising Young Woman this year! It’s such inspired casting to have Carey Mulligan in such a provocative role and she absolutely nailed it. I do have a feeling Viola Davis and Vanessa Kirby might run away with the award.

Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama

Riz Ahmed (“Sound of Metal”)
Chadwick Boseman (“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”)
Anthony Hopkins (“The Father”)
Gary Oldman (“Mank”)
Tahar Rahim (“The Mauritanian”)

Oh man!! I’m thrilled to see Riz Ahmed and Tahar Rahim both nominated and having seen both films recently, they’re the beating heart of their respective films! I can’t choose between the two so I’m just going to make a random prediction. I have a feeling the HFPA would give a post-humous award to the late Chadwick Boseman.

Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy

Maria Bakalova (“Borat Subsequent Moviefilm”)
Kate Hudson (“Music”)
Michelle Pfeiffer (“French Exit”)
Rosamund Pike (“I Care a Lot”)
Anya Taylor-Joy (“Emma”)

Since I’ve only seen one of these (I Care A Lot hasn’t even been released yet!), I can’t pick anyone in this category either. I like Taylor-Joy but I don’t think she was all that extraordinary in Emma, she’s far more memorable in The Queen’s Gambit. I have a feeling Le Pfeiffer might walk away with the award here.

Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy

Sacha Baron Cohen (“Borat Subsequent Moviefilm”)
James Corden (“The Prom”)
Lin-Manuel Miranda (“Hamilton”)
Dev Patel (“The Personal History of David Copperfield”)
Andy Samberg (“Palm Springs”)

I know we’re not supposed to pick the only one performance we’ve seen, but oh well, it’s my blog, I make the rules, ha! I LOVE Dev Patel and he’s terrific in The Personal History of David Copperfield so I hope he wins!

Best Actress in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture

Glenn Close (“Hillbilly Elegy”)
Olivia Colman (“The Father”)
Jodie Foster (“The Mauritanian”)
Amanda Seyfried (“Mank”)
Helena Zengel (“News of the World”)

Whoa!! Nice for Helena Zengel to get nominated here, as I mentioned in my review of News Of The World, the 12-year-old German actress held her own against Tom Hanks! She’s got tough competition here, though having seen The Mauritanian, I don’t think Jodie Foster’s performance was anything special. Given the recent buzz around Minari, I thought Youn Yuh-jung would nab a nomination in this category.

Tom Hanks + Helena Zengel in News of The World

Best Actor in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture

Sacha Baron Cohen (“The Trial of the Chicago 7”)
Daniel Kaluuya (“Judas and the Black Messiah”)
Jared Leto (“The Little Things”)
Bill Murray (“On the Rocks”)
Leslie Odom, Jr. (“One Night in Miami”)

Ok, I’m definitely going to see One Night in Miami this weekend!! I’ve only seen On The Rocks, and no I don’t think Bill Murray deserved a nomination, let alone win. My gut says Daniel Kaluuya will run away with the award, and he seems to be a shoo-in for an Oscar as well.

Best Screenplay – Motion Picture

Emerald Fennell – “Promising Young Woman” (Focus Features)
Jack Fincher – “Mank” (Netflix)
Aaron Sorkin – “The Trial of the Chicago 7” (Netflix)
Florian Zeller, Christopher Hampton – “The Father” (Sony Pictures Classics)
Chloe Zhao – “Nomadland” (Searchlight Pictures)

Thrilled to see Emerald Fennell getting recognized for her bold + witty writing in the dark comedy. She wrote several episodes for Killing Eve, one of the edgiest, most entertaining thrillers of recent memory. To go against Aaron Sorkin in her first feature screenplay is quite a feat. Oh and is this the first time a father and son get nominated for the same film? Kudos to Jack and David Fincher!!

Best Original Score – Motion Picture

“The Midnight Sky” (Netflix) – Alexandre Desplat
“Tenet” (Warner Bros.) – Ludwig Göransson
“News of the World” (Universal Pictures) – James Newton Howard
“Mank” (Netflix) – Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross
“Soul” (Pixar) – Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, Jon Batiste

So many double nominees this year… but Trent Reznor + Atticus Ross are one of the best composers working today. Talk about range… Mank + Soul are two very different movies. I think they’d walk away with one of them.

Best Motion Picture – Foreign Language

“Another Round” (Samuel Goldwyn Films)
“La Llorona” (Shudder)
“The Life Ahead” (Netflix)
“Minari” (A24)
“Two of Us” (Magnolia Pictures)

Can’t believe I’ve only seen The Life Ahead on this list, which is a lovely movie. I really want to see Minari but it’s not available on streaming yet. Another Round also looks really good based on my fellow bloggers’ reviews, another fruitful collaboration between Thomas Vinterberg and Mads Mikkelsen.

Best Motion Picture – Animated

“The Croods: A New Age” (Universal Pictures)
“Onward” (Walt Disney Pictures)
“Over the Moon” (Netflix)
“Soul” (Walt Disney Pictures)
“Wolfwalkers” (Cartoon Saloon)

Yay! Two of my fave animated movies of 2020 are nominated!! Hard to choose between the two, but if I must, I’d vote for Wolfwalkers.

Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy

“Emily in Paris” (Netflix)
“The Flight Attendant” (HBO Max)
“The Great” (Hulu)
“Schitt’s Creek” (CBC)
“Ted Lasso” (Apple TV Plus)

The only one I’ve seen here is Emily in Paris but only for a single episode because it was practically unwatchable! I definitely don’t think it deserves any kudos, it’s just so silly and shallow… I mean if they must nominate a French comedy, why not Call My Agent! (Dix Pour Cent) which is head and shoulders above the Darren Star creation, ugh.

Best Television Series – Drama

“The Crown” (Netflix)
“Lovecraft Country” (HBO Max)
“The Mandalorian” (Disney Plus)
“Ozark” (Netflix)
“Ratched” (Netflix)

Yay for The Crown and The Mandalorian!! They couldn’t be more different in style and tone but both are excellently-crafted. I really need to see Lovecraft Country!

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Drama

Olivia Colman (“The Crown”)
Jodie Comer (“Killing Eve”)
Emma Corrin (“The Crown”)
Laura Linney (“Ozark”)
Sarah Paulson (“Ratched”)

I’m confused how Olivia Colman and Emma Corrin are both considered lead in The Crown. Colman is always excellent but Corrin as Princess Diana is no doubt the breakout star of the latest season. I also love Jodie Comer in Killing Eve but I haven’t been caught up in the latest season yet.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Drama

Jason Bateman (“Ozark”)
Josh O’Connor (“The Crown”)
Bob Odenkirk (“Better Call Saul”)
Al Pacino (“Hunters”)
Matthew Rhys (“Perry Mason”)

I adore Josh O’Connor as Prince Charles in The Crown but man, Matthew Rhys is outstanding in Perry Mason and he has been so grossly underrated in everything that I want him so badly to win this thing!

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy

Lily Collins (“Emily in Paris”)
Kaley Cuoco (“The Flight Attendant”)
Elle Fanning (“The Great”)
Jane Levy (“Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist”)
Catherine O’Hara (“Schitt’s Creek”)

Seriously, Lily Collins??! I could see the show getting a nod for Best-but-Most-Impractical-Clothes category, but that dumb show shouldn’t even be nominated in any category, come on!

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy

Don Cheadle (“Black Monday”)
Nicholas Hoult (“The Great”)
Eugene Levy (“Schitt’s Creek”)
Jason Sudeikis (“Ted Lasso”)
Ramy Youssef (“Ramy”)

I’m so behind on so many shows, but just based on the buzz on Schitt’s Creek, I think one of the Levys would probably nab an award.

Best Television Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

“Normal People” (Hulu/BBC)
“The Queen’s Gambit” (Netflix)
“Small Axe” (Amazon Studios/BBC)
“The Undoing” (HBO)
“Unorthodox” (Netflix)

I really want to see Small Axe, man too many shows too little time! But The Queen’s Gambit was simply amazing, one of the best miniseries I’ve seen ever. So yeah I’m rooting for that!

Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

Cate Blanchett (“Mrs. America”)
Daisy Edgar-Jones (“Normal People”)
Shira Haas (“Unorthodox”)
Nicole Kidman (“The Undoing”)
Anya Taylor-Joy (“The Queen’s Gambit”)

Ok so I said earlier that I don’t think Anya Taylor-Joy was all that great in Emma, but she was phenomenal in The Queen’s Gambit!! She’s in nearly every single scene and carried the show so effortlessly in a breathtaking performance.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

John Boyega (“Small Axe”)
Brendan Gleeson (“The Comey Rule”)
Dan Levy (“Schitt’s Creek”)
Jim Parsons (“Hollywood”)
Donald Sutherland (“The Undoing”)

So many shows to catch up on!! I’ve heard great things about Small Axe though, that’s one I’m most looking forward to seeing.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

Gillian Anderson (“The Crown”)
Helena Bonham Carter (“The Crown”)
Julia Garner (“Ozark”)
Annie Murphy (“Schitt’s Creek”)
Cynthia Nixon (“Ratched”)

When I was watching the latest season of The Crown, somehow I knew Gillian Anderson and Helena Bonham Carter as the two Margarets would be vying for awards. The latter has portrayed Princess Margaret brilliantly in the previous season, but Anderson underwent such a transformation, down to her distinct voice, to play Margaret Thatcher, so my money is on her this year.

Biggest Surprises

Let’s start with the good surprises first…

Helena Zengel as one of the youngest nominee in News Of the World
Three female directors in the Best Director category, woo hoo!!
Emerald Fennell getting a Best Director AND Best Screenplay nods!! Yes, she deserved it!!

… now the wtf bad surprises

James Corden in the Best Actor category in Prom??! Wait what? I thought the buzz has been that it was the worst casting ever and that he’s the worst thing about the show.
Lily Collins in Emily in Paris, oh geez! Nothing against Lily but come on, that show is just plain silly, more froth than the latte she sips on those Parisian cafè!

I think the biggest head-scratcher that’s neither good or bad is… MUSIC in the Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy and Kate Hudson in Best Actress category. Ummm, what in the world is that movie?? Never even heard about it before until today. I had to look it up on IMDb. Apparently it’s directed by Australian singer Sia and it’s about music and autism. O-kay.

Most egregious snubs

Based on what I’ve read so far, I’m stunned that Spike Lee wasn’t nominated for Da 5 Blood, which many, including my friend/contributor Ted deemed as his best work.
No Steven Yeun for Minari??
I’ve written my review for The Life Ahead that I’ll post later this month. I thought Sophia Loren was wonderful in a comeback role, so I was surprised she wasn’t nominated and neither was the film.
I was also impressed by Zendaya in Malcolm and Marie (review coming later this week!). I really thought she’d be nominated here.
Tom Hanks already took home a bazillion awards in his illustrious but still I’m surprised he didn’t get a nomination this year.
I’m still shaking my head that HFPA thought the fluffy Emily In Paris was somehow better than the edgy, funny and downright entertaining Bridgerton! I just cant…🙄

Note to self: Gotta check out I May Destroy You.

Thanks to Buzzfeed for recommending 16 other shows better than Emily in Paris – heck I’m sure there are even more shows than that! Even the writer of Emily in Paris agreed that I May Destroy You should have been nominated!! (I don’t subscribe to The Guardian but even the title of the article says it all.

Oh well, I guess every year the HFPA gives us plenty of reasons to talk about. We’ll see what other shenanigans are in store come February 28. The broadcast will be bicoastal this year with hosts Tina Fey and Amy Poehler hosting from NYC and LA.. Fey will host her segments from Rockefeller Center, while Poehler will do hers from the Beverly Hilton. These are interesting times indeed!

So what are your thoughts on the Golden Globes nominees? Who do you think are snubbed and who are you rooting for?

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Musings on 2020 Golden Globes nominations – who got snubbed?

On December 9, 2019January 3, 2020 By ruthIn Awards Chatter8 Comments

Happy Monday everyone! I just came back yesterday afternoon from a three-day shoot of my third short film that I produced. So I’ve sort of been out of it in terms of award season. Well it’s officially here!! Snow and awards nominations, two things one can expect in December (yep, the white stuff is falling as I’m typing this!)

So the nominations were announced this morning by Tim Allen, Dakota Fanning and Susan Kelechi. In terms of which studio got the most noms, well Netflix definitely leads the pack with a whopping 34 nominations, 17 for films and 17 for different tv series. In fact, it’s definitely the era for streaming giants, as for the first time ever, not a single program nor performer from major networks were nominated.

Now per usual, in addition to my thoughts about the nominees, I thought I’d include my winner pick for some of the categories… this isn’t necessarily who I WANT to win, but who I think WOULD win, but sometimes it’s both.

Here is the full list of 2020 Golden Globe nominees…

Best Motion Picture – Drama

1917
The Irishman
Joker
The Two Popes
Marriage Story

I’m SO behind this year so I’ve only seen Joker and Marriage Story. I absolutely LOVED the latter and had me thinking about it for weeks. It’s definitely one of the best dramas I’ve seen, not just this year, and I’m glad Noah Baumbach is getting a Best Screenplay nominations. For sure I’ll be rooting for him to win in that category!

My winner pick: Marriage Story

Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama

Renée Zellweger, Judy
Cynthia Erivo, Harriet
Scarlett Johansson, Marriage Story
Saoirse Ronan, Little Women
Charlize Theron, Bombshell

Man, I’m kicking myself that I’ve only seen ONE of these (well, Little Women‘s press screening isn’t until next week). Scarlett was incredible in Marriage Story, and I have heard great things about all the other performers so this is one tough category!! But if I absolutely had to pick one who I think would win… well I feel like the HFPA loves Renée and everyone loves a comeback.

My winner pick: Renée Zellweger

Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama

Adam Driver, Marriage Story
Joaquin Phoenix, Joker
Antonio Banderas, Pain and Glory
Christian Bale, Ford v Ferrari
Jonathan Pryce, The Two Popes

Ok I’ve seen three performances of this list (Driver, Phoenix and Bale). I LOVE all three of them, but given all the buzz surrounding Joker, I have a strong feeling Joaquin Phoenix would nab the award. I think it’s a safe bet he’d rake in ALL of the awards in the Best Actor category this year. Though I’m not in love with the film, Joaquin is an excellent actor and this win would be well deserved.

My winner pick: Joaquin Phoenix

Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy

Dolemite Is My Name
Knives Out
Jojo Rabbit
Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood
Rocketman

Somehow I thought Rocketman would be in last year’s category?? In any case, I LOVE Jojo Rabbit (read my review), but somehow I have a hunch that Rian Johnson’s star-studded Knives Out would win this category. I’m hoping to see it this weekend and everything about it just looks SO good!!

My winner pick: Knives Out

Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy

Awkwafina, The Farewell
Ana de Armas, Knives Out
Cate Blanchett, Where’d You Go, Bernadette
Beanie Feldstein, Booksmart
Emma Thompson, Late Night

Firstly, woo hoo for Awkwafina!! I was worried she would be snubbed, so I’m thrilled to see her here along with Emma Thompson in Late Night. I’m sad for the lack of love for that film, but Emma was wonderful as a talk show host. It’s been quite a year for miss de Armas, but I can’t wait to see her in Knives Out. I read she almost turned down the role? She’d have to send a huge thank you note to Rian Johnson for convincing her to accept it AND for giving her a juicy role. Now, for this category, my winner pick is one I’d WANT to and SHOULD win.

My winner pick: Awkwafina

Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy

Daniel Craig, Knives Out
Roman Griffin Davis, Jojo Rabbit
Leonardo DiCaprio, Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood
Taron Egerton, Rocketman
Eddie Murphy, Dolemite Is My Name

Wow, what a week for Daniel Craig. The GG noms and first trailer for No Time To Die are released on the same week! He looks like he’s having an absolute blast in Knives Out, though he faces some tough competition in this category. No surprise to see Leo here, I do think he deserves a nom in Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood, though again, it makes me smile seeing Eddie Murphy‘s name on here, glad to see him make a strong comeback.

My winner pick: Eddie Murphy

Best Supporting Actress

Kathy Bates, Richard Jewell
Annette Bening, The Report
Laura Dern, Marriage Story
Jennifer Lopez, Hustlers
Margot Robbie, Bombshell

Seeing this list just made me sad I’ve only seen ONE from the list Laura Dern, and she’s definitely memorable as one of the slimy divorce lawyers. I’ve heard so many terrific things about everyone else’s performances (except for Bates who I didn’t even know is in Richard Jewell). So this pick is more based on instinct…

My winner pick: Jennifer Lopez

Best Supporting Actor

Al Pacino, The Irishman
Brad Pitt, Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood
Tom Hanks, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
Joe Pesci, The Irishman
Anthony Hopkins, The Two Popes

Wow, every single one of these actors in this categories are older white men. Brad Pitt is the youngest at 55 years old, with Anthony Hopkins as the oldest at 81 (hey, it’ll be a Meet Joe Black reunion at the GG telecast, ha!) I LOVE Tom Hanks in A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, but seeing him here just makes me think where is director Marielle Heller and Matthew Rhys in the Supporting Actor Category?? (more on that later).

My winner pick: Brad Pitt

Best Motion Picture – Animated

Toy Story 4
Frozen II
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
Missing Link
The Lion King

I feel like How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World was released quite a while ago. I have only seen that one and Toy Story 4 which exceeded my expectations. I know I REALLY don’t want to see The Lion King win somehow, and honestly I’d rather go back and watch the 1994 animated classic.

My winner pick: Toy Story 4

Best Motion Picture – Foreign Language

Parasite
The Farewell
Portrait of a Lady on Fire
Les Misérables
Pain and Glory

I’m kicking myself that I had a conflict when Les Misérables was screened at TCFF. It looked absolutely intense from the trailer. I haven’t had a chance to see Parasite either, which has been raking all kinds of film festival awards including Cannes’ Palme d’Or. I’d say Bong Joon Ho‘s film is the one to beat this year.

My winner pick: Parasite

Best Director – Motion Picture

Bong Joon-ho, Parasite
Sam Mendes, 1917
Todd Phillips, Joker
Martin Scorsese, The Irishman
Quentin Tarantino, Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood

Ok I can’t believe I’m gonna say the same thing as last year… Um, firstly… where are the female directors?? Hello???! LA Times listed the female directors who should’ve been nominated this year: Lulu Wang (The Farewell), Greta Gerwig (Little Women), Marielle Heller (A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood), Alma Har’el (Honey Boy), Lorene Scafaria (Hustlers), among others.

Oh well.

Looking at this list… I guess I see the usual suspects that makes me go ‘meh.’ Todd Phillips?? Really?? I thought I’d see Robert Eggers‘ name on there given how well-received The Lighthouse has been.

My winner pick: Bong Joon-ho

Best Screenplay – Motion Picture

Noah Baumbach, Marriage Story
Anthony McCarten, The Two Popes
Quentin Tarantino, Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood
Bong Joon-ho and Han Jin-won, Parasite
Steven Zaillian, The Irishman

As I mentioned before, I REALLY love Marriage Story. I feel like it’s the kind of film where the “special effect” IS the script. The dialog and how the film is structured is simply amazing, and the no-frills filmmaking style and naturalistic acting just made the words come to life. I have yet to see the others nominated here, but Baumbach’s script set such a high bar that at this point, I can’t imagine wanting someone else to win.

My winner pick: Marriage Story

Best Original Score – Motion Picture

Alexandre Desplat, Little Women
Hildur Guðnadóttir, Joker
Randy Newman, Marriage Story
Thomas Newman, 1917
Daniel Pemberton, Motherless Brooklyn

Well I know which one I DID NOT love, Guðnadóttir’s Joker, which I found a bit distracting. I was so immersed in the dialog in Marriage Story I barely notice the score (which I suppose is a good thing!), but I did remember Daniel Pemberton‘s gorgeous score in Motherless Brooklyn. I have a hunch it wouldn’t win however, somehow I have a feeling this could be Newman’s year (he’s been nominated for Oscars 13 times but have yet to win one, he’s like the Roger Deakins in the composer category).

My winner pick: Thomas Newman – 1917

Best Original Song – Motion Picture

“Beautiful Ghosts,” Taylor Swift and Andrew Lloyd Webber, Cats
“Into the Unknown,” Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, Frozen II
“Spirit,” Beyoncé, The Lion King
“(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again,” Elton John, Rocketman
“Stand Up,” Cynthia Erivo, Harriet

I don’t really have a particular favorite out of this, but I have a feeling this might be the only category Rocketman would bring home an award.

My winner pick: (I’m Gonna) Love Me Again, Elton John

Best Television Series – Drama

Big Little Lies
The Crown
Killing Eve
The Morning Show
Succession

I’ll refrain from making my pick as I’ve only seen The Crown (all 3 seasons) and season 1 of Killing Eve. Kinda surprised to see The Morning Show as I heard it isn’t that great? But glad to see Brian Cox’s Succession is nominated, he’s such a formidable actor and that show looks marvelous.

I’m going to refrain from picking my winner picks in most of these TV categories, except for a handful of categories. The one I think would win is in bold. Yes I have picked winners from films/shows I haven’t seen before, but I don’t have any strong hunch or feelings about the following shows and performers to make up my mind.

Best Actor in a Drama Series

Brian Cox, Succession
Kit Harington, Game of Thrones
Rami Malek, Mr. Robot
Tobias Menzies, The Crown
Billy Porter, Pose

Best Actress in a Drama Series

Jennifer Aniston, The Morning Show
Olivia Colman, The Crown
Jodie Comer, Killing Eve
Nicole Kidman, Big Little Lies
Reese Witherspoon, The Morning Show

Best Actor in a Comedy Series

Michael Douglas, The Kominsky Method
Bill Hader, Barry
Ben Platt, The Politician
Paul Rudd, Living With Yourself
Ramy Youssef, Ramy

Best Actress in a Comedy Series

Christina Applegate, Dead to Me
Rachel Brosnahan, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Kirsten Dunst, On Becoming a God in Central Florida
Natasha Lyonne, Russian Doll
Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Fleabag

Best Supporting Actor in a TV Series

Alan Arkin, The Kominsky Method
Kieran Culkin, Succession
Andrew Scott, Fleabag
Stellan Skarsgård, Chernobyl
Henry Winkler, Barry

Best Supporting Actress in a TV Series

Patricia Arquette, The Act
Helena Bonham Carter, The Crown
Toni Collette, Unbelievable
Meryl Streep, Big Little Lies
Emily Watson, Chernobyl

Best Actor In a Limited Series or TV Motion Picture

Christopher Abbott, Catch-22
Sacha Baron Cohen, The SpyRussell Crowe, The Loudest Voice
Jared Harris, Chernobyl
Sam Rockwell, Fosse/Verdon

Best Actress In a Limited Series or TV Motion Picture

Kaitlyn Dever, Unbelievable
Joey King, The Act
Helen Mirren, Catherine the Great
Merritt Wever, Unbelievable
Michelle Williams, Fosse/Verdon

Biggest Surprises

Well, for me it’s Roman Griffin Davis for Jojo Rabbit. He’s only 12 years old, though he’s not the youngest ever to be nominated. According to this article, Jackie Cooper was the youngest to be nominated in Best Leading Actor category at 9 years old for his performance in Skippy. I thought Davis was excellent, though I think Thomasin McKenzie warrants a nom as well in the Supporting Actress category.

I remember going to a film fest gala earlier this Fall and saw someone who just went to Telluride and I asked him what his favorite film was. He said The Two Popes. But then I forgot all about it, so in terms of Best Picture, that film was a huge surprise to me. The film hasn’t opened until later in December, but I’ll probably wait ’til it’s on streaming. I don’t have any strong feelings one way or the other, it was more like ‘wait what??’ I thought I’d see The Lighthouse in the Best Picture noms list, which brings me to…

Most egregious snubs

I’m keeping what I’ve written last year [sigh] Well firstly, the obvious… where are the female directors?? In a year with a bunch of strong female contenders, it’s so disheartening.

Marielle Heller

Lulu Wang

Out of the five possible female directors to be nominated that I mentioned above, I’m most dismayed for the omission of Marielle Heller (A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood) and Lulu Wang (The Farewell) … Heller was snubbed last year too for Can You Ever Forgive Me?

The filmmaker power couple Greta Gerwig and her partner Noah Baumbach are both shut out of Best Director category. I wonder if this is going to be the same at the Oscars??

As for the performers… last year I was disappointed Viola Davis didn’t get nominated for Widows. Well, this year it’s another exceptional black actress, Lupita Nyong’O for Us.

In the male categories, where are Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe?? Did HFPA have something against The Lighthouse? Maybe it’s too off the wall for them?? I’d think one of those actors is a shoo-in this year in the leading and supporting category.

I also think Matthew Rhys was snubbed. He’s such an underrated actor and he’s fantastic as the bitter journalist in A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood. His transformation towards the end is so deeply moving, and he more than held his own against Hanks.

I know people are upset for the lack of noms for Robert De Niro (The Irishman) and Adam Sandler (Uncut Gems). I am surprised by that given all the buzz, esp De Niro since his two co-stars (Pesci and Pacino) are nominated, but not exactly up in arms as I’m not the biggest fan of either of them.

So what are your thoughts on the Golden Globes nominees? Who do you think are snubbed and who are you rooting for?

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Musings on 2019 Golden Globes nominations – and the egregious snubs

On December 6, 2018December 6, 2018 By ruthIn Awards Chatter12 Comments

The award season is officially here… can you believe it? [I still don’t believe it’s Winter already, but well, whatchagonnado?] The Golden Globes nominations were announced this morning, and so the reactions for snubs and surprises have dominated social media. So why not add one more for the fun of it.

Before we go into my thoughts on the noms, let me say that I’m thrilled to see Sandra Oh will be hosting the telecast, along with Andy Samberg. Glad she’s amongst the nominees too, wahoo!!

Now about the nominations… per usual, in addition to my thoughts about the nominees, I thought I’d include my winner pick for some of the categories…

Here is the full list of 2019 Golden Globe nominees (via Variety)…

Best Motion Picture – Drama

“Black Panther”
“BlacKkKlansman”
“Bohemian Rhapsody”
“If Beale Street Could Talk”
“A Star Is Born”

Ok so I’ve only seen three out of five, hopefully I can catch up with Bohemian Rhapsody and BlacKkKlansman later this month. Honestly, I’m not as enamored with Barry Jenkins’s If Beale Street Could Talk the way I did with Moonlight. I actually like the acting of the two leads and Regina King, but that’s about it. I am thrilled to see Black Panther breaking new grounds as the only superhero film getting nominated, yay! It’s absolutely well-deserved and of course I’m rooting for that. I loved A Star Is Born too, but I’d give Black Panther a slight edge because it’s not only a fun, entertaining film with substance, but it’s also immensely re-watchable.

My winner pick: Black Panther (my review)

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”)

I’ve only seen Lady Gaga’s and Melissa McCarthy’s performances, man what a list!! No doubt Close, Kidman and Pike all give worthy performances, but I was truly impressed by McCarthy’s sensitive and nuanced performance as Lee Israel. Balancing comedy and drama is so tough, and I thought she did a terrific job playing a rather unlikable character.

My winner pick: Melissa McCarthy

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”)

Gaaah I have only seen Cooper’s performance here 😦 I’m not going to pick a winner as I should at least see two performances of the list. But if Cooper does win, I’d be totally ok with it as I think he delivered a tremendous performance in his directorial debut (my review of A Star Is Born)

Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy

“Crazy Rich Asians”
“The Favourite”
“Green Book”
“Mary Poppins Returns”
“Vice”

Ok so most of you know just how much I adore Crazy Rich Asians and how much representation of Asians (esp. Southeast Asians) in Hollywood matters to me. I have to say that Green Book also really moved me. Both films have wildly-different style and tone, but both speak about hot button issue of race with humor. I LOVE the cast in both films too, which made it all the more difficult to choose between the two!

My winner picks: Green Book or Crazy Rich Asians

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”)

Firstly, where in the world is Viola Davis??!??! Come on HPFA! She was simply phenomenal in Steve McQueen’s fantastic ensemble cast and she’s the heart and soul of that movie. The lack of love for Widows is truly mind blowing!

Ok now that’s out of my system… given that I’m actually rather lukewarm about The Favourite (which is NOT my favorite films of the year), I really love Colman’s performance as the decidedly unlikable and bizarre Queen Anne. The film’s also decidedly riddled with historical inaccuracies (esp. in regards to her lesbian affairs), yet Colman was mesmerizing in the role. I just think Colman is such a deftly talented actress and I’m thrilled to see her finally getting more recognition!

My winner pick: Olivia Colman

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”)

I’m still waiting with bated breath for the press screening of VICE (scheduled to be released on Christmas day). Just based on the trailer alone, I’m willing to bet that Christian Bale will disappear once again into his role as Dick Chenney, perhaps the unlikeliest role for the Welsh thespian even in his wildly diverse resume. It’s pure coincidence that both dreamboat actors (Batman and Aragorn) gained significant weight for their respective roles. I LOVED Mortensen’s comedic performance in Green Book, so I’d be truly happy if either one of them win!

My winner pick: Christian Bale or Viggo Mortensen

Best Actress in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture

Amy Adams (“Vice”)
Claire Foy (“First Man”)
Regina King (“If Beale Street Could Talk”)
Emma Stone (“The Favourite”)
Rachel Weisz (“The Favourite”)

Hmmm, the Hollywood Foreign Press clearly is enamoured (yes I’m using the British spelling here to match the film’s title, ha!) with The Favourite. I personally would love to see one of the ladies from Widows being nominated here (esp. Elizabeth Debicki). But if I had to pick one from THIS list, I’d go with…

My winner pick: Regina King

Best Actor in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture

Mahershala Ali (“Green Book”)
Timothee Chalamet (“Beautiful Boy”)
Adam Driver (“BlacKkKlansman”)
Richard E. Grant (“Can You Ever Forgive Me?”)
Sam Rockwell (“Vice”)

I have only seen Ali and Richard E. Grant who’s excellent as Melissa McCarthy’s randy bff. Everyone seems to be smitten with Timothee Chalamet (I haven’t seen enough of him to form an opinion) but Driver and Rockwell are such great character actors. I do have a soft spot for Mahershala, who’s so elegant and oh-so-regal as Dr. Don Shirley.

My winner pick: Mahershala Ali

Best Motion Picture – Animated

“Incredibles 2”
“Isle of Dogs”
“Mirai”
“Ralph Breaks the Internet”
“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse”

I’m going to refrain from picking a winner as I’ve only seen Ralph Breaks The Internet (see my review and interview with the filmmakers). I am excited to see Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse this weekend!

Best Motion Picture – Foreign Language

“Capernaum”
“Girl”
“Never Look Away”
“Roma”
“Shoplifters”

I am ashamed to say I have not seen any of these!! I was hoping to go see ROMA last month at the Film Society, but the schedule just didn’t work out.

Best Director – Motion Picture

Bradley Cooper (“A Star Is Born”)
Alfonso Cuaron (“Roma”)
Peter Farrelly (“Green Book”)
Spike Lee (“BlacKkKlansman”)
Adam McKay (“Vice”)

Um, firstly… where are the female directors?? Hello???! FastCompany listed no less than 29 female directors that did some worthy projects eligible for noms.

Oh well.

Looking at this list… I was really impressed with Cooper’s directorial debut and not surprised at all he’s nominated. However, I don’t think he deserved to win in this lineup. I’ve heard nothing but tremendous praise for Alfonso Cuarón’s ROMA, which chronicles a year in the life of a middle-class family in Mexico City in the early 1970s, starring unknown actors. If I were a betting woman, I’d put my $$$ on the Mexican filmmaker.

My winner pick: Alfonso Cuaron

Best Screenplay – Motion Picture

Alfonso Cuaron (“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”)

Yes I know the movie hasn’t come out yet, but this movie’s already leading the pack with six Globes nominations. Adam McCay could very well score another big win in the screenplay category. He’d won in 2015 for The Big Short, which also had Christian Bale AND Steve Carell in it, both looked utterly convincing as Chenney and Donald Rumsfeld respectively. Physical transformation aside, this political satire has certainly become the one to beat this award season.

My winner pick: Vice

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”)

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”)

This song was stuck in my head for weeks after I saw the movie. Even listening to it again it still moved me to tears. It has everything one wants in a romantic ballad, it has a Whitney Houston vibe to it (circa The Bodyguard) … a truly beautiful and highly-emotional song.

My winner pick: Shallow

Best Television Series – Drama

“The Americans”
“Bodyguard”
“Homecoming”
“Killing Eve”
“Pose”

I’ll refrain from making my pick as I’ve only Bodyguard in its entirety. I’ve only seen season 1 of The Americans and based on that alone, I can see why it’s become awards darling for years. I hope to catch Killing Eve just to see Sandra Oh, I’m thrilled to see her finally getting recognition after putting in great work all these years.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Drama

Caitriona Balfe (“Outlander”)
Elisabeth Moss (“The Handmaid’s Tale”)
Sandra Oh (“Killing Eve”)
Julia Roberts (“Homecoming”)
Keri Russell (“The Americans”)

As I mentioned above, I can’t wait to see Killing Eve. But given I don’t have cable, who knows when I can finally see the BBC America series. I just read this on the NYTimes … “Spy thrillers almost never cast women as both the cat and the mouse, and this one also features an equally rare female presence behind the camera: The English writer and actress Phoebe Waller-Bridge… is the series’s lead writer, showrunner and executive producer.” Just for this reason alone I’m rooting for this show to win! Miss Oh missed out on becoming the first woman of Asian descent to win an Emmy in the lead actress category, I’m hoping she has a better chance in snatching the Globe since Claire Foy is not amongst the nominees.

My winner pick: Sandra Oh

I’m going to refrain from picking my winner picks in these TV categories. Yes I have picked winners from films/shows I haven’t seen before, but I don’t have any strong hunch or feelings about the following shows and performers to make up my mind.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Drama

Jason Bateman (“Ozark”)
Stephan James (“Homecoming”)
Richard Madden (“Bodyguard”)
Billy Porter (“Pose”)
Matthew Rhys (“The Americans”)

Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy

“Barry” (HBO)
“The Good Place” (NBC)
“Kidding” (Showtime)
“The Kominsky Method” (Netflix)
“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” (Amazon)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy

Kristen Bell (“The Good Place”)
Candice Bergen (“Murphy Brown”)
Alison Brie (“Glow”)
Rachel Brosnahan (“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”)
Debra Messing (“Will & Grace”)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy

Sasha Baron Cohen (“Who Is America?”)
Jim Carrey (“Kidding”)
Michael Douglas (“The Kominsky Method”)
Donald Glover (“Atlanta”)
Bill Hader (“Barry”)

Best Television Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

“The Alienist” (TNT)
“The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story” (FX)
“Escape at Dannemora” (Showtime)
“Sharp Objects” (HBO)
“A Very English Scandal” (Amazon)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

Amy Adams (“Sharp Objects”)
Patricia Arquette (“Escape at Dannemora”)
Connie Britton (“Dirty John”)
Laura Dern (“The Tale”)
Regina King (“Seven Seconds”)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

Antonio Banderas (“Genius: Picasso”)
Daniel Bruhl (“The Alienist”)
Darren Criss (“The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story”)
Benedict Cumberbatch (“Patrick Melrose”)
Hugh Grant (“A Very English Scandal”)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

Alan Arkin (“The Kominsky Method”)
Kieran Culkin (“Succession”)
Edgar Ramirez (“The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story”)
Ben Whishaw (“A Very English Scandal”)
Henry Winkler (“Barry”)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

Alex Borstein (“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”)
Patricia Clarkson (“Sharp Objects”)
Penelope Cruz (“The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story”)
Thandie Newton (“Westworld”)
Yvonne Strahovski (“The Handmaid’s Tale”)

Ok so I have only seen Borstein and Newton’s (in S1 of Westworld) performances. I absolutely love Borstein’s performance as Susie in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel that I kind of want her to win every time she’s nominated!

My winner pick: Alex Borstein

Biggest Surprises

Well, for me it’d be 15-year-old star of Eighth Grade, Elsie Fisher. I haven’t heard of her before this one, and the film wasn’t exactly on my radar. Well good for her, she’s actually done a ton of projects in her young career.

I think VICE being the leader of the pack at the Globes and possibly at the Oscars could count as a surprise to most people. I really can’t wait to see that movie!!

Most egregious snubs

Well firstly, the obvious… where are the female directors?? I mentioned it above in the Best Director category, and for one I thought Josie Rourke who directed Mary, Queen of Scots might have a shot. And there’s Mimi Leder, director of On The Basis of Sex, who hasn’t directed a feature film in ages!

As for the performers… let’s start with Viola Davis in Widows.

I mean… I was quite floored NOT to see her name amongst the Best Actress category. She’s truly amazing as the leader of a fantastic ensemble cast and her performance is simply outstanding. The lack of love for Steve McQueen’s Widows baffles me. There are themes of social, economical, political and racial divides, not to mention a female empowerment story that makes it SO much more than a cool popcorn thriller.

I haven’t seen the film yet but based on the reviews of Hereditary (including ours, by Laura S), I thought Toni Collette’s nomination is a shoo-in [shrug].

So what are your thoughts on the Golden Globes nominees? Who do you think are snubbed and who are you rooting for?

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Awards Season Chat – Musings on 2016 Golden Globes & SAG nominations

On December 10, 2015December 10, 2015 By ruthIn Awards Chatter26 Comments

Well it’s been less than 48 hours since the SAG and Golden Globes nominations were announced so hopefully we can still chat about them, right? We’ve got about a month until the Oscars is announced on January 14th, so the awards season has officially commenced!

Golden Globes Awards

GG2016

I grabbed these list of noms from IMDb. They have a handy tab navigation on their site for each major awards, so you can check out the full list for both Golden Globes and SAG. In addition to my thoughts about the nominees—and of course the snubs—I thought I’d include my winner pick for each category, too.

YAY for Mad Max: Fury Road, Spotlight AND The Martian, three of my favorite films that will surely end up in my top 10 of the year. I was hoping Brooklyn and 99 Homes would be among the nominees, but at least there are acting nominations for both.

My winner pick [DRAMA]: Mad Max: Fury Road

I really think it’s a modern masterpiece, a perfect balance of action and drama, and not only did it look spectacular on the big screen, it’s also immensely rewatchable! George Miller FTW!!

My winner pick [MUSICAL/COMEDY]: The Martian

It’s immensely entertaining but also has a heart-wrenching story. It’s no doubt one of the best films from Ridley Scott, with a terrific ensemble

By the time I got to Twitter in the afternoon, people were already chiming in on their thoughts on the noms and many were baffled by the inclusion of The Martian in a comedy category. But hey, considering its lighthearted tone despite the dire survival tale, not to mention those hilarious Disco music, I’m not surprised it’s categorized as a comedy. But then again, the categories made by the Hollywood Foreign Press is inherently odd anyway. I mean, I bet Christian Bale never thought he’d get TWO nominations in the musical/comedy category (the first one was for American Hustle in 2014). I haven’t seen The Big Short yet (screening is scheduled for next Tuesday!) but it certainly looks pretty funny and its director Adam McKay directed Anchorman and other Will Ferrell comedies.

Boy, it’s been ages since Ridley Scott was nominated for Best Director isn’t it? The last time was in 2008 for American Gangster. Well, I was indeed a return to form for him. Speaking of a comeback, it doesn’t get more spectacular than George Miller returning to his beloved franchise Mad Max after taking a detour with family-friendly movies Babe: Pig in the City and the Happy Feet movies. Well it’s a welcome return indeed and I’m rooting for him all the way this year. I LOVE Mad Max: Fury Road and my wish is that it’d flabbergast everybody and sweep every single award! 😀

My winner pick: George Miller (Mad Max: Fury Road)

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Ok now on to the acting nominees!

BestActress_drama

Well, first thing first, where in the heck is Charlize Theron??! Furiosa is perhaps the most bad ass female role of the year and it’s not just in terms of action but the emotional journey the character’s gone through. Her omission here is a travesty!!

Ok now that I’ve got that out of the way… I’ve only seen Larson and Ronan in Room and Brooklyn, respectively and I think both of them deserve to be nominated. But Saoirse has been such a consistently excellent performer who’s been snubbed several times before so I’m rooting for her.

My winner pick: Saoirse Ronan (Brooklyn)

BestActor_drama

There seems to be a ton of snubs in the actors category. I’d have loved to see Oscar Isaac here for his performance in Ex Machina, as well as Tom Hardy in Legend. It’s a crowded category to be sure but really, no performer from Spotlight at all?? In any case, I’ve only seen two on this list, Cranston and Fassbender. Both were excellent but I’m gonna go out of a limb and pick Leo just based on what I’ve read so far about his performance.

My winner pick: Leonardo DiCaprio (The Revenant)

BestActress_comedy

I have only seen one performance here (McCarthy, who’s so fun to watch in Spy) but the same as above, based on what I’ve read, seems that Tomlin was excellent in Grandma, so I’m gonna go with her.

My winner pick: Lily Tomlin (Grandma)

Heh, I’ve also only seen one performance here as the press screening for The Big Short isn’t until next week. It still cracks me up that Bale is getting another nomination in the comedy category, who’s to say he doesn’t have comedic chops? Bale is my favorite actor of the bunch but I REALLY love Matt Damon’s performance in The Martian, which was hilarious as well as emotional. I never thought I’d love him playing an astronaut yet again, but this is such a perfect role for him and I can’t wait to see that movie again.

My winner pick: Matt Damon (The Martian)

YAY Mark Rylance!! I LOVE all of these picks, even though I’ve only seen 3 out of 5 performances (Rylance, Shannon & Stallone) but I’ve heard so many great things about both Elba’s and Dano’s turn in the two films so I’m sure the noms are well-deserved. I’m sooo torn between Shannon and Stallone, I think this is the toughest category for me to pick a winner, but in the end I go with the most emotionally-gratifying role.

My winner pick: Sylvester Stallone (Creed)

The supporting actress category is a bit more clear cut for me. Now, I adore Helen Mirren but I actually don’t think she was THAT great in Trumbo. She is far more compelling in The Woman in Gold so SAG got it right (more on that later). I had a hunch Jane Fonda would be nominated when I saw her performance in YOUTH, it’s a brief performance (akin to Judi Dench in Shakespeare in Love) but it’s a flashy and memorable one. But this has been quite a year for Vikander, WOW, two nominations for lead in Ex Machina AND supporting role in The Danish Girl. She was largely unknown just a couple of years ago and suddenly she’s everywhere!

My winner pick: Alicia Vikander (Ex Machina)

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Now, I barely watch any TV but I’m thrilled to see Outlander garnered three nominations!! I love Caitriona Balfe as Claire and Tobias Menzies who played two characters in the show, Menzies has been turning up in quite a few memorable TV series (i.e. HBO’s Rome) so glad to see him getting a nom this time. I feel bad for Sam Heughan not getting a Best Actor nod, but I guess not having seen the other nominees I can’t comment on whether he’s snubbed. I just think it’s great the series is getting noticed and it makes the wait for season 2 even more agonizing!

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Screen Actors Guild Awards

I haven’t been paying attention to SAG awards in the past few years but in many ways it’s a crucial one for actors given it’s their peers who voted for them. I’m only focusing on the FILM nominees as again, I barely watch any TV.

Nice to see Straight Outta Compton on this list which sounds like a terrific ensemble cast. I think the cast for both Spotlight and Trumbo are terrific, but the former lingers in my mind more as they do work as a close-knit team in the film. Plus I REALLY like Liev Schreiber and given that it’s a long shot for him to get a nom (though I think he deserved it), it’d be nice to see him go up to the stage if Spotlight wins!

My winner pick: Spotlight

I guess Redmayne’s role seems like a shoo-in for awards even from the start. I haven’t seen it yet but I don’t think it surprises anyone that he got a nom. Interesting that Fassbender is getting noms more for Steve Jobs than Macbeth, I think he’s great in both, but perhaps Jobs is stronger given the phenomenal script from Aaron Sorkin. But just like in the same category in the Golden Globes, I pick Leo given how incredibly difficult the role seems to be and he’s able to deliver such a convincing performance whilst filming under such harsh conditions.

My winner pick: Leonardo DiCaprio (The Revenant)

It’s a bummer to see Charlize Theron being snubbed again by SAG. I’m also surprised not to see Emily Blunt’s name given how critically-praised Sicario was when it opened. I’m glad to see Helen Mirren getting a nod for Woman in Gold as she’s the only reason to see the film. Well her and Tatiana Maslany playing her younger self. Hail miss Blanchett who no doubt is excellent in Carol because she’s such a consistent performer. But I have to go with Ronan, who I think is poised to have a long & fruitful career just like Blanchett.

My winner pick: Saoirse Ronan (Brooklyn)

Heh, of ALL the terrific cast in Spotlight, the only one nominated is Rachel McAdams?? I mean, I’m all for a strong female role getting recognition but she’s definitely not the best performer of the bunch. If anything, I’d rather see Kristen Stewart being nominated (I can’t believe I said that!) for Clouds of Sils Maria. I wasn’t fond of her before but to be fair she was indeed good in that film.

My winner pick: Kate Winslet (Steve Jobs)

YAY! Glad to see Rylance and Shannon getting a SAG nod in the supporting category. I’m also happy to see 9-year-old Jacob Tremblay being recognized for his role in Room. There has been some young thespians amongst award nominees before, and he’s certainly the most memorable young performer of the year for me.

Again, I’m bummed Tom Hardy is coming up empty in a year where he’s delivered such strong performances in a few movies. I’m also surprised Benicio Del Toro isn’t on the list, I’ve read a bunch of reviews praising his performance in Sicario.

Well, since I picked Stallone in the same category for GG noms, I’m going to go with Shannon who’s just oh-so-great in 99 Homes. If only the film gets more recognition.

My winner pick: Michael Shannon (99 Homes)

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Most eggregrious snubs

Yes I know there are others but in my opinion, this is the ones that riled me up the most. Charlize Theron for Mad Max Fury Road and Tom Hardy in a dual role Legend (or in The Revenant which I read was also excellent) deserve every nominations there is for the year. Both of them are my top pick of 2015 MVPs so it stings to see both of them coming up empty in both Golden Globes AND SAG awards, ugh!
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