Golden Globe Winners and Ryan’s Opinion
The 2016 Golden Globe winners were announced! Some won with certainty and others with surprise.
Ricky Gervais hosted the 2016 Golden Globes and the censors were trigger happy with the amount of vulgarities they had to cut. It seemed that Gervais’ persona inspired other celebrities to engage in the vulgarities as well when they were both announcing winners and accepting awards. But despite the “debauchery” that took place, the awards given out overall seemed justified despite the few surprises that had people shocked.
Cecil B. DeMille Award
Winner – Denzel Washington
Denzel Washington has been a long time talent and many would argue that his recognition came a bit late when it came to critics. His acceptance speech was a little fumbled when he couldn’t find his glasses to read what he had wrote, but he was more than honored to receive this award.
Best Original Song
- “Writings on the Wall” written by Sam Smith, Jimmy Napes (Spectre) – Winner
- “Love me Like You Do” written by Max Martin, Savan Kotecha, Ali Payami, Ilya Salmanzadeh (Fifty Shades of Grey)
- “One Kind of Love” written by Brian Wilson, Scott Bennett (Love & Mercy)
- “See You Again” written by Justin Franks, Andrew Cedar, Charlie Puth, Cameron Thomaz (Furious 7)
- “Simple Song #3” written by David Lang (Youth)
Although some of the other songs fell into the “pop” realm of music, I was surprised that Sam Smith won for “Writings on the Wall.” I actually liked “See You Again” despite the radio play and thought it was an iconic song for “Fast and Furious 7” on and off screen given the Paul Walker tragedy.
Structurally “See You Again” probably does not meet the distinguishing criteria requirements of the Hollywood Foreign Press and “Writings on the Wall” is a better fit. But I would argue a case for “One Kind of Love” meeting those requirements and being the best of the group.
Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy
- Matt Damon (The Martian) – Winner
- Christian Bale (The Big Short)
- Steve Carell (The Big Short)
- Al Pacino (Danny Collins)
- Mark Ruffalo (Infinitely Polar Bear)
This seems like a reasonable choice and I can’t disagree with Matt Damon being chosen. Although the placement of “The Martian” in the comedy category is still confusing to me.
Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
- Kate Winslet (Steve Jobs) – Winner
- Jane Fonda (Youth)
- Jennifer Jason Leigh (The Hateful Eight)
- Helen Mirren (Trumbo)
- Alicia Vikander (Ex-Machina)
Kate Winslett was absolutely outstanding in “Steve Jobs.” She gave a stand out performance and I would have been surprised if she didn’t win.
Best Original Score
- Ennio Morricone (The Hateful Eight) – Winner
- Carter Burwell (Carol)
- Alexander Desplat (The Danish Girl)
- Daniel Pemberton (Steve Jobs)
- Ryuichi Sakamoto, Alva Noto (The Revenant)
Daniel Pemberton did amazing with “Steve Jobs” but Quentin Tarantino hit the nail on the head about Ennio Morricone. He is a great composer and more than deserving of the win.
Best Drama TV Series
- Mr. Robot (USA) – Winner
- Empire (Fox)
- Game of Thrones (HBO)
- Narcos (Netflix)
- Outlander (Starz)
I have not seen “Mr. Robot” but have heard very good things. If it is good enough to surpass “Game of Thrones” and “Narcos” then I think I should definitely check this series out!
Best Comedy TV Series
- Mozart in the Jungle (Amazon) – Winner
- Casual (Hulu)
- Orange is the New Black (Netflix)
- Silicon Valley (HBO)
- Transparent (Amazon)
- Veep (HBO)
This was another surprise win for me. I have seen press material coming through for “Mozart in the Jungle” but it hasn’t been on my watch list. This is another series that Amazon has supposedly done well with and could be making a name for themselves in the streaming market.
Best Supporting Actor in a TV Series
- Christian Slater (Mr. Robot) – Winner
- Alan Cumming (The Good Wife)
- Damian Lewis (Wolf Hall)
- Ben Mendelsohn (Bloodline)
- Tobia Menzies (Outlander)
Once again, if Christian Slater is able to make a comeback with “Mr. Robot” to take out other great actors in this category, then this is just another supplemental reason to watch “Mr. Robot.”
Best Supporting Actress in a TV Series
- Maura Tierney (The Affair) – Winner
- Uzo Aduba (Orange is the New Black)
- Joanne Froggatt (Downton Abbey)
- Regina King (American Crime)
- Judith Light (Transparent)
I have yet to see “The Affair” but Maura Tierney has been a buzz name during this awards season.
Best Drama Motion Picture
- The Revenant – Winner
- Carol
- Mad Max: Fury Road
- Room
- Spotlight
I’m not surprised at all that “The Revenant” won Best Picture. I was rooting for “Room” and would have considered that choice justified as well, but Alejandro G. Inarritu did some amazing things with this film.
Best Actor in a Drama Motion Picture
- Leonardo DiCaprio (The Revenant) – Winner
- Bryan Cranston (Trumbo)
- Michael Fassbender (Steve Jobs)
- Eddie Redmayne (The Danish Girl)
- Will Smith (Concussion)
All great actors in this category but Leonardo DiCaprio puts his heart into every role. He’s been in the business for years and I can’t think of one film where his performance has been criticized. “The Revenant” was a grueling experience that pushed him to his limits and it definitely came through in his performance.
Best Director of a Motion Picture
- Alejandro G. Inarritu (The Revenant) – Winner
- Todd Haynes (Carol)
- Tom McCarthy (Spotlight)
- George Miller (Mad Max: Fury Road)
- Ridley Scott (The Martian)
Alejandro G. Inarritu even stated in his acceptance speech that he put his crew through Hell. But pushing his crew is what makes him deserving of the win for Best Director. Even I was skeptical of some of his methods until I saw the film. He is quite a talent and will probably remain one of the most sought out directors in Hollywood.
Best Foreign Language Film
- Son of Saul (Hungary) – Winner
- The Brand New Testament (Belgium/France/Luxembourg)
- The Club (Chile)
- The Fencer (Finland/Germany/Estonia)
- Mustang (France)
I was not surprised with “Son of Saul” winning Best Foreign Language Film. Some have even placed this film in their overall favorites list outside of just foreign language.
Best Screenplay of a Motion Picture
- Aaron Sorkin – Winner
- Emma Donoghue (Room)
- Tom McCarthy, Josh Singer (Spotlight)
- Charles Randolph, Adam McKay (The Big Short)
- Quentin Tarantino (The Hateful Eight)
I was not an advocate for “Steve Jobs” even being considered a Best Picture nominee, but the screenplay from Aaron Sorkin was a definite win. He is a master of dialogue which I believe to be the foundation of a good screenplay.
Best Animated Feature Film
- Inside Out – Winner
- Anomalisa
- The Good Dinosaur
- The Peanuts Movie
- Shaun the Sheep Movie
“Inside Out” is not only the Best Animated Film but may be one of Pixar’s best films ever made. I think it had little competition in this category. Even “Anomalisa” doesn’t compare the universal creativity that is the foundation of “Inside Out.”
Best Musical or Comedy Motion Picture
- The Martian – Winner
- The Big Short
- Joy
- Spy
- Trainwreck
Again, I don’t know how “The Martian” fits into the comedy category. The book had its moments of comedy but the film’s drama definitely outweighed these small moments of comedy. I suspect that somehow “The Martian” was categorized as such so that it could compete.
Best Actress in a Drama Motion Picture
- Brie Larson (Room) – Winner
- Cate Blanchett (Carol)
- Rooney Mara (Carol)
- Saoirse Ronan (Brooklyn)
- Alicia Vikander (The Danish Girl)
Standing ovation for this one! Brie Larson was my pick and she was absolutely phenomenal. “Room” was an amazing film and part of that flair comes from Larson’s performance. Keep an eye on her because she has the makings of an A-List, Oscar-worthy actress!
Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture
- Sylvester Stallone (Creed) – Winner
- Paul Dano (Love & Mercy)
- Idris Elba (Beasts of No Nation)
- Mark Rylance (Bridge of Spies)
- Michael Shannon (99 Homes)
I think Sylvester Stallone’s talents are underrated in Hollywood but I don’t know if he was the clear winner in this category. Mark Rylance almost outshined Tom Hanks in “Bridge of Spies,” Idris Elba got lost in his character in “Beasts of No Nation,” and Paul Dano went very much unnoticed last year for “Love & Mercy.”
Stallone’s win was received with a standing ovation, but I think this may be Hollywood’s way of recognizing his talents outside of just being an action star.
Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy Motion Picture
- Jennifer Lawrence (Joy) – Winner
- Melissa McCarthy (Spy)
- Amy Schumer (Trainwreck)
- Maggie Smith (The Lady in the Van)
- Lily Tomlin (Grandma)
I think JLaw’s win was another clear choice. Amy Schumer did surprise me in “Trainwreck” with her range and I do think Melissa McCarthy is a talent waiting to emerge. But Amy Schumer is still has some areas to polish up on before she wins an award and unfortunately Melissa McCarthy seems to consistently be typecast.
Best Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for TV
- Wolf Hall (BBC) – Winner
- American Crime (ABC)
- American Horror Story: Hotel (FX)
- Fargo (FX)
- Flesh and Bone (Starz)
I cannot speak to this winner because I have yet to see it. But I will reiterate that I am very fond of Mark Rylance.
Best Actor in a Drama TV Series
- Jon Hamm (Mad Men) – Winner
- Rami Malek (Mr. Robot)
- Wagner Moura (Narcos)
- Bob Odenkirk (Better Call Saul)
- Liev Schrieber (Ray Donovan)
Jon Hamm knows the role of Don Draper and becomes immersed in the character. He’s done an amazing job with his performance so I cannot discredit his win in any way. Although it would have been a nice surprise to see Wagner Moura or Bob Odenkirk win. They were equally justified for taking home an award.
Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy TV Series
- Rachel Bloom (My Crazy Ex-Girlfriend) – Winner
- Jamie Lee Curtis (Scream Queens)
- Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Veep)
- Gina Rodriguez (Jane the Virgin)
- Lily Tomlin (Grace and Frankie)
I guess they were getting tired of giving credit to Julia Louis-Dreyfuss in “Veep?” I have yet to see “My Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” but there must be something there to credit a win.
Best Actor in a Mini-Series
- Oscar Isaac (Show Me a Hero) – Winner
- Idris Elba (Luther)
- David Oyelowo (Nightingale)
- Mark Rylance (Wolf Hall)
- Patrick Wilson (Fargo)
Oscar Isaac is going to be an A-List talent (if not already) who is recognized for both his iconic roles and his abilities. I know this is a bold statement but I think he may be Hollywood’s next Leonardo DiCaprio based on the quality of his roles, versatility, and box office numbers.
Best Actress in a Mini-Series
- Lady Gaga (American Horror Story: Hotel) – Winner
- Kirsten Dunst (Fargo)
- Sarah Hay (Flesh and Bone)
- Felicity Huffman (American Crime)
- Queen Latifah (Bessie)
Despite the push back from many critics and fans, I support Lady Gaga’s win. She’s a multi-talented individual despite being seen as a pop princess. You may think she’s a bit extreme in the media but usually the best talents are.
Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy TV Series
- Gael Garcia Bernal (Mozart in the Jungle) – Winner
- Aziz Ansari (Master of None)
- Rob Lowe (The Grinder)
- Patrick Stewart (Blunt Talk)
- Jeffrey Tambor (Transparent)
“Mozart in the Jungle…” I have to see this show! It is on my must-watch list now and I’m looking forward to Gael Garcia Bernal’s performance!
Best Actress in a Drama TV Series
- Taraji P. Henson (Empire) – Winner
- Caitriona Balfe (Outlander)
- Viola Davis (How to Get Away With Murder)
- Eva Green (Penny Dreadful)
- Robin Wright (House of Cards)
YES! Taraji P. Henson is one of the most underrated talents as an actress. She may have not shook the right hands or made the right choices in Hollywood, but she deserves to be considered among actresses on the big screen as well as the small. Cookie Lyons is just one aspect of her versatility and even if you don’t like “Empire,” she gives the stand out performance in that show.
