Crazy

Having looked over this year’s list of Golden Globes Nominees, I’m truly starting to believe that the time may be near for The Hollywood Foreign Press to be put in a padded room. They’ve always been a touch on the odd side, but it feels like with every passing year, they’re not so much “ha-ha” odd as they are “uh-oh” odd. Take yesterday’s announcement for example…

Seven best picture nominations: The Globes march to their own tune by splitting the best picture category into Drama and Musical/Comedy, which allows them to recognize many more films right off the get-go. Someone will have to explain to me the series of tie-scores that lead to a log-jam of seven titles. Five nominees I can understand, even ten…but twelve reeks of indecision.

Hey look – famous people!: In case you didn’t know, the HFPA are known for being a rather star-struck bunch. An exclusive interview can take second place to an autograph for some of these “journalists”. Meaningful performances often get nudged aside to honour a more famous name. This year is no exception with Jodie Foster, Denzel Washington, John Travolta, and Julia Roberts all getting questionable nods.

Dramadey Dramadey Dramadey: Call it the Desperate Housewives effect. While DH has funny moments, I’m continually baffled to how it keeps getting nominated in comedic categories for awards. For the Globes, we have the same thing happening with CHARLIE WILSON’S WAR. Indeed, it looks amusing…but would we call a story about how a mid-level congressman unwittingly armed The Taliban a comedy? Sounds like a scream doesn’t it?? Nope, as mentioned in my earlier point, qualifying CHARLIE as a comedy just gave the HFPA an excuse to get it nominated somewhere, and in doing so, elbowed out some more deserving candidates (LARS AND THE REAL GIRL, ONCE, KNOCKED UP, to name a few).

Opening This Week…

I AM LEGEND (Hear me roar)
JUNO (One of the year’s best. Go see it…I promise you’ll laugh)
ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS (I wonder if he ever got his hula-hoop)
THE KITE RUNNER (A big buzz film. Worth checking out in limited release)