The road to redemption can be hard to walk and even harder to give up. Plagued by scandal and scrutiny over the past two years, the HFPA has made clumsy attempts to restore its credibility. No surprise, This week’s Golden Globe nominations announcement was generally met with a half-hearted shrug. While the organization has dropped the ball snubbing female directors, there are some choices that deserve applause.
Most notable was the band’s unabashed embrace of populist titles. It took the biopic “Elvis” and its star Austin Butler in a big way, handing out Best Picture (Drama) and the lead actor nods to the Warner Bros. film. The multiverse of A24’s “Everything Everywhere All at Once” didn’t seem to faze the members, judging by the film’s strong performance. The acknowledgment of Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan and Jamie Lee Curtis in the acting categories and the mentions of Daniels for directing and writing are particularly encouraging, although we wish actor Stephanie Hsu was among the actors nominated. .
The Globes weren’t shy about the sequels either. James Cameron’s ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ won the Best Picture and Best Director names. Rian Johnson’s debut ‘Knives Out’ (2019) caught Globes attention, and Netflix ensured Benoit Blanc’s appreciation continued for the latest outing, ‘Glass Onion’, which took the lead Best Picture (Comedy) and Lead Actor (Comedy) for Daniel Craig. Joseph Kosinski’s high-flying sequel “Top Gun: Maverick” found its way to two nominations — best picture (drama) and original song for “Hold My Hand,” sung and co-written by Lady Gaga. The Paramount Pictures box office juggernaut has gone from strength to strength since its Cannes debut; many experts, myself included, think it could win the Academy’s top prize. Although actor-producer Tom Cruise returned his three Globe trophies following the revelation that the HFPA had no black members, apparently no hard feelings were held.
Angela Bassett in “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” (Marvel Studios)
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In years past, the group pursued stardom rather than performance (see Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie’s name for the critically criticized “The tourist”). However, the organization hasn’t been shy about introducing some new faces this time around. Of them relative unknowns – Diego Calva from Damien Chazelle’s “Babylon” and Dolly De Leon from Ruben Östlund’s “Triangle of Sadness” – were among the nominated actors, representing bright spots for diversity in movie categories.
Veteran supporting actress Angela Bassett for “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” made history as the first for a Marvel Studios film. Superstar Rihanna and director Ryan Coogler, co-writers of “Lift Me Up,” also scored a nomination for the original song.
The HFPA hopes to get back into the public’s good graces as it prepares to celebrate with host Jerrod Carmichael. Would you consider the glass of the Globe half full? It depends on how you look at it.
The latest Oscar predictions before shortlist voting closes are available below.
See the latest movie predictions, across all 23 categories, in one place on Variety Oscar Collective. To see ranked predictions for each individual category, visit Variety Oscar Center.
Oscars 2023 Predictions
BEST PHOTO | DIRECTOR | ACTOR | ACTRESS | SUPPORT ACTOR | SUPPORTING ACTRESS | ORIGINAL SCENARIO | ADAPTED SCENARIO | ANIMATED FILM | PRODUCTION DESIGN | CINEMATOGRAPHY | COSTUME DESIGN | FILM EDITING | MAKEUP AND HAIR | SOUND | VISUAL EFFECTS | ORIGINAL SHEET | ORIGINAL SONG | DOCUMENTARY FILM | INTERNATIONAL FILE | ANIMATION SHORT | SHORT DOCUMENTARY | SHORT LIVE ACTION SHORT