With Oscar nominations approaching Jan. 23, the Globes have refocused and reset the race. Epic “Oppenheimer” (five wins including Best Motion Picture – Drama) and kooky “Poor Things” (two wins including Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy) are in a very good position to snag multiple Oscar noms including Best Picture. “Barbie” fell short in Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy but still picked up two wins (Cinematic and Box Office Achievement as well as Best Original Song) so it hasn’t lost steam moving forward. After years of visionary filmmaking, Christopher Nolan (“Oppenheimer”) is finally a frontrunner for Best Director. Globe supporting winners Da’Vine Joy Randolph (“The Holdovers”) and Robert Downey, Jr. (“Oppenheimer”) should remain strong, especially Downey who has the natural charm to ride the wave of veteran goodwill to Oscar night just like Jamie Lee Curtis and Brendan Fraser last year. Emma Stone (“Poor Things”) and Lily Gladstone (“Killers of the Flower Moon”) took Globe female acting honors but Gladstone’s newcomer narrative places her slightly ahead. I really admire Cillian Murphy’s win for “Oppenheimer,” but there’s also plenty of time for Paul Giamatti to gain ground in the Best Actor race for his superb work in “The Holdovers.”
2. ‘Maestro’ walks away empty-handed among other surprises
Bradley Cooper’s “Maestro,” his high-profile Leonard Bernstein passion project that received four nominations, fell completely flat, deflating its momentum going into Oscar nomination voting, which begins Thursday. Other surprises: Cillian Murphy winning Male Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama against stiff competition from Cooper, Leonardo DiCaprio (“Killers of the Flower Moon”) and Andrew Scott (”All of Us Strangers”); foreign film “Anatomy of a Fall” surpassing heavyweights like “Barbie,” “Killers of the Flower Moon” and “Oppenheimer” to win Best Screenplay; and Ayo Edebiri (“The Bear”) winning Best Female Actor in a Television Series in a crowded field that included former winners Quinta Brunson (“Abbott Elementary”) and Rachel Brosnahan (“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”).
3. Historic wins embrace diversity
It’s always refreshing when a diverse crop of nominees produces a few historic wins. Steven Yuen and Ali Wong became the first Asian actors to win leading honors in the Limited Series, Anthology Series or Motion Picture Made for Television category for their phenomenal work in the darkly funny road rage drama “Beef.” And the equally dynamic Lily Gladstone became the first indigenous woman to win for Female Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama. In “Killers of the Flower Moon,” she plays the quietly resilient Mollie Burkhart, an Osage woman who watches in horror as members of her family are murdered. Totally owning the moment, Gladstone spoke the first part of her heartfelt acceptance speech in her native Blackfeet language (“the beautiful nation, community, that raised me and encouraged me to keep going, to keep doing this,” she said). She also reminded the audience of Hollywood’s unfortunate treatment of Native American actors. “In this business, Native actors used to speak their lines in English and then the sound mixers would run them backwards to accomplish native languages on camera,” she said. Thankfully, Hollywood has come a long way.
4. ‘Succession’ rewarded for final season
The fourth and final season of “Succession,” HBO’s outstanding, dysfunctional, Shakesperean-esque family drama, won four trophies including Best Drama Series, tying “The X-Files” and “Mad Men” for the most wins in the category. Kieran Culkin, Sarah Snook and Matthew Macfayden took acting honors. Expect the series to do even better at the Emmys on Jan. 15.
5. The Globes still have a hosting problem
Last month the New York Post reported the following people turned down hosting the Globes: Chris Rock, Ali Wong, Will Arnett, Sean Hayes, and Jason Bateman. Truth is any of them would’ve been better than Jo Koy, whose opening monologue was a series of misfires from dissing Taylor Swift (followed by a quick apology!) to giving a shout-out to Barry Keoghan’s penis in “Saltburn.” At the helm, Koy wasn’t as purposefully off-putting as Ricky Gervais in 2020 or as completely tone deaf as Jerrod Carmichael in 2023, but most of his jokes still bombed. And when that happened, he threw the writers under the bus, making sure he mentioned the jokes he wrote. Huh!? I’ll give Koy credit for being genuinely excited to have the gig (his energy was not the issue), but he just didn’t own the room. Even Will Ferrell and Kristen Wiig’s goofy dance while introducing Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy was funnier than Koy. Whew!
Right Now with Russell spotlights pop culture every Friday and as news arises. From the latest in film, music, books and TV to the buzz of awards season and other hot button topics, the goal is to fill you in on what’s new in order to satisfy your entertainment cravings. He can be reached at Russell.Florence@coxohio.com.
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