Hi, everyone. "Moriarty" here with some Rumblings From The Lab...
I'm on the West Coast. LA. The Golden Globes are happening so close to me that I can practically hear them out my window. So, of course, they're not being broadcast here until 8:00 tonight.
In the meantime, the official site for the Golden Globes is updating every ten seconds to say who's winning, and our chat room is packed with folks who are dissecting every moment as its broadcast live for the rest of the country.
So far, they've given out the following awards:
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TV SERIES
Anthony LaPaglia, WITHOUT A TRACE
I don't watch the show, so I don't know. Any of you guys fans? Anyone surprised by this?
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TV SERIES
Frances Conroy, SIX FEET UNDER
Love her on the show. She's an original, that's for sure, and she's really grown into the role. She and the series both continue to improve, and I'm glad to see her recognized.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS, FILM
Renee Zellweger, COLD MOUNTAIN
Haven't seen it yet.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR, FILM
Tim Robbins, MYSTIC RIVER
I've seen it, and I'm stumped. I think this is one of the year's most overrated films, and in particular, I was disappointed by the performances in the movie. I thought Robbins was miscast from frame one. I never bought him as a victim, as the walking wounded, as someone who had survived something but been altered by it. I got it because everyone kept talking about how wounded and screwed up he was, but his performance was about as subtle as the work Sean Penn did in I AM SAM. Shocking. Seriously. This is embarrassing.
BEST MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
ANGELS IN AMERICA (HBO)
Couldn't agree more. HBO does exemplary work every year, but they deserve special praise for having finally brought Tony Kushner's amazing two-play masterpiece to the screen, and for having done it with such reverence. I love the plays, and I thought the cast was fantastic in the HBO version. Mike Nichols has had a lot of mediocre films in his career, but any guy who made THE GRADUATE nearly 40 years ago who still has the juice to make a film as great as ANGELS IN AMERICA has got to be considered one of the best directors we've got.
BEST TELEVISION SERIES, MUSICAL OR COMEDY
THE OFFICE
Awesome. I love this show. I haven't been watching it on BBCAmerica, since I can't get it as part of my DirecTV package for some completely moronic reason. Instead, I caught up with the first season on DVD this fall, where I fell head over heels in love with it. Remaking this show for American audiences is insulting and wrong-headed, and NBC should just cut their losses and drop the idea now, before they make themselves look worse than they do post-COUPLING.
BEST ACTRESS, MINI-SERIES OR MOVIE FOR TELEVISION
Meryl Streep, ANGELS IN AMERICA
Doesn't matter how much time goes by. Streep remains the gold standard. She was intoxicating last year in ADAPTATION, and this year, she was a chameleon in ANGELS IN AMERICA, playing a number of different roles. My favorite was her appearance as Ethel Rosenberg, appearing to haunt a dying Roy Cohn, played by Al Pacino. Watching those two square off was a lot of fun, and a fine reminder of just how expert they both are at their craft.
BEST ACTRESS, TV SERIES, MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Sarah Jessica Parker, SEX & THE CITY
I got a whole lotta nothing to say about this one. It's a lovely parting gift, I'm sure.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR, MINI-SERIES OR MOVIE FOR TELEVISION
Jeffrey Wright, ANGELS IN AMERICA
Awesome. Recreating his work from the original stage production, Wright has finally had a chance to film the role that first launched him to most people's attention. He's still something of a secret weapon when used in movies, but anyone who saw his work in RIDE WITH THE DEVIL or SHAFT knows that even in less than perfect films, he can transcend and elevate the material. Hats off.
BEST ACTRESS, MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Diane Keaton, SOMETHING'S GOTTA GIVE
Another one I didn't see. I read the script and just couldn't work up the enthusiasm to check it out in the theater. Keaton's a great comic performer, and I'm sure she and Jack made the most of what was there, but it seemed like something I can easily catch up with later.
BEST ACTOR, MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Bill Murray, LOST IN TRANSLATION
Bill Murray is a national treasure, and the idea that he's finally getting awards attention is surreal. For years, I've talked about how I thought he was more than "just" a comic performer, and now, finally, he's getting respect. I still don't believe he'll win the Oscar, just because he doesn't campaign the way you have to during Oscar season. He's not a political man, and that's one of the reasons I respect him so much. I may tune in during the West Coast broadcast just to see his speech.
BEST TV SERIES, DRAMA
24 (Fox)
I don't watch the show, but I respect it. They took what seemed like a total gimmick of a premise and have so far managed to keep audiences hooked through three seasons of "real-time" tension.
BEST ACTOR, TV SERIES, MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Ricky Gervais, THE OFFICE
Magnificent. This is one of the great comedy performances on TV, an absolutely authentic creation that Gervais inhabits completely. He's not just funny, he's also incredibly human and honest, and it's probably the best overall comedy character on TV since Jeffrey Tambor's brilliant Hank Kingsley.
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Howard Shore, RETURN OF THE KING
Yay.
BEST ORIGINAL SONG
"Into The West," Annie Lennox, Fran Walsh, and Howard Shore
Yay again.
BEST SCREENPLAY, MOTION PICTURE
Sofia Coppola, LOST IN TRANSLATION
I adored THE VIRGIN SUICIDES when I saw it during its initial release, and I'm equally fond of LOST IN TRANSLATION, a sweet, gentle picture that affirms Sofia as an artist with a very particular voice, one worth paying attention to in the future. I'm thrilled to see her take an award like this home. Writing something this delicate is harder than it looks, and she deserves some acclaim for writing a film that's so obviously connected with so many viewers.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS, MINI-SERIES OR MOVIE FOR TELEVISION
Mary Louise-Parker, ANGELS IN AMERICA
She's grown into quite an actress in the last few years. I wasn't nuts about some of her early work, always finding her mannered, but she made an excellent addition to THE WEST WING, and her work in ANGELS was a searing portrait of the ravages of denial. Nice call.
BEST DIRECTOR, MOTION PICTURE
Peter Jackson, RETURN OF THE KING
Damn straight.
BEST ACTOR, MINI-SERIES OR MOVIE FOR TELEVISION
Al Pacino, ANGELS IN AMERICA
HOOO-HA! Roy Cohn is a fascinating character, and I'm sure Pacino's is not the last interpretation we'll see of this evil, stunted soul, but it's bound to remain one of the best versions we see. Excellent.
BEST ACTOR, MOTION PICTURE
Sean Penn, MYSTIC RIVER
I think Sean Penn has given more brilliant performances over the course of his career than most of his peers. CASUALTIES OF WAR, DEAD MAN WALKING, SWEET & LOWDOWN, THE THIN RED LINE, CARLITO'S WAY, COLORS, and even FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH all jump out at me as highlights of this guy's work. So why is he being rewarded for the most obvious, even cartoonish work of his filmography? That scene where it takes 300 cops to stop Angry Dad from freaking out when he learns about his daughter only needed one anguished "MENDOOOOOOOOOOOZAAAAAA!!" to take it completely over the top. Puh-leeeeease.
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
OSAMA
Haven't seen it. They're still just doing the press screenings in LA, and as soon as I can, I intend to check it out.
BEST ACTRESS, MOTION PICTURE
Charlize Theron, MONSTER
Ack. I'm sorry. I haven't seen it. I know she's the front-runner for everything this year, but as I've been playing catch-up, this has never been the first choice. I plan to see it in the weeks ahead, and I take solace in knowing that Harry just got around to it last night. If physical transformation is what we're judging, then she's obviously the winner. I just want to see how her work compares with my impressions of Aileen Wuronos from the Nick Broomfield documentaries on her.
BEST MOTION PICTURE, MUSICAL OR COMEDY
LOST IN TRANSLATION
Very cool choice.
BEST MOTION PICTURE, DRAMA
RETURN OF THE KING
Even cooler choice.
Okay... the show is actually just getting underway now on the West Coast, so I'm going to watch some of it. In the meantime, enjoy the TalkBacks.
"Moriarty" out.
