Monday, January 13, 2014
Golden Globe Awards 2014: 'American Hustle,' '12 Years a Slave' win top film awards considered barometer of Oscars
Golden Globe Awards 2014: 'American Hustle,' '12 Years a Slave' win top film awards considered barometer of Oscars
Matthew McConaughey, Cate Blanchett, Leonardo DiCaprio, Amy Adams, Jennifer Lawrence, Jared Leto win acting awards, Bryan Cranston, 'Breaking Bad' dominate television drama at the 71st annual awards from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association; Tina Fey and Amy Poehler return as hosts.
British director Steve McQueen celebrates after winning Best Motion Picture, Drama, for '12 Years a Slave' at the 71st annual Golden Globe Awards. The win seems to portend a tight race for the Oscars with...
“American Hustle” worked it at the 71st annual Golden Globe awards Sunday night — winning best comedy film and earning trophies for its two leading ladies — while “12 Years a Slave” won the top prize for film drama.
“Hustle,” loosely based on the 1980s Abscam sting, won the best picture award in its category. But its director David O. Russell was beaten for the directing award by Alfonso Cuarón, who made the space adventure “Gravity.”
... 'American Hustle,' which won the Globe for Best Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical, and notched two acting awards — for Amy Adams and Jennifer Lawrence.
“Hustle” stars Amy Adams and Jennifer Lawrence won for best actress and best supporting actress respectively.
“I always cry when I’m not supposed to,” an emotional Adams told the star-studded crowd as she accepted her Golden Globe at the Beverly Hilton hotel.
Amy Adams clutches hardware for her role as Sydney Prosser in 'American Hustle.'
The historical flick “12 Years a Slave” won the Hollywood Press Association’s final award of the night for best motion picture drama.
Leonardo DiCaprio was a surprise winner for Best Actor, Comedy or Musical, for 'The Wolf of Wall Street,' in which he plays Jordan Belfort.
“I’m a little bit in shock. ‘Roll, Jordan, Roll!” director Steve McQueen, a Brit, said, referencing a Gospel tune from the film.
Lawrence had kicked off the night with her win, praising Russell — whom she Googled after watching one of his earlier films, “I Heart Huckabees.”
Jennifer Lawrence took Best Supporting Actress for her work in 'American Hustle.'
“To think in some twist of fate that it’s the same man who’s made my career what it is is so weird and wonderful,” she said.
Tina Fey and Amy Poehler open the 71st annual Golden Globe Awards Sunday night.
Leonardo DiCaprio also praised his director after his win for best actor in a musical or comedy for “The Wolf of Wall
Street,” helmed by legend Martin Scorsese.
“You influenced everyone in this room ... and put the very fabric of our culture on screen,” DiCaprio said. “You will be regarded as one of the great artists of our time.”
'Breaking Bad' stars Aaron Paul and Bryan Cranston celebrate another victory; the show won Best TV Series, Drama, while Cranston was honored for his role as Walter White with the Best Actor in a TV Series, Drama, award
Later, host Tina Fey invited the leading man back to the stage to present an award, saying, “And now, like a supermodel’s vagina, let’s give a warm welcome to Leonardo DiCaprio.”
Cate Blanchett won the Globe for her role as a down-on-her-luck socialite in “Blue Jasmine” — which was directed by Woody Allen, recipient of the prestigious Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement.
Rock and Role: The Edge, Adam Clayton, Bono and Larry Mullen Jr. of U2 accept the award for Best Original Song - Motion Picture for 'Ordinary Love' from 'Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom.'
Matthew McConaughey took home the award for best actor in a motion picture for “Dallas Buyers Club,” beating out veterans Tom Hanks and Robert Redford.
Cate Blanchett accepts the award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Drama for 'Blue Jasmine.'
McConaughey said the film, about a rodeo cowboy afflicted with HIV, barely got made, having been rejected 86 times in 20 years.
“I’m so glad it got passed on so many times ... or else it wouldn’t have come to me,” McConaughey joked.
Matthew McConaughey won, Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama, for 'Dallas Buyers Club.'
The film also made a winner of Jared Leto, fresh off a 6-year break from acting, who picked up the best supporting actor award for his role as a transgender woman suffering from AIDS.
Robin Wright's won Best Actress, TV Series Drama for her role as Claire Underwood in 'House of Cards.'
Spike Jonze won the award for best sceenplay for “Her,” the film about a man who falls in love with his computer’s operating system.
Meanwhile, the Disney flick “Frozen” won in the animated feature category, and U2 rockers Bono and guitarist Edge won best original song, “Ordinary Love,” from the film “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom.”
Lawrence took the award for her role as Rosalyn Rosenfeld in 'American Hustle.'
On the TV side, “Breaking Bad” won for best drama series and the AMC hit show’s star Bryan Cranston, who played a chemistry teacher-turned-drug kingpin, was honored as best actor in a TV drama — his first win in five nominations.
The new FOX show “Brooklyn Ninety Nine” won best TV comedy, and its star Andy Samberg received the award for best actor in a comedy.
Comedian Amy Poehler cohosted with Fey, but ended up winning her first Globe for her role on NBC’s “Parks and Recreation.”
Fey and Poehler hosted the show for the second straight year and earned guffaws for their gentle quips on Hollywood and its foibles — like when they described “Gravity” as “the story of how George Clooney would rather float away into space and die than spend one more minute with a woman his own age.”
But soon after their hilarious opening monologue, the show dipped into the kind of sloppy party atmophere typical of prior Globe shows.
Jacqueline Bisset dropped some profanity during an emotional acceptance speech for her best supporting actress award for “Dancing on the Edge.”
The 71st annual Golden Globes were held on Sunday night in Beverly Hills.
As she rambled, the 69-year-old screen legend grew visibly frustrated once the music started to play her off the stage.
"S---," she blurted.
Most of the sentence had been bleeped — except the curse.
Later, Diane Keaton dropped the “f-bomb” while accepting Allen’s honorary award, saying that if he was watching at home, the director would be saying, “Get her off the f---ing stage.” All of her expletives were deleted.
The Globes are often a barometer of the upcoming Academy Awards — whose nominations are announced Thursday.
Sunday, January 12, 2014
Sokol Olldashi Dies in Car Accident
- Solved mystery of the corpse that was reported as the second victim in the crook of the accident . Official sources from the Institute of Forensic Medicine state that another lifeless body , lying near the body of Deputy Olldashi in the morgue room , was not related to the accident the evening of November 20 . According to the minutes of that day , the deceased was 73 - year-old Vehbi Fortuzi and had died in the Hospital " Mother Teresa " by bleeding in the brain . Bringing the body of deputy Olldashi coincided in time with the arrival of the body of 73 - year-old from the hospital ambulance , accompanied by the doctor Rudina Nagjini and his family . According to the record kept by the Institute of Forensic Medicine , the lifeless body of 73 - year-old pulled out his grandson with initials RH
Although it was in the accident was analyzed for two other names involved in the event , which for good fortune continue to be in life and according to official sources of the Ministry of Interior were not at the scene , the light thrown Legal Medicine another confusion over which night of the accident is not sketched in almost infinite multitude of information that emerged from the crime scene . According to specify that V.Fortuzit death had not come from accidental causes , but from a serious illness . Legal practitioners , through the prosecutor that has accompanied the body in place of the deceased expertise Olldashi , exclude the possibility that the morgue by accident he be bringing two victims .
Forensic Expertise
Major injuries to the head and caused immediate death Olldashi Sokol . Report of the Institute of Legal Medicine , has this categorical conclusion at the end of the description comes from the autopsy . The document signed by three medical experts of this institution will be filed by the Prosecution is expected to go public before the official conclusions . According to the data , be warned that all the experts who have contributed to this event have concluded that the event in which he lost his life Olldashi Sokol car accident .
Referring to the data coming from the group indicated that the investigation is done within 24 hours of publication of the results expected of expertise dealing with the causes of the accident and the main reason that brought death , at the exit from the road . Doctors have outstanding multiple injuries to the head and neck , the fore as a result of the collision and the latter because of the glass in which it collided , they have created around the neck injuries .
conclusions
Viewing the scene , multiple injuries on the head of the deceased as well as the upper glass breaking machine , experts and investigators claim that in fact the first fatal blow has taken exactly when the car has undergone Salton first , because up final stopping cars suffered only two saltro . Experts have fixed the flaws it comes to glass upside flaw that has made possible the attachment of glass in the neck portion was damaged . This stroke has occurred twice late bringing the death . Experts , though not officially claimed that this type of collision can be avoided if Olldashi had seatbelts .
Controlled cameras , bleach expected route
The prosecution has begun verifying the claim of Igli friend Cara and Olldashi , where the latter has publicly said that at the time of the accident was talking on the phone with me . Simultaneously case prosecutors have sought to take the film footage of the tunnel to specify his movements at the time when the claim . Police has not asked nor Olldashi driver nor the first person who called the police and found that it is the first on the scene .
confusion continues
Following information that the accident site was dug up two bodies and not one police statements by persons who claim to have been found at the scene first they are completely contradictory . Despite the fact that prominent experts led by Olldashi vehicle lost control going out of the way, dropping to a height of over 10 meters , the prosecution continued its work to uncover the exact mechanism of the arrival of his friends and police in the country where Olldashi Sokol found dead . Over two days have been the residents of the area who have given their version of events regarding the severe , where everyone claims to be the first found in the place where the car was found injured Olldashi Sokol .
Meanwhile , the prosecution has asked experts to examine panel autoteknikë electronic machine, which will show soon ? 7sinë or maneuvers performed . The vehicle is stored at the premises of the Police Directorate of Tirana and is expected to undergo technical expertise . The prosecution has also invited private experts who will deal with the vehicle electronics .
Also , for the purposes of investigation , prosecution has ordered that cameras be available to the tunnel where last Kërrabës by car before the accident .
Mesila Doda : Sokol made policy with heart
" Dear friend , I wrote ....
Write to say that let so many things without finished here on earth , as their weight is carried on the shoulders of our mountain , the mountain that we can not keep because none of us could do what I could be .
Write to say that people wanted more . When I saw the sea of people who wept and wanted to be touched except for the last time , I realized that he had given people a piece of your heart ... they do politics as you know , can do only with the heart .
Write O friend coming to say goodbye to him in tears and those who did loved , and those who poisoned the heart, soul , and those who were scared by the force of the heart that you were giving friends, people , those thousands of Democrats who came yesterday to give farewell .
You were the hope of a real man who had been able to do before in a world that had been against the church and against since the day I have begotten .
Your death has no meaning . Still hesitate to write the word death , and death because you have no sense together . Church still the best part of life to live , so today I do not understand why that boy who knew them find solutions every impasse under and , while we talk about your friends you do not know why you have not found the way this time of salvation , the way of life . Extinguished with you many dreams , high hopes , and we are without an expensive friend , the only one of its kind , politician heart , Sokol Olldashi ! "
Iran nuclear deal to enter into force on 20 January
UN inspectors visited Iran's Arak heavy water production plant last month
An interim agreement to freeze Iran's nuclear programme will enter into force on 20 January, it has been announced.
The deal, agreed in talks with world powers in November, envisages easing of some international sanctions on Tehran.
US President Barack Obama welcomed the news but said more work was needed to strike a long-term deal. He threatened new sanctions if there was a breach.
The West accuses Iran of seeking nuclear weapons, but Tehran has consistently denied that.
The EU's foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said the world powers would now ask the United Nations' nuclear watchdog (IAEA) to verify the deal's implementation.
Baroness Ashton represents the five permanent members of the UN Security Council - US, Russia, China, France and Britain - plus Germany in the talks with Iran.
Under the terms of the deal, Iran In his statement, President Obama said: "Beginning 20 January, Iran will for the first time start eliminating its stockpile of higher levels of enriched uranium and dismantling some of the infrastructure that makes such enrichment possible."
In return, he added, over the next six months the US and the other five powers would begin to implement "modest relief" so long as Iran fulfilled its obligations.
has agreed to halt enrichment of uranium above 5% purity, "neutralise" its stockpile of near-20%-enriched uranium and provide daily access to inspectors.
In return, the world powers agreed to suspend certain sanctions on trade in gold and precious metals, Iran's automotive sector, and its petrochemical exports.
"Meanwhile, we will continue to vigorously enforce the broader sanctions regime, and if Iran fails to meet its commitments we will move to increase our sanctions," he said.
And in a warning to his critics in the US Congress, who want to impose additional sanctions, he said he would veto any legislation enacting new sanctions during the negotiations.
Iran's senior nuclear negotiator Abbas Araqchi said the mechanism of the deal had been agreed "with the exception of a few certain issues", and both sides had decided to go ahead, Isna news agency reported.
UK Foreign Secretary William Hague welcomed "an important step towards peacefully resolving the Iranian nuclear issue, on which comprehensive negotiations will now start".
US Secretary of State John Kerry said that while implementation of the agreement was a critical, significant step, it was the next phase of negotiation that posed a "far greater challenge".
Cristiano Ronaldo opens CR7 museum in Portugal
Cristiano Ronaldo is at the peak of his powers on the pitch and off it: The Portuguese star has opened a museum dedicated to his glittering football career in his hometown of Funchal .
The Real Madrid striker is widely expected to be awarded the 2013 FIFA Ballon d'Or -- an accolade given to the year's best footballer -- in January and if Ronaldo is handed the golden ball it will take pride of place in the CR7 Museum.
"Of course it's a special day, it's the opening of my museum and I am proud," the Portugal captain told reporters.
"I have room for more trophies. I don't really want to mention specific ones. All I want is to win more awards and, if the Ballon d'Or comes, there is extra room here."
The 28-year-old is on a three-man shortlist for this year's Ballon d'Or alongside Barcelona's Lionel Messi, who has picked up the award in each of the last four years, and Bayern Munich's Franck Ribery.
Ronaldo, who has scored 33 goals so far this season, made his debut for Sporting Lisbon in 2002 and has gone on to become a fearsome goalscorer.
He moved to Manchester United in 2003 where he won three English Premier League titles, the FA Cup and the European Champions League in 2008, the same year he won the Ballon d'Or for the first time.
Ronaldo swapped Manchester for Madrid for a then world record fee in 2009. Since joining Real, Ronaldo has been prolific in front of goal, averaging over a goal a game for the nine-time European champions.
He is also the captain of his national team and will lead out Portugal at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, where it will face Germany, Ghana and the U.S in the group stages.
Manchester City's Yaya Toure named African Footballer of the Year
Yaya Toure's African reign will stretch into a third year after the Manchester City midfielder was named the continent's best footballer once again.
The Ivory Coast star was crowned Footballer of the Year by the Confederation of African Football at a ceremony in Lagos, Nigeria on Thursday.
Toure pipped compatriot Didier Drogba, who plays for Turkish outfit Galatasaray, and Chelsea's Nigerian midfielder John Obi Mikel to the crown.
The 30-year-old becomes only the second player to win three successive titles, emulating Cameroon striker Samuel Eto'o, who now plays for Chelsea.
Voted for by African national team coaches and technical directors, Toure needs only one more title to join Eto'o in an elite band of players who have won it for times.
Toure, formerly of Spanish giants Barcelona, joined Manchester City in 2010, driving them to the Premier League title in the 2011-12 season.
A linchpin of their midfield, the Ivorian has 13 goals to his name already this season as City jostle for another English title, and he was included in the Premier League's Team of 2013.
He also helped his country qualify for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, featuring in both legs of the playoff victory over Senegal.
In Spain, Real Madrid saw off Osasuna 2-0 in the first leg of their fifth round Spanish Cup tie.
With Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale on show, Real took the lead in the first half thanks to a free kick from France striker Karim Benzema.
Ronaldo, who is widely expected to be crowned world footballer of the year at FIFA's Ballon d'Or ceremony in Zurich on Monday, then laid on the second goal for Jese on the hour mark.
Ariel Sharon, former Israeli Prime Minister, dead at 85
Ariel Sharon, whose half century as a military and political leader in Israel was marked with victories and controversies, died Saturday after eight years in a coma, Israeli Army Radio reported. Sharon was 85.
Sharon died at Sheba Medical Center in the Tel Aviv suburb of Tel Hashomer.
The Israeli statesman was a national war hero to many Israelis for his leadership, both in uniform or as a civilian, during every Israeli war.
Many in the Arab world called Sharon "the Butcher of Beirut" after he oversaw Israel's 1982 invasion of Lebanon while serving as defense minister.
He was a major figure in many defining events in the Middle East for decades, including his decision to turn over Gaza and parts of the West Bank to Palestinian control.
Throughout, he was called "The Bulldozer," a fearless leader who got things done.
The reaction in his own right-wing Likud Party to his order to the military to drag some Israeli settlers from their homes in Gaza led Sharon in November 2005 to form the political party Kadima, Hebrew for "Forward."
He was in his fifth year as prime minister when he suffered a massive stroke in January 2006, which left him comatose.
Ehud Olmert, who became interim prime minister after Sharon's stroke, assumed the role of prime minister after leading the Kadima Party to an election victory in March 2006.
Sharon's career was closely tied to Israel's relationship with Lebanon.
During the Lebanon war in 1982, Sharon, a former army general then serving as Israeli defense minister, was held indirectly responsible by an Israeli inquiry in 1983 for the massacre of hundreds of Palestinians at the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps. He was forced to resign.
Sharon, who lived on a ranch in the Negev Desert, became prime minister on March 7, 2001.
He was the man who encouraged Israelis to establish settlements on occupied Palestinian land, but he also was the leader who pushed for Israel's historic 2005 withdrawal from 25 settlements in the West Bank and Gaza, which was turned over to Palestinian rule for the first time in 38 years.
Sharon formed the centrist Kadima in an effort to build political support for his controversial plan to turn over Gaza and parts of the West Bank to Palestinian control.
In grappling with the decades-long conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, Sharon said in 2001, "I can talk and look in the eyes of the citizens of Israel and convince them to make painful compromises."
As waves of suicide bombings by militants rocked Israel, Sharon sent tanks and troops into Palestinian towns, ordering assassinations of Palestinian militant leaders.
Sharon ordered construction of the barrier through the West Bank and confined then-Palestinian Leader Yasser Arafat, whom he called "a terrorist," to his compound in Ramallah, accusing him of encouraging attacks on Israel.
This veteran of all of Israel's wars was a national hero to many.
In 1953, after a wave of terrorist attacks from Jordan, Sharon the military leader led the infamous Unit 101 on a raid into the border town of Kibya, blowing up 45 houses and killing 69 Arab villagers. Sharon said he thought the houses were empty.
In June 1967, as a general, Sharon led his tank battalion to a crushing victory over the Egyptians in the Sinai during the Six Day War.
But what he considered his greatest military success came in 1973 during the Yom Kippur War. He surrounded Egypt's Third Army and, defying orders, led 200 tanks and 5,000 men over the Suez Canal, a turning point in the war.
As defense minister, Sharon was the architect of Israel's invasion of Lebanon, an occupation meant to stop the Palestine Liberation Organization from using Lebanon as a base for attacks on Israel. The attack was disastrous.
After the Sabra and Shatila massacre, he allowed Israeli families to settle in occupied Palestinian land, the same land Palestinians claimed as a future state.
As a result of the inquiry, however, Sharon was forced to stand down and was banned from ever being defense minister again.
"He felt betrayed by his government," said his adviser, Ranaan Gissin.
Sharon made a political comeback in the 1990s, eventually becoming leader of his party in 2000.
That year, he faced more trouble when he visited the holiest site for Jews, the Temple Mount in Jerusalem -- known to Muslims as Haram al Sharif, "The Noble Sanctuary." The stop sparked violent protests. The incident prompted the second Intifada -- the Palestinian uprising against Israeli rule -- that began in September of that year.
Throughout his career, both in the military and in politics, Sharon was the man Israelis turned to when they thought they had no other choice. Either leading from the front or calling the shots as an elected leader, he was always the soldier. Even in his later years out of uniform, his military demeanor was just below the surface. He never delivered on his promise of peace and security.
Sharon was born on a farm outside Tel Aviv. The son of Russian immigrants, he always remembered a lesson from his father as he ascended to the highest office in Israel.
"When my father saw that I was tired, he would stop for a minute and say, 'Look how much we have done already,'" he once explained.
Nearly 700 killed in Syria rebel infighting
Nearly 700 people have been killed in nine days of fierce clashes between an al Qaeda affiliate and other Islamist and rebel groups, activists said Sunday.
Forces from the al Qaeda-affiliated Islamic State of Iraq and Syria have increasingly come into conflict with Free Syrian Army fighters and other hard-line factions opposing the Syrian regime, while ISIS attempts to impose its strict form of Islamic Sharia law on areas coming under its control in northern Syria.
In the last nine days, 697 people have been killed in the fighting, activists said.
The victims include 351 combatants from the Islamist and non-Islamist rebel battalions, 246 ISIS fighters, and 100 civilians, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
The activist group said the deaths took place between January 3 and January 12.
Among the 100 civilians killed in the clashes, 21 were executed by ISIS in the children's hospital in Qadi Askar in the northern rebel stronghold of Aleppo, the group said.
CNN cannot independently verify daily death tolls, but the United Nations has said more than 100,000 people have been killed in Syria since 2011.
Foreign ministers meet
The violence came as the "Friends of Syria" group of foreign ministers, including U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, convened in Paris on Sunday in a last-ditch attempt to persuade the Syrian opposition to attend a peace conference in Geneva, Switzerland, at the end of January.
The Western-backed rebels are deeply divided on whether to go and will announce a decision on January 17.
In a statement, the alliance of mainly Western and Gulf Arab countries called on armed groups to "respect democratic and pluralistic values" and allow humanitarian access.
It condemned the presence of foreign fighters in Syria, "both those fighting with the regime such as Hezbollah and other Iranian backed forces, and those fighting within other extremist groups," and demanded their immediate withdrawal.
It urged democratic opposition forces to keep opposing groups affiliated with al Qaeda.
"We fully support the Supreme Military Council of the Free Syrian Army and other democratic opposition forces in their action against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant," it said. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant is another name for ISIS.
Uneasy alliance
For months, the rebel groups maintained an uneasy alliance as they fought to topple Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government.
But now, the infighting has threatened to tip the balance among rebel forces toward militant groups and away from more secular brigades.
In a statement, the opposition Syrian Coalition media office condemned "any and all violations" and said armed gangs were taking advantage of the infighting between ISIS and the Free Syrian Army.
The statement, signed by Syrian Coalition media office director Khalid Saleh, cited these as "illegal practices, intimidating civilians, and theft, taking place all over Syria; particularly in the northern parts of the country."
"We call on FSA brigades to work with civil revolutionary bodies and local councils operating in those areas to address the threat of those gangs, and make sure those gangsters are hunted down and brought to justice," the statement said.
In Iraq, where at least nine people were killed and more than 40 wounded in several car explosions on Sunday, security forces in Mosul said they have detained 137 ISIS suspects in a series of raids in the city over the past seven days.
U.N. official in Damascus
On a visit to Damascus on Sunday, the United Nations humanitarian chief expressed concern for communities cut off by the months of fighting between government and rebel forces.
"I am particularly worried about the reports of starvation," Valerie Amos said in a statement after meeting with government officials as well as humanitarian organizations.
"The world must do more for all the people who are displaced. Many families are living in abandoned buildings, schools or in makeshift shelters, without enough food, clean water or medicine. We must help them to get through this very cold winter," she said after visiting a shelter in rural Damascus.
Amos recognized steps taken by the government to approve visas so aid can get in.
"But we need to do more in a crisis of this magnitude," she said.
Golden Globes 2014: Who should win vs. who will win
Oscar nominations remain to be announced, but it's already time to predict what will happen at the Golden Globes this Sunday. Who will win? Who should win? To keep track of the various Globes races, here are some of Entertainment's most educated guesses, thanks to input from the nominees themselves.
Best motion picture -- drama
Since the Globes separate drama from comedy (and musicals), the toughest race this year (for once) will be in comedy/musicals, not drama. Still, there are some strong contenders in this category: "12 Years a Slave," "Captain Phillips," "Gravity," "Philomena" and "Rush." Each of these (except "Gravity") is based on a true story; that usually gives a film a boost in the awards department, but the real question this year might be, how does each film make you feel?
Although "12 Years a Slave," based on the experiences of Solomon Northup, a free man who was kidnapped and forced into slavery, is an exceptional and important film, it can also be hard to watch, given the lingering attention paid to such horrors as lynching, whipping and rape. (The word often used to describe the film: "harrowing.")
"It's obviously a situation where people have had their difficulties with the subject," director Steve McQueen said. "It's understandable in a way, because it's such a grave and painful part of that time in history." Still, McQueen hopes people are able to "find out who they are and what they are and how far they've come" when they consider the film.
An easier sell is "Gravity," also an amazing film, but more because it provides an experience of what it would be like to be in space. (The word often used to describe this one: "spectacular.") So even though there are some disturbing moments in the movie, viewers tend to find the depiction of zero-gravity a more exhilarating experience and might vote accordingly. If we were feeling cynical, we would guess that the lighter "Gravity" will circle the Globe, even if the heavier "12 Years a Slave" deserves to.
Best motion picture -- comedy or musical
Here, the contenders are "American Hustle," "Her," "Inside Llewyn Davis," "Nebraska" and "The Wolf of Wall Street." And because so many of the great films this year have a dramedy/comedy aspect, this is a trickier category than usual -- with no one film sweeping the all-important predictors, the critics awards.
"American Hustle" snagged the New York Film Critics Circle Award for best picture, "Her" got National Board of Review's nod, "Inside Llewyn Davis" won the National Society of Film Critics Awards, and so on. It might be that two films are dividing the vote: two period piece con-man stories that cancel each other out. Can David O. Russell's Scorsese-like "American Hustle" out-hustle Scorsese's own film, "The Wolf of Wall Street?" Could both be elbowed aside by Spike Jonze's enchanting computer-age love story, "Her"?
All the crazy outrageousness, the controversies over glamorizing not-so-victimless crimes and even the quite excellent performances in both "Hustle" and "Wolf" seem just a lot of noise when compared with the quiet but more inventive "Her," which plays like a fable for our times. "Her" should win, but "Wolf" will probably blow down the Globes door.
Best director
Ben Affleck was the surprise winner in this category last year, so anything could happen. Each of the nominees -- Alfonso Cuaron (for "Gravity"), Paul Greengrass ("Captain Phillips"), McQueen ("12 Years a Slave"), Alexander Payne ("Nebraska") and David O. Russell ("American Hustle") -- is a strong contender, but Cuaron's accomplishments in creating film technology could push him ahead of his peers, as might his easygoing, self-deprecating meet-and-greet campaign strategy.
"A movie about an astronaut alone in space for an hour and a half? Doesn't sound appealing!" he said with a laugh. "It was how the media presented the whole thing that made the difference. I'm surprised at what the response has been."
Still, it's more likely that this will go to a helmer for a film other than the one that takes home best picture to snag this as a consolation prize -- and yes, we mean you, McQueen.
Best performance by an actor in a motion picture -- drama
The leading men in the drama category are Chiwetel Ejiofor for "12 Years a Slave," Idris Elba for "Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom," Tom Hanks for "Captain Phillips," Matthew McConaughey for "Dallas Buyers Club" and Robert Redford for "All is Lost." Ejiofor will probably win for his intelligent, emotional portrayal of Solomon Northup, but he's got some strong competition in McConaughey (who lost a ton of weight for his role) and Redford (an industry favorite). Although Redford's unnamed man had a rough time of it trying to survive at sea, the actor himself had it relatively easy, which means he can't rely on the usual awards narrative of suffering for his art.
"I just had the one ear infection," Redford said. "They worked very hard to protect me. I mean, there were certainly points where all hell was breaking lose, but you can't control everything."
First-time nominee McConaughey could downplay his "suffering" as well, but unlike the others, it doesn't matter what he says. His physical appearance in the film says it for him. But McConaughey's commitment to his performance as a man refusing to die from AIDS isn't just about the weight loss; it's about how he keeps transforming himself and disappearing into new identities. McConaughey should win.
Best performance by an actress in a motion picture -- drama
The leading ladies in the drama category are Cate Blanchett for "Blue Jasmine," Sandra Bullock for "Gravity," Judi Dench for "Philomena," Emma Thompson for "Saving Mr. Banks" and Kate Winslet for "Labor Day." Unlike most of the other categories this year, this one has a clear forerunner in Blanchett, whose bravura performance in Woody Allen's film has won her accolades from the National Society of Film Critics and the New York Film Critics Circle. In fact, one of the biggest surprises at the Gotham Awards was that Blanchett did not win: Up-and-coming actress Brie Larson managed to snag an award away from her. But that won't happen at the Globes, where Blanchett will and should win.
Best performance by an actor in a motion picture -- comedy or musical
Only Oscar Isaac can lay claim to the musical part of the category, with his breakthrough performance in "Inside Llewyn Davis," but the rest of the guys are nominated for making us laugh: Christian Bale in "American Hustle," Bruce Dern in "Nebraska," Leonardo DiCaprio in "The Wolf of Wall Street" and Joaquin Phoenix in "Her." The real race here is between DiCaprio, who goes all-out in "Wolf," and the long-overdue Dern, who puts in a more subdued performance as a confused alcoholic who thinks he's won a million dollars in "Nebraska."
The irony is that Dern himself doesn't even drink. "A lot of times, I just get a virgin pina colada," he said.
But a scene in which DiCaprio's character takes quaaludes, which could have become slapstick in someone else's hands, is what should convince the Globes that they need a new drug. Dern as the sentimental favorite will win, but DiCaprio should.
Best performance by an actress in a motion picture -- comedy or musical
Meryl Streep, who was nominated last year for "Hope Springs," might hope to dominate this category this year with her bitter pill of a character in "August: Osage County." Lucky for her, her competition does not include Jennifer Lawrence. Instead, she faces off against Amy Adams in "American Hustle," Julie Delpy in "Before Midnight," Greta Gerwig in "Frances Ha" and Julia Louis-Dreyfus in "Enough Said."
Streep will probably win, but Delpy's performance in "Before Midnight," the final installment of her walk-and-talk trilogy with Ethan Hawke, is the bigger accomplishment. Not only did Delpy co-write the film with Hawke and director Richard Linklater, but her biggest moment -- a fight scene in a hotel -- is performed half-nude. The effect is so real, so raw, that you almost refuse to believe it was scripted at all.
"It was trying to find the idea of romanticism without being overall romantic and silly and cheesy," Delpy said. "How do you find the right balance of real but romantic but not too cute but not too horrible, either? Because otherwise, a relationship could be a horror film!" Delpy should win.
Best performance by an actor in a supporting role in a motion picture
The supporting actors who will have to duke it out this time are Barkhad Abdi for "Captain Phillips," Daniel Bruehl for "Rush," Bradley Cooper for "American Hustle," Michael Fassbender for "12 Years a Slave" and Jared Leto for "Dallas Buyers Club." This is a tough race, and none of the contenders has won a Golden Globe before. Bruehl (who really shared enough screen time to be considered the lead in "Rush") managed to make a difficult personality (real-life race car driver Niki Lauda) actually sympathetic.
"It was a crucial thing to get that voice right, because it adds a sense of humor, of irony, of cockiness, you know? How can someone be so blunt? But then I thought there was something funny about it, too, and admirable, because he is so straightforward and a hundred percent honest," Bruehl said.
In any other year, Bruehl might win. But this year, he's facing off with Leto, the clear favorite, whose portrayal of a tra
And this time, his dedication is being rewarded. Leto will and should win.
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