The Golden Globe Awards are coming up, so I thought we could talk nominees for a minute. Warning, this post is hella long. Way longer than I had anticipated. But I think it's really comprehensive. Every year, I watch every Oscar nominated movie, and since the Golden Globes often predict the Oscars, I try to watch a lot of these too. I think I've done pretty well. I'm feeling informed, anyway. So here we go. I did warn you that it was long, right?

Motion Picture Categories

Best Motion Picture Drama

• 12 Years a Slave
• Captain Phillips
• Gravity
• Philomena
• Rush

In this category, there are some major contenders. Philomena, although It hasn’t gotten much wide press, is a pretty great movie, albeit a little morose. I also had a really hard time tracking it down to watch it. I didn’t like Gravity, but it seems like everyone else did. I found the characters flat, but the special effects amazing. Captain Phillips was much the same. I feel was supposed to grip you, and it didn’t grip me like I was hoping. Intense, but not intense enough. I really liked Rush, but when I saw that it was nominated, I had a ‘one of these things is not like the others’ moment. 12 Years a Slave is my definite pick. I feel like it will win this, as well as the Oscar. I also did a lengthy review on it here.

My Pick: 12 Years a Slave

Best Motion Picture Musical or Comedy

• American Hustle
• Her
• Inside Llewyn Davis
• Nebraska
• The Wolf of Wall Street

These weren’t particularly funny movies, I’m afraid. I haven’t seen Inside Llewyn Davis, but I feel like I will like it. I enjoy most of the Coen Brothers movies, and from what I’ve seen this will be great. It’s just been inaccessible where I live. Her was really good, as were American Hustle and The Wolf of Wall Street. I have no desire to see Nebraska. I will end up watching it if it’s nominated for an Oscar, but only then. I think American Hustle should get it. It’s funny without being overstated. I would say Her, except it’s female characters are a little dry and that’s not okay with me. 

My Pick: American Hustle

Best Performance in a Motion Picture – Drama (Actor)

• Chiwetel Ejiofor – 12 Years a Slave as Solomon Northup
• Idris Elba – Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom as Nelson Mandela
• Tom Hanks – Captain Phillips as Captain Richard Phillips
• Matthew McConaughey – Dallas Buyers Club as Ron Woodroof
• Robert Redford – All Is Lost as Our Man

Chewitel Ejiofor just deserves this one. I feel like since Mandela just died, they might try to give it to Idris Elba, but I honestly don’t think he deserves it. If Ejiofor doesn’t get it, I think that Matthew McConaughey should. 

My Pick: Chewitel Ejiofor

Best Performance in a Motion Picture – Drama (Actress)

• Cate Blanchett – Blue Jasmine as Jeanette "Jasmine" Francis
• Sandra Bullock – Gravity as Dr. Ryan Stone
• Judi Dench – Philomena as Philomena Lee
• Emma Thompson – Saving Mr. Banks as P. L. Travers
• Kate Winslet – Labor Day as Adele Wheeler

This one is tricky because I don’t care very much. No one stood out to me as the winner. I think that they’ll give it to Sandra Bullock because she is literally the only character for half of Gravity. Does she deserve it? In my opinion, no. My vote is firmly for Cate Blanchett in Blue Jasmine. She is really phenomenal, and deserves this.

My Pick: Cate Blanchett

Best Performance in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy (Actor)

• Christian Bale – American Hustle as Irving Rosenfeld
• Bruce Dern – Nebraska as Woody Grant
• Leonardo DiCaprio – The Wolf of Wall Street as Jordan Belfort
• Oscar Isaac – Inside Llewyn Davis as Llewyn Davis
• Joaquin Phoenix – Her as Theodore Twombly

Jesus give Leonardo an Oscar already. He has been nominated so many times and is constantly missing out. I think that they might give this one to Bruce Dern, but I think that Leonardo deserves this one. Just this once.

My Pick: Leonardo DiCaprio

Best Performance in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy (Actress)

• Amy Adams – American Hustle as Sydney Prosser
• Julie Delpy – Before Midnight as Céline Wallace
• Greta Gerwig – Frances Ha as Frances Halladay
• Julia Louis-Dreyfus – Enough Saidas Eva
• Meryl Streep – August: Osage County

For me, I feel like this one is a toss up between Amy Adams and Meryl Streep. Both were excellent, and both held their own. I swing more towards Meryl because she pulls the whole movie together, whereas Amy is just another piece. Both are great, and either could win. If either of them takes the trophy, I’ll be happy.

My Pick: Meryl Streep

Best Supporting Performance in a Motion Picture – Drama, Musical or Comedy (Actor)

• Barkhad Abdi – Captain Phillips as Abduwali Muse
• Daniel Brühl – Rush as Niki Lauda
• Bradley Cooper – American Hustle as Richie DiMaso
• Michael Fassbender – 12 Years a Slave as Edwin Epps
• Jared Leto – Dallas Buyers Club as Rayon

This one is another toss up. I feel firmly in my heart that Jared Leto should win, but I think that Michael Fassbender will win.  His performance in 12 Years a Slave is heartstopping in a way that Jared Leto’s work just isn’t.

My Pick: Michael Fassbender (grudgingly)

Best Supporting Performance in a Motion Picture – Drama, Musical or Comedy (Actress)

• Sally Hawkins – Blue Jasmine as Ginger
• Jennifer Lawrence – American Hustle as Rosalyn Rosenfeld
• Lupita Nyong'o – 12 Years a Slave as Patsey
• Julia Roberts – August: Osage County as Barbara Weston-Fordham
• June Squibb – Nebraska as Kate Grant

If Lupita Nyong’o doesn’t win, I will be so surprised that I might fall off my chair. She deserves it, hands down.

My Pick: Lupita Nyong’o

Best Director

• Alfonso Cuarón – Gravity
• Paul Greengrass – Captain Phillips
• Steve McQueen – 12 Years a Slave
• Alexander Payne – Nebraska
• David O. Russell – American Hustle

This time, I think that it should go to Alfonso Cuaron for Gravity. I didn’t like it, but from a technical standpoint, it was a real marvel. I firmly believe that he deserves this one. If he doens’t get it, Steve McQueen will.

My Pick: Alfonso Cuaron

Best Screenplay

• Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope –Philomena
• Spike Jonze – Her
• Bob Nelson – Nebraska
• John Ridley – 12 Years a Slave
• Eric Warren Singer and David O. Russell – American Hustle

I think that John Ridley will win for 12 Years a Slave, but I think that Spike Jonze delivered a better written show in Her. I just don’t think Her will actually win the award. 

My Pick: 12 Years a Slave

Best Original Score

• Alex Ebert – All Is Lost
• Alex Heffes – Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom
• Steven Price – Gravity
• John Williams – The Book Thief
• Hans Zimmer – 12 Years a Slave

I suppose this depends on your taste in music. I once again 12 Years a Slave might take it. I love Hans Zimmer personally, but I think that Steven Price may also have his hand in for the award.

My Pick: Hans Zimmer for 12 Years a Slave

Best Original Song 

• "Atlas" (Coldplay) – The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
• "Let It Go" (Kristen Anderson-Lopezand Robert Lopez) – Frozen
• "Ordinary Love" (U2 and Danger Mouse) – Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom
• "Please Mr. Kennedy" (Ed Rush,George Cromarty, T Bone Burnett,
• Justin Timberlake, Joel Coen and Ethan Coen) – Inside Llewyn Davis
• "Sweeter Than Fiction" (Taylor Swiftand Jack Antonoff) – One Chance

I feel very strongly that Let It Go from Frozen should win. Listening to all of these songs, it’s the one that stood out to me the most. But the Idina Menzel one, not the Demi Lovato one. 

My Pick: Let it Go

Best Animated Feature Film

• The Croods
• Despicable Me 2
• Frozen

I liked Frozen, but Disney princesses can only get you so far. Despicable Me has you laughing from start to finish.

My Pick: Despicable Me 2

Best Foreign Language Film

• Blue Is the Warmest Color (France)
• The Great Beauty (Italy)
• The Hunt (Denmark)
• The Past (Iran)
• The Wind Rises (Japan)

I had a hard time tracking all of these down, so I doubt that very many of my readers will have. The Hunt was really good, but Blue Is the Warmest Color is going to win. 

My Pick: Blue is the Warmest Color
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