Best: Thandie Newton is having a moment
Maeve is the breakout character of the first season of “Westworld” that’s invading your social media stream one meme at a time and that is largely thanks to Thandie Newton’s moving performance. Proving divas sometimes need time to age like a fine wine, Newton steals every scene she’s in and has you rooting for Maeve to unleash some much needed revenge on her horrific creators. We’re not going to say we’re rooting for Newton in such a crowded and impressive Best Supporting Actress [television] field, but we’re not not going to say it either.
Worst: “Better Call Saul” omissions
There has to be some irony for Bob Odenkirk to pull off an “upset” and win Best Actors in a Drama Series at the Critics Choice Awards Sunday night and then find himself overlooked by the HFPA less than 12 hours later. ‘Saul’ is one of the best shows on TV and the fact it was completely snubbed in three different TV categories tells us earning any nomination is an achievement in and of itself and that the HFPA may need to just change these honors to just represent “new” shows.
Worst: “Gold” from “Gold” Best Original Song nomination
We don’t mean to rain on “Gold” from “Gold” co-songwriter Iggy Pop’s parade, but this is simply a silly nomination. There are at least five other songs that were more deserving including two from “Hidden Figures” (“Runnin’,” “I See A Victory”), Sia’s “Try Everything” from “Zootopia,” “I’m Still Here” from “I’m Miss Sharon Jones!” and “Drive It Like You Stole It” from “Sing Street,” among others. Just a strange, strange choice for an organization that prefers the less controversy the better.
Worst: Natalie Portman is the only nominee for “Jackie”
We already mentioned the snub for Pablo Larrain, but the kicker was Original Score. Somehow, Johann Johannsson’s score from “Arrival” was deemed more worthy than Mica Levi’s work on “Jackie.” The difference is the most emotional and moving music in “Arrival” (at least we’re guessing for the HFPA) are the compositions at the beginning and end of the movie. Those cues were from Max Richter’s “On the Nature of Daylight” and licensed for the movie. Johannsson has done some remarkable work in the past including a Globe-winning score for “The Theory of Everything,” but this is not that.
Best: Issa Rae is the new “it” girl and that’s a good thing
The HFPA always loves to anoint a new up and coming actor or actress (usually the later) from a new series. Over the years American Ferrera (“Ugly Betty”), Gina Rodriguez (“Jane the Virgin”) and Rachel Bloom (“Crazy Ex-Girlfriend”) have been rewarded by the HFPA with a small spotlight before their peers in the SAG or the Television Academy. This year “Insecure” creator and star Issa Rae is the beneficiary and it’s richly deserved. Rae makes you want to root for a her character (also named Issa) even when she screws up and the entire series gives a much needed African-American perspective to living in contemporary Los Angeles (a city Rae shows isn’t as always progressive as it thinks it is). Seeing Rae walk down that red carpet and get her due will be one of the highlights of Golden Globes night.
Worst: “Deadpool” over “Love & Friendship”
Listen, we’ve got nothing against Fox’s box office smash. It’s an absolutely funny and fresh take for a superhero flick. Moreover, in a very shallow field it was hard to argue Ryan Reynolds didn’t deserve a Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy nomination. As for the equivalent Best Picture prize we’d like to submit a formal complaint. Whit Stillman’s “Love & Friendship” is a much better overall film that features an unexpectedly hilarious turn from Kate Beckinsale who was also snubbed. This isn’t on the level of “The Tourist” debacle in 2010, but it’s not good.
What did you think of this year’s Golden Globe nominations? Share your thoughts below.
