Best Motion Picture – Drama

I think this category is between Inception and The Social Network. The latter is most likely to win because Christopher Nolan films are typically forgotten by the time these awards roll around. While Fincher’s Facebook film is exquisite at the least, Nolan’s film is simply more thought-provoking and original; he is one director who understands that you can tell a complex and intelligent story while throwing in some great action scenes…and he seems to have perfected that here. I have written extensive reviews for both of these films (both are at the top of my list as the year’s best) and Inception comes out on top.

Best Motion Picture – Comedy/Musical

This isn’t even a contest, The Kids Are All Right takes the cake here. While I loved Red, I don’t think it stands a chance. I couldn’t even sit all the way through Alice in Wonderland; Burlesque is nominated simply because it is the only musical to nominate; and The Tourist isn’t even a comedy…and it’s garbage.

Best Actor – Drama

I am pretty sure that James Franco will grab this one. While I loved what Wahlberg and Eisenberg have done this year – and I’m sure Gosling is terrific – Franco’s only competition will be Colin Firth. This will be an interesting category.

Best Actress – Drama

This is Natalie Portman’s award all the way. In easily the best performance I have seen this year (next to Christian Bale in The Fighter), it would be a crime to not give this to her. Every second of her performance is completely believable, allowing you to forget this is Natalie Portman in the first place. This is hers without a doubt.

Best Actor – Comedy/Musical

I don’t know…Paul Giamatti in Barney’s Version? I haven’t really seen any of these movies, this is the only one that looked interesting. I don’t think Johnny Depp deserved either of these nominations…just putting that out there. I like the guy, but those movies just aren’t good.

Best Actress – Comedy/Musical

This is a tough category. Both Julianne Moore and Annette Bening were fantastic in The Kids Are All Right, and I have heard great things about Anne Hathaway’s performance in Love and Other Drugs. Honestly, I have to go with Moore.

Best Supporting Actress

As much as I would love to give this award to Amy Adams for her work in The Fighter, it belongs to Melissa Leo for the same film. Both were nearly unrecognizable, but it was Leo who truly terrified me in some scenes.

Best Supporting Actor

Without a doubt this award goes to Christian Bale. This was one of those rare performances where you literally just forget who you are watching. Opening scene alone, Bale takes this award. I have heard good things about Geoffrey Rush in The King’s Speech and I thought both Andrew Garfield and Jeremy Renner were fantastic, but let’s face it…Bale has a more-than-impressive body of work and this is arguably the best performance of the year.

Best Director

This is a crazy category. Three of my favorite directors – David Fincher, Christopher Nolan, and Darren Aronofsky – all have the chance to finally get their due. I liked what Russell did with The Fighter, but I don’t believe it’s award-worthy with this competition.

All three of these directors have a fantastic body of work, each with their own style and originality. Aronofsky has already been hailed as the modern-day Kubrick and doing some terrific work with Black Swan; Nolan and Fincher both have impeccable track records. Honestly, The Social Network seemed to be sort of run-of-the-mill for Fincher when compared to his earlier films such as Fight Club or even Zodiac. On the other hand, Nolan seems to have stepped into completely different territory here, blending the best of his past films into one epic vision. With the complexity of Memento mixed in with the intense non-CGI action of The Dark Knight, Nolan takes from these experiences and creates a whole different world with Inception. In the end, I would give this award to Christopher Nolan.

Best Animated Feature Film

Toy Story 3…duh

Best Foreign Language Film

I think Biutiful will get this category, Bardem’s performance was effective and endearing.

Best Screenplay

This is one thing I don’t like about the Golden Globes, the fact that they bunch ALL screenplays into one category – instead of separating them into Original and Adapted. The obvious contenders in this category again are Inception and The Social Network. Both scripts are truly remarkable, with one being written by director Christopher Nolan over the course of 10 years and the other being written by seasoned vet Aaron Sorkin. This is a tough category (and I am positive both will get their due come Oscar season), but if I had to pick one it would be Christopher Nolan’s Inception, because if it wins anything here…that would have to be it.

Best Original Score

This category is usually pretty typical – the guy with the really foreign name usually takes this one home. This year, that needs to change. Hans Zimmer needs to take this award. He has done some of the best scores to date and has rarely gotten notice for his work. He has been nominated 7 times and only won once…for The Lion King. The man has worked on films such as True Romance, The Thin Red Line, Gladiator, Black Hawk Down, Matchstick Men, The Last Samurai, Batman Begins, The Dark Knight (didn’t get that nomination), Pirates of the Caribbean, Sherlock Holmes, and now Inception. The only other score in this category I enjoyed was Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross’ work for The Social Network, but find it hard to award them for it seeing as how the best track on there is their own rendition of In the Hall of the Mountain King.

Best Original Song

I have no idea. I haven’t heard any of these songs, nor have I seen any of these movies.

Best Television Series

This is a terrific category, with 4 of the 5 nominees being some of the best work I have ever seen on television. Boardwalk Empire was fantastic, even though there were a couple of very slow episodes in the middle. The Walking Dead was much better than anyone expected and deserves this nomination without a doubt – thank you, Frank Darabont. Dexter and Mad Men are terrific as always. Based on season alone, I will have to go with Mad Men this year.

Best Actor in a TV Series – Drama

This is arguably the toughest category overall; with 5  fantastic actors doing their best work, it is truly a toss-up. The Golden Globes tend to go with Bryan Cranston, who typically deserves this because it is his performance that drives that series – the same can be said about Michael C. Hall’s performance for Dexter and Hugh Laurie’s for House. Personally, I want to see either Jon Hamm or Steve Buscemi pick up this award. Hamm has done some serious work on this show that has ultimately lead to his stardom, he also has proved to be the best thing about 30 Rock and Saturday Night Live every time he shows his face on either of those series (next to Alec Baldwin for both). On the other hand, Steve Buscemi does a great job on Boardwalk Empire and has had an unbeatable career that has never garnered him much notice. His role as Nucky Thompson is a tricky one as Buscemi sort of has to play 3 different roles – the politician, the gangster, and the man. I can easily see this going to either man.

Best Actress in a TV Series – Drama

I have to give this to the criminally unnoticed Elizabeth Moss in Mad Men. Next to Don Draper, her character has been one of the most interesting and most complex in the series since the beginning; and their scenes together never disappoint.

Best Television Series – Comedy/Musical

This easily goes to Modern Family, the funniest thing on television (that ever gets nominated anyway). 30 Rock has definitely lost some of its flair; The Big Bang Theory has yet to make me let out even the slightest chuckle; I have yet to sit through an entire episode of Glee; and I have to confess that I have not seen The Big C or Nurse Jackie (since the first few episodes).

Best Actor in a TV Series – Comedy/Musical

Alec Baldwin, hands down. Steve Carell has been doing the same thing on The Office since the beginning and I am glad this is his last season; Matthew Morrison does nothing for me on Glee, same with Jim Parsons for Big Bang Theory; and Thomas Jane is good on Hung…but if it wasn’t for Baldwin, 30 Rock wouldn’t even still be on the air.

Best Actress in a TV Series – Comedy/Musical

Toni Collette does a fantastic job in The United States of Tara playing a woman with multiple personalities. Each personality is truly believable and realistic for her character, with Collette diving head first into each role.

Best Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

This will probably go to You Don’t Know Jack because Hollywood tends to glamourize anything involving Dr. Kevorkian. While it was a good film, led by a mesmerizing performance by Al Pacino, I don’t believe it deserves the award here. Temple Grandin was good but lost some steam after the first half, Danes and Stathairn definitely deserve recognition for it. Pillars of the Earth was fantastic, with Rufus Sewell and Ian McShane doing some just awesome work. I have to give this one to The Pacific. While I was disappointed at first (expecting another Band of Brothers, arguably the best thing to ever see anything with a screen), it began to grow on me and I respect it for what it was. Led by some great performances and an unbelievable production, this should pick up this award fairly easily.

Best Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

I was shocked to see that BBC’s Luther was not picking up any sort of recognition…until I saw Idris Elba’s nomination here. This category WILL be between he and Al Pacino, with both men well deserving of the award. I would love to see Elba get the award, because he also did some fantastic work in a small film called Legacy, which will go unnoticed.

Best Actress in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

Claire Danes as Temple Grandin.

Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Mini-Series, or Motion Picture Made for Television

David Strathairn deserves this award for his work in Temple Grandin. Alas, it will probably go to the gay kid from Glee, or the guy who plays a gay guy in Modern Family. Scott Caan and Chris Noth are also very good, but have no chance.

Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Mini-Series, or Motion Picture Made for Television

I desperately want Kelly MacDonald to pick up this award for her work in Boardwalk Empire. But once again, this will probably go to Jane Lynch for being the only tolerable part of Glee. Sophie Vergara needs to win something for what she does in Modern Family as well.

Well…that seems to be it. Write to us and let us know if you think I am just dead-wrong on something or you agree with my predictions.