Big-budget studio releases were mostly cast aside by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), whose Golden Globe nominations were announced today.
As to be expected, critics' favorite Brokeback Mountain, about the mostly long-distance love affair between two men in the American West, ruled the pack with seven nominations. Since the Globes don't cover any of the technical awards, Jake Gyllenhaal (above, with Heath Ledger) ended up being the only major talent in that film left without a nod.
The biggest surprise was probably the absence of Steven Spielberg's Munich from the best picture – drama shortlist. Spielberg's tale of terrorism and revenge, based on actual events, had been touted by those who had neither seen it nor read about it as the film to beat during awards season.
Also missing in action were director David Cronenberg, whose A History of Violence garnered a best picture – drama nomination; William Hurt, who has already won a couple of critics' awards for his supporting performance as a psycho gangster in Cronenberg's film; and A History of Violence star Viggo Mortensen (above), who has been unjustly forgotten by award-giving groups. Ralph Fiennes was also bypassed, even though he's at the heart of best picture – drama nominee The Constant Gardener.
Los Angeles Film Critics' best actress winner Vera Farmiga was left nominationless as well, though considering how little money her film Down to the Bone made, her absence from the HFPA list is not at all surprising.
Also bypassed were foreign-language submissions Sophie Scholl – The Final Days, Marc Rothemund's solid historical drama from Germany; Lúcia Murat's Almost Two Brothers, an intelligent sociopolitical drama from Brazil; Romania's acclaimed The Death of Mr. Lazarescu, directed by Cristi Puiu; Álex de la Iglesia's mordant satire Perfect Crime, from Spain; Jean-Marc Vallée's Canadian box-office hit C.R.A.Z.Y., about a gay teen coming of age in the Quebec of the 1970s; Sara Johnsen's AFI FEST winner Kissed by Winter, from Norway; and Michael Haneke's disturbing Franco-Austrian mystery thriller Hidden, this year's best picture winner at the European Film Awards.
In fact, the Golden Globes' foreign-language list demonstrates that that's where the real competition — I'm talking about quality here, not p.r. — took place. And the same holds true for the upcoming Academy Awards.
Among those found in the HFPA's list, I was pleased to see Woody Allen as one of the nominated directors and screenwriters for his taut psychological crime drama Match Point (above, with Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Matthew Goode, and Scarlett Johansson), which also received a best picture – drama nod.