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2012 Golden Globe Awards

     So folks, it's that time of year again, when all of the prestigious awards go out to all those famous people in all those famous movies and made them noteworthy.  This time around, it's the Golden Globes.  I am fortunate to have seen many of the movies nominated for awards.  And, since I'm a film guy and don't watch a whole lot of television, I'm going to focus mainly on the films that were nominated.
     
Best Original Score
     The Artist is a silent film, making the background music a whole lot more important than in a film with sound.  The score is similar to that of other silent films from the past.  The score helps us understand better what is going on in the scene.  It helps convey the actors' emotions in the scene, but it doesn't really connect us with the actors.  I truly enjoy hearing the score that Ludovic Bource composed for the film and I am delighted that he won the award for Best Original Score.

Best Director
    I was hoping that Michel Hazanavicius would win this award for directing my favorite movie of 2011, The Artist, but this was not the case.  Instead, legendary director Martin Scorsese won for directing Hugo, a story about a young boy during the Interwar period discovering the mysteries behind a strange machine, and discovering the incredible history of someone close to him.  Until I saw The Artist, Hugo was my favorite movie of 2011.  Aside from it being one of Scorsese's few nonviolent films, there is a great appreciation for early film and filmmaking demonstrated in this movie.  The cast is excellent all around, with all actors delivering exceptional performances.  But I think the best part about this movie, is it's appreciation for the work of Georges Melies, an early filmmaker who created some of the earliest films ever made (we're talking as early as 1902 here).  While my first choice director did not win this award, I can hardly say that I'm disappointed with Scorsese taking Best Director.

Best Performance by an Actress Motion Picture - Drama
     Does Meryl Streep ever deliver a bad performance?  I mean, really.  Is this even a competition?  Yes, even though it is clear why Meryl Streep has won this award so many times.  She is truly incredible in The Iron Lady, playing Margaret Thatcher, one of England's most controversial Prime Ministers.  She seems to be awesome or better in just about all of her roles in movies, but her role in The Iron Lady is, in my opinion, one of her finer roles.  If you don't believe me, just go see the movie.

Best Performance by an Actor Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical
     Another award for my favorite movie of the year, The Artist, this time for leading actor Jean Dujardin.  I find it interesting that a silent film is winning so many awards in a world where talking films are pretty much the only movies that are made.  However, it does not surprise me that Jean Dujardin won this award.  He is a pleasure to watch on screen.  I hadn't heard of him until I saw this movie, and if you don't think he deserves this award, all you need to do is see this movie.

    Overall, I am mostly pleased with the results of this year's Golden Globes, but there are a few movies that I think weren't recognized enough such as The Help, or The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo.  Now, it's time to move on to the Oscars at the end of next month, with nominations due out in just a couple of weeks.

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