George Clooney and Brad Pitt represent old Hollywood, while Leonardo DiCaprio and Ryan Gossling are going to bat for young Hollywood in the race for Golden Globes’ best dramatic actor. But a film not made in 75 years is the overall nominations leader.
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association, made up of about 90 correspondents, votes for the awards. While Globe choices have often been criticized, they provide and early forecast of possible Oscar nominations. Best actor, actress and movie categories are divided between film dramas and comedy/musicals films.
“The Artist,” a silent movie, was nominated in six categories including best film comedy/musical. It also yielded nominations for French actor Jean Dujardin, as best actor, Berenice Bejo, best supporting actress, Michel Hazanavicus, best director and and best musical score.
The last silent movie, “Legong: Dance of the Virgins,” was made in 1935. “The Artist” is not only silent, but was also shot in black-and-white, just like the old films. In addition to his best actor nod, Clooney vehicle “The Descendants,” is up for best picture drama and four other awards, followed by “The Help,” also with five nominations, including best picture drama.
Martin Scorsese’s 3D “Hugo” and Steven Spielberg’s “War Horse,” baseball movie “Moneyball” and Clooney’s political film “The Ides of March” round out the best picture drama category. In the comedy film category, “The Artist” is competing with Woody Allen’s “Midnight in Paris,” cancer comedy “50/50,” the “Bridesmaids,” with Kristen Wiig, and “My Week with Marilyn,’ starring Michelle Williams as ’50s sex kitten Marilyn Monroe.
In the race for best dramatic actor, Clooney faces DiCaprio as FBI boss J. Edgar Hoover in “J. Edgar,” Michael Fassbender in “Shame,” Brad Pitt in “Moneyball” and Ryan Gosling for “The Ides of March.”
Best dramatic actress nominees include Meryl Streep as Margaret Thatcher in “The Iron Lady,” Glenn Close who plays a male butler in “Albert Nobbs,” and Tilda Swinton in dark film, “We Need to Talk About Kevin.”
Rooney Mara, 25, reps young Hollywood with her nomination for David Fincher’s “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.”Best director honors pit Woody Allen, “Midnight In Paris,” against Clooney, “The Ides Of March,”
Michel Hazanavicius, “The Artist,” Alexander Payne, “The Descendants” and the master, Martin Scorsese, “Hugo.”
Angelina Jolie’s “In the Land of Blood and Honey,” has been nominated in the foreign film category, although there is some controversy over whether it fits there, because it contains English speakers.
It’s up against Chinese movie “The Flowers of War,” with Christian Bale, Belgian film “The Kid with a Bike,” Iranian film, “A Separation,” and Spanish movie “The Skin I Live In.”British comedian Ricky Gervais is returning as host of the awards show, which will air Jan. 15 on NBC.