2018 Golden Globes Nominations: Our Predictions

The nominations for the 75th annual Golden Globes were recently announced and as usual, journalists and awards pundits have begun to weigh in on who may take home a statue on the night. The nominations themselves looked favourably on Irish talent this year, with acknowledgements for Saoirse Ronan, Martin Mcdonagh and Kilkenny based animation studio Cartoon Saloon for their animation The Breadwinner. The process of selecting a Golden Globe nominee differs widely from the Oscars, where the chosen ones are determined by 8500 industry professionals inducted into the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences. The Globes, however, are chosen by about 93 foreign journalists residing in California known as The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA). The HFPA has drawn criticism in the past for some controversial choices, such as in 2011 when the Angelina Jolie thriller The Tourist was nominated for best picture, actor and actress in a comedy or musical despite the films lack of any actual comedic value. Nevertheless, the Globes remain a major player in awards season with the show being watched by millions all over the world.

Here is a brief look at who may take home gold in the major film categories.

As discussed above the Globes are voted for by journalists, that very detail may give Steven Spielberg’s journalism drama The Post the edge in this category. The film is the true story of how journalist Kathrine Graham attempts to expose a political cover-up that spans three decades and goes right to the president himself. Spielberg has proclaimed that there was no other year this film could be released and it just may ride the current political zeitgeist to victory.

This is a highly competitive category, both Chalamet’s lovesick teen and Oldman’s portrayal of Winston Churchill have already received multiple plaudits for their work. Despite these two acclaimed performances, it is possible the HFPA may be influenced by Daniel Day Lewis’s final performance before his retirement in Phantom Thread. The film has already received rave reviews from early screenings and the allure of one last win for Day-Lewis may be too much for the HFPA to resist. Still, award shows have in the past tended to favour films and performances based on true stories and historical figures, this may just allow Oldman to squeak out a victory.

Meryl Streep is the most lauded actor or actress in the history of the Golden Globes with 29 nominations and seven wins. With early word of another stellar performance in Spielberg’s The 

Post, she just may make this her eighth win. The main contender apart from Streep would have to be Francis McDormand for her work in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri. The film has already received some notice for McDormand’s performance from film critics circles in the states although it may have benefited from an earlier release than The Post.

While Jordon Peel’s Get Out proved to be one of the years greatest surprises and James Franco’s Disaster Artist is currently making waves among critics and audiences alike, this category most likely belongs to Greta Gerwig’s Lady Bird. Until recently the film held a perfect 100% score on review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes and was the sites best-reviewed film of all time (a spot previously held and now held again by Toy Story 2).

Daniel Kaluuya gave an exceptional performance in Get Out earlier this year, the actor managed to carry the particularly tense film as his character embarked on a terrifying ordeal. Nevertheless, this may be Franco’s year, The Disaster Artist has just been released and has the advantage of being fresh in the minds of the HFPA. Strong reviews for the film and Franco’s performance, as well as good numbers at the US box office when it expanded to a wide release, are encouraging signs. It would be great to see a young actor like Kaluuya receive credit though as he was clearly integral to Get Out’s box office success. This could go either way.

This category should be a lock for Saoirse Ronan. The Irish actress has already clocked up a number of honours for her portrayal of Sacramento teen Christine ‘Lady Bird’ McPherson including the prestigious Gotham Independent Film Award for best actress. While there is a diverse set of acclaimed performances in competition here, none of the other nominees appear to have made the same waves as Ronan.

Identical to the Best Motion Picture Drama category with the exception of Sir Ridley Scott’s nomination for All the Money in the World, another film yet to receive a general release. This would appear to be a fairly safe bet for Christopher Nolan. Critics were euphoric about his influence on Dunkirk lauding his unconventional methods. While Spielberg may have the zeitgeist on his side with The Post, Nolan is long overdue for some recognition as a director.

The Golden Globes will be broadcast on the 7 January and will be hosted by Seth Myers.

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