see the official Golden Globes website for more information.

Best movie — drama:

Black Swan
The Fighter
Inception
The King’s Speech
The Social Network

I preferred the psychoanalytical thriller Black Swan versus The Social Network. The former included compelling characters and performances by Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis and Barbara Hershey. It dealt with pressures, deprivation and isolation often required to truly succeed. The latter is also about success but about a geeky college dropout spurned by a girl who stumbles into an empire to which way too many people have become addicted. Facebook and Mark Zuckerburg don’t particularly interest me. The Social Network tells the story of more white men who belittle and humiliate women on their way to the top. The Fighter wasn’t strong enough or unique enough compared to other triumphant working-class/ athletic stories of past years. It’s no Million Dollar Baby; that’s a certainty. Inception is steeped in special effects and conundrums and riddles. The King’s Speech features the finest acting performance of the year by Colin Firth but I’m not sure that such a small film will carry the Golden Globes.

want to win: Black Swan
will win: The Social Network

Best actress — drama:

Halle Berry, Frankie and Alice
Nicole Kidman, Rabbit Hole
Jennifer Lawrence, Winter’s Bone
Natalie Portman, Black Swan
Michelle Williams, Blue Valentine

Nicole Kidman in Rabbit Hole

I’m torn between Kidman in Rabbit Hole and Portman for Black Swan. While Winter’s Bone is one of my favorite films of all time, I don’t think it’s an award-winning performance by Jennifer Lawrence. She’s young yet. Kidman’s stripped down interpretation of grief is as good as Portman’s escalating example of psychosis.

want to win: Nicole Kidman

Best actor — drama:

Jesse Eisenberg, The Social Network
Colin Firth, The King’s Speech
James Franco, 127 Hours
Ryan Gosling, Blue Valentine
Mark Wahlberg, The Fighter

Colin Firth, The King's Speech

Firth is SO brilliantly flawed and perfect as King George VI in The King’s Speech, how could he not win every award he’s nominated for? While James Franco carried a 90 minute film pretty much on his own in gripping, harrowing fashion, I still like Firth’s chances. Eisenberg is good in The Social Network but I haven’t seen him play much other than a hyper-active nerdy type so far. Plus Firth is the elder-statesmen of this category.

want to win: Colin Firth

Best movie — comedy or musical:

Alice in Wonderland,
Burlesque
The Kids Are All Right
Red
The Tourist

want to win: The Kids Are All Right
will win: The Kids Are All Right

The Golden Globes are strange in that there’s the Drama and then Comedy/Musical categories. I didn’t consider The Kids Are All Right to be a comedy. It’s an amazing film that shows the ups and downs of marriage, family and relationships.

Best actress — comedy or musical:

Annette Bening, The Kids Are All Right
Anne Hathaway, Love And Other Drugs
Angelina Jolie, The Tourist
Julianne Moore, The Kids Are All Right
Emma Stone, Easy A

Annette Bening and Julianne Moore, The Kids Are All Right

This is a pretty weak category except for Bening and Moore for The Kids Are All Right. I think Bening inches out over Moore only because she had to deal with more emotionality in her role.

want to win: tie for Bening and Moore? ha ha.

Best actor — comedy or musical:

Johnny Depp, Alice in Wonderland
Johnny Depp, The Tourist
Paul Giamatti, Barney’s Version
Jake Gyllenhaal, Love And Other Drugs
Kevin Spacey, Casino Jack

I’m going to guess that Depp wins for Alice in Wonderland or Spacey for Casino Jack. I only saw Alice in Wonderland and Love and Other Drugs.

want to win: this category doesn’t matter to me

Best supporting actress:

Amy Adams, The Fighter
Helena Bonham Carter, The King’s Speech
Mila Kunis, Black Swan
Melissa Leo, The Fighter
Jacki Weaver, Animal Kingdom

Kunis and Bonham Carter are both exquisite in their respective films. Leo just pops in The Fighter.

Melissa Leo in The Fighter

want to win: Melissa Leo

Best supporting actor:

Christian Bale, The Fighter
Michael Douglas, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps
Andrew Garfield, The Social Network
Jeremy Renner, The Town
Geoffrey Rush, The King’s Speech

Christian Bale in The Fighter

I’m expecting The Golden Globes to be all over the place. No sweeps for any film. Christian Bale was such a stand-out in The Fighter, someone told me he thought he was watching a documentary. Michael Douglas was much better in Solitary Man than Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps. Garfield and Renner are good but not award-worthy. Rush is impressive as always.

want to win: Christian Bale

Best director:

Darren Aronofsky, Black Swan
David Fincher, The Social Network
Tom Hooper, The King’s Speech
Christopher Nolan, Inception
David O. Russell, The Fighter

want to win: Darren Aronofsky

Best Screenplay– motion picture:

Danny Boyle, Simon Beaufoy, 127 Hours
Lisa Cholodenko, Stuart Blumberg, The Kids Are All Right
Christopher Nolan, Inception
David Seidler, The King’s Speech
Aaron Sorkin, The Social Network

want to win: Lisa Cholodenko, Stuart Blumberg, The Kids Are All Right