On Sunday, January 5, the 82nd Golden Globes Awards was held. After last year’s rocky show, which was universally panned, this year’s show fared far better. This review will comment on four components of the event: The show, The Awards, The Fashion and, of course, The Drama. Without further ado, let’s get into the review!
The Show
Last year, the Golden Globes was almost universally panned by critics after Jo Koy’s disastrous hosting gig. Luckily, this year, the Golden Globes turned things around. Host Nikki Glaser received widespread acclaim from critics for her performance. She skillfully delivered sharp jabs at the celebrities in the audience without crossing into cruelty or insensitivity. Her skit Pope-ular, a musical number parodying “Conclave” and “Wicked,” received hardy laughs from the audience.
Not all aspects of the show were as positively received. Audiences criticized the decision to have a leaderboard projected on the wall, tracking which studio had the most award-winning films, calling it trashy. Personally I don’t think that it was a bad decision, but to each their own.
The Awards
Many awards were given out during the Golden Globes; here are some of the most notable:
The top prize, Best Motion Picture (Drama), went to “The Brutalist,” a film about a Jewish architect who escapes post-war Europe. The Best Motion Picture (Comedy/Musical) went to “Emilia Perez,” a film that is controversial due to its choice to hire only one actor from Mexico, despite the film taking place there.
One of the more notable moments was the presentation of the award for Best Original Song. When announcers Jeff Goldblum and Michelle Yeoh announced “El Mal” from “Emilia Perez” had won the award, the composers took the stage and were soon joined by Zoe Saldana. While Saldana does sing the song in the movie, she did not actually create it and therefore was not a recipient of the award. What made the moment even more awkward was the way she received the award from Goldblum, who then had to take it back again to present it to its rightful owners. Saldana did eventually have her moment and received her very own Golden Globe for best supporting actress.
Demi Moore won her first-ever acting award for her role as Elizabeth Sparkle in “The Substance.” Moore technically has won an acting award before — an Independent Spirit Award — but the only TV Channel you can watch the ceremony on is A+E Latin America, so few people heard of the award or knew she won it. Anyway, congrats, Demi!
This year, the Cinematic and Box Office Achievement Award went to “Wicked.” Award shows never give awards to blockbusters, smaller arthouse films normally win. This is problematic because award shows are boring when the only films nominated are ones that have only been seen by two people. The solution they came up with was to create the Cinematic and Box Office Achievement Award so that they could nominate films that attract large audiences and make a lot of money. In short, it’s sort of a consolation prize for films that were too successful for their own good. “Wicked” isn’t the first film to win this award, last year it went to box office titan, “Barbie.” Unfortunately, this parallel does not bode well for “Wicked,” as last year “Barbie” lost the vast majority of awards it was nominated for.
The Fashion
One of the best parts of award shows is watching the celebrities on the red carpet. Here is a round-up of the three best and three worst looks of the night!
Three Looks I Loved:
Source: ELLE
Zendaya: This is easily one of the most gorgeous looks Zendaya has worn, which says a lot considering her outfits are normally a 10/10. Perhaps the most talked about part of her look was her jewelry, specifically the giant ring she sported on her left ring finger. Fans were delighted to learn that she and long-time boyfriend Tom Holland are engaged. I know I speak for the entire Fieldston News when I say congratulations to the pair!
Source: Cosmopolitan
Dakota Fanning: Sometimes you cannot describe a garment as merely “a dress”, only the word gown will do. This is one of those occasions. The second I saw this dress I fell hopelessly in love with it – I mean it is literally flawless! The layering, the flowy material and the dramatic scarf create a look that is somewhere between old Hollywood and Greek goddess.
Source: Vogue
Monica Barbero: By now, you’ve probably noticed a trend: every time a celebrity wears a beautiful draped and gathered ball gown, I absolutely love it. Monica Barbero looked stunning in this Dior gown which took 1,100 hours to make because it has thousands of microbeads embroidered on tulle. Normally, I prefer dresses with bold colors, but this dress pulls off a more muted tone superbly!
Three Looks I Loathed:
Source: The Bump
Ali Wong: I love to talk about fashion, so it was a rare event when Ali Wong’s dress left me utterly speechless. The bright red color coupled with the haphazard, almost fur-like look of the dress reminded me a little bit of Sesame Street star Elmo. Needless to say, a children’s show character is the last thing you want to emulate on the red carpet.
Source: Threads
Naomi Watts: Oh Naomi, whoever conned you into believing that wearing this dress was a good idea? The top two-thirds of the dress is perfectly fine, with a crisp silhouette and a nice enough neckline; unfortunately, the bottom third looks like the designer ran out of fabric and glued a random mushroom on the bottom. We’ll see if this Schiaparelli X Whole Foods Produce aisle collab continues.
Source: News24
Cynthia Ervio: Someone had a vision here, I’m just not sure what that vision was. Ballerina? Evening out in the Tropics? Victorian-era couch? The most perplexing part of this outfit is the bizarre midportion which reminds me of the sail on a boat. I’m almost afraid that if thre is a random gust of wind Ervio may defy gravity and fly into the air. Even if that section of the dress were removed, the entire outfit would still seem mismatched. The skirt looks like it is straight out of a period romance movie set in 1800’s England, while the top looks like a halter top one would wear on a tropical vacation.
The Drama
There are but three certainties in life: Death, Taxes and Kylie Jenner/Timothee Chalamet Golden Globes Drama. Last year, the pair were embroiled in “Whispergate,” which brought internet allegations of a feud between Jenner and Selena Gomez. This year, the pair caused more internet speculation of a feud, their new victim being none other than Demi Moore. When Moore won the Golden Globe for her work on “The Substance,” she talked joyously with everyone at her table, except Jenner. Internet sleuths were quick to point out the apparent snub, and soon various news sources were dissecting the moment.
While neither Moore nor Jenner has addressed the situation, Moore’s daughter, Tallulah Willis jumped into the fray to put an end to the speculation stating, “There was not [sic] snub of any sort, had she seen KJ wanting to congratulate her she would have fully given her the time and space.” Unfortunately, Jenner’s night did not get any better as eagle-eyed fans noticed a tear in the thigh area of her dress. Is this enough to keep Jenner away from the Globes, or will she be back to do it all again next year? Only time will tell.
Another aspect of the night that garnered attention was the face Zendaya made upon seeing Benny Blanco. In a viral clip, Selena Gomez and Blanco walk up behind Zendaya whilst her back is turned. Eventually, Zendaya turns and spots the pair her eyes widening as she flashes what fans have called “a nervous smile” (see screenshot from video).
Source: Facebook
People online were amused by the moment and began to joke that Zendaya looked “terrified” of Blanco. Others referred to his recent comments about not showering often (what is it with celebrities and oversharing?), and speculated that “She smelled him from 10 feet away.” I guess we will never know what she was thinking….
Conclusion
This year’s Golden Globes was a success, and once again got people talking about the fun nature of the show rather than the numerous scandals it has endured. If the Grammys and Oscars can keep up the momentum, we’re in for one great awards season!
