Carey Mulligan is nominated for a Golden Globe for best actress in a drama motion picture, for Promising Young Woman Photo / AP
Carey Mulligan is nominated for a Golden Globe for best actress in a drama motion picture, for Promising Young Woman Photo / AP
The Golden Globes are about glitz and glamour and decked-out movie stars giving fawning - often drunken - speeches.
It's the awards ceremony where the winners are decided by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, an organisation with dubious ethical practices and a membership of only 87 people – many of whom couldn't actually call themselves "press".
But the Globes' power lies in creating momentum for a movie or actor's Oscar campaign, so the industry still shows up with smiles on.
Not every movie nominated for a Globe this year has any business being anywhere near an awards list (ahem, The Prom) but there is still a great selection among some of the more puzzling choices.
Whether you choose to pay any attention to what the Globes are deciding to recognise is between you and your god, but what you should be paying attention to are these great movies which are in the race in at least one category come Monday.
Mank
The story of famed real-life writer Herman J Mankiewicz and his complex relationship with media mogul William Randolph Hearst is told in stunning black-and-white in David Fincher's masterful, exacting film. Starring Gary Oldman, Amanda Seyfried and Charles Dance, it's a story about hubris and betrayal set in the Golden Age of Hollywood, but with ringing contemporary resonance.
Watch it: Netflix.
Minari
With a punchy, emotional core, this seemingly gentle family drama about a Korean-American immigrant family in 1980s rural America is a deeply personal project from writer/director Lee Isaac Chung who adapted it from his own childhood experiences. A generous story about belonging and dreams, Minari is extraordinary.
The intimacy of Nomadland's story of Fern, a woman who chooses a van life on the road after her small-town collapses in the wake of the GFC, contrasts with the vast open spaces of the American landscape in Chloe Zhao's graceful film. It's an honest and ruminative movie with a beautiful lived-in quality.
Watch it: Nomadland returns to cinemas from March 4.
Promising Young Woman
Carey Mulligan is on fire as a woman seeking justice for a crime committed against a close friend in this genre-busting, pop art-coloured film by Emerald Fennell. Provocative, thrilling and unpredictable, Promising Young Woman smartly delves into the wider complicity of sexual assaults.
Watch it: In cinemas now.
The Trial of The Chicago 7
You can always trust Aaron Sorkin to write a compelling courtroom drama, and when he's working from the real-life case of seven civil rights activists being stitched up by an overzealous (at best) government, you know you're going to be glued. And then throw in jaw-droppingly good performances from Sacha Baron Cohen and Mark Rylance, well, that's game over.
Watch it: Netflix.
The Personal History of David Copperfield
You may not have expected Armando Iannucci, the creator of The Thick Of It and Veep, to do a Charles Dickens adaptation, but after you see his effort, you'll be convinced he should do nothing else. With Dev Patel in the titular role and a supporting cast that includes Tilda Swinton, Benedict Wong and Hugh Laurie, it's a colourful, manic and unconventional film.
Watch it: iTunes/Google Play.
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
This adaptation of August Wilson's stage play about Ma Rainey, the real-life musician nicknamed the Mother of Blues, is fuelled by the complex power plays of a recording session, revealing the racial dynamics of black artists and white management. But what Ma Rainey will be remembered for is Chadwick Boseman's aching performance as Levee.
As a rock drummer losing his hearing, Riz Ahmed proves there is no role he can't conquer. Darius Marder's visceral film uses clever sound design to draw audiences into the experience in a way you don't get from a conventional film. Coupled with the strong performances from Ahmed and co-star Paul Raci, Sound Of Metal is worth the buzz.
