Golden Globes: is The Artist too French to win the Oscar?

IF LAST NIGHT’S Golden Globes are any indication, then the 2012 Oscar race for best film is down to the George Clooney movie The Descendants and the French romance The Artist, a silent movie. 

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The Globes, unlike the Oscars, have two categories – drama on the one hand, comedy and musicals on the other. The Descendants won best film in the former category, with Clooney taking best actor. The Artist won best film in the latter category, with Jean Dujardin (above) named best actor.

As The Times critic Kate Muir put it, The Artist, a love letter from the 1920s to modern-day Hollywood, is the year’s standout film. But while many believe it deserves to win the coveted best film Oscar next month, its Frenchness is considered a drawback. Only last week, in America’s other big race, Newt Gingrich used Mitt Romney’s ability to speak in French as a mark against him.  

As Peter Bradshaw points out in The Guardian today, “There have been rumours that producer Harvey Weinstein is worried that reminders of the film's Frenchness will be a turn-off”. Little surprise that the film’s promoters have been pushing Uggie, the cute Jack Russell terrier featured in the movie, onto TV chat shows - at least he doesn’t bark in French.

Both Clooney and Dujardin were already front-runners for the best actor Oscar, and the Golden Globes change nothing on that front. Clooney is not French, which helps, and missed out on an Oscar with Up in the Air and Michael Clayton, in both of which he gave fine performances. British cinema-goers can judge his latest performance when The Descendants opens here on January 27.

The least surprising announcement last night was Meryl Streep’s best actress (drama) award for her impersonation of Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady. Michelle Williams won best actress in the comedy or musical category for My Week with Marilyn also for an impersonation - of Marilyn Monroe. But she’s unlikely to cause Streep any trouble next month. As Bradshaw writes, “Streep's stately triumphal process towards the Oscar has now begun”. 

The Daily Telegraph’s Nile Gardiner has a quibble, however. Having seen a hushed audience in Washington DC “in complete awe” of  Streep’s bravura performance, he was disappointed the actress didn’t properly acknowledge Thatcher in last night’s acceptance speech.

As for directors, Martin Scorsese won last night for his family film, Hugo, and Woody Allen won the best screenplay award for Midnight in Paris, which most agree is his best film for ages. How they and others fair in the Oscar nominations we’ll find out on January 24.

In the television category at the Golden Globes, it was a good night for British talent. Writer Julian Fellowes led his team up to collect the best mini-series award for Downton Abbey, now a popular show on PBS in the States.

Kate Winslet won best actress in a mini-series for her performance in HBO’s Mildred Pierce, while Idris Elba, the London actor popular in the US because of The Wire, scooped best actor in a mini-series for his more recent role in BBC1’s crime drama Luther.

2012 GOLDEN GLOBES – THE KEY MOVIE AWARDS

Best picture, drama: The Descendants

Best picture, musical or comedy: The Artist

Best actor, drama: George Clooney, The Descendants

Best actor, musical or comedy: Jean Dujardin, The Artist

Best actress, drama: Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady

Best actress, musical or comedy: Michelle Williams, My Week With Marilyn

Best director: Martin Scorsese, Hugo

Best screenplay: Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris

Best supporting actor: Christopher Plummer, Beginners

Best supporting actress: Octavia Spencer, The Help

Best foreign language film: A Separation
Best animated Film: The Adventures of Tintin ·