Golden
Not too many people watch award shows anymore, but ever since I was little, I've looked forward to the Globes and the Oscars every year. This year was a little different though, because it was the first time that I was personally invested in a particular film. I had the opportunity to work on three films while at Paramount Vantage: The Duchess, Defiance and Revolutionary Road, with my favorite being Rev Road. I'm proud to say that all three films were nominated this year, and tonight Kate Winslet won Best Actress for her role as April Wheeler in Revolutionary Road.
The first award of the show was for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama, and it went to Kate Winslet for The Reader. Immediately I thought, "Shit, this means she's not going to win for Rev Road." It's unlikely for an actor who is nominated in more than one category to actually win more than one award. Usually the HFPA or the Academy will tend to favor one role or film, so when Kate ended up winning the Best Actress award as well at the end of the night for Rev Road, I SCREAMED. In my opinion, Kate was Rev Road's best chance for a Globe award, so I'm happy that she was recognized for both films. Although she is a full-blown chain-smoking diva in real life (rolls eyes), her talent is undeniable. It was fun to see how many times the camera cut to a shot of Leo and Kate side-by-side at their table. Leo was nominated too, but didn't win, which I had anticipated. He does deserve an award one day though. He's such a hardworking actor, as well as a genuinely nice person. I remember him being so sweet at the afterparty for the Rev Road premiere: posing for photos that his mom - his date for the night - wanted of him with the young kids who play his children in the movie. Hollywood at its worst is a manipulative money-making machine, but to me, Leo represents Hollywood at its best.
Slumdog Millionaire won for Best Picture, rising from its status as the underdog to now frontrunner for the Oscars. I enjoyed Slumdog as much as the next person; I thought it was a beautiful, albeit melodramatic, film about young love, and it's amazing what Danny Boyle has done for Bombay by spotlighting Indian culture into mainstream Hollywood media. BUT I also feel a big part of Slumdog's appeal is its dark horse status, and I'm not sure if this will be able to carry the film through the Academy Awards. And I guess I'm biased, but I think it's hard to deny a film like Revolutionary Road, which has such a complete ensemble cast on top of the brilliant director that is Sam Mendes. The film to me was an honest exploration into raw human emotion, and self-loathing, and the fear of being categorized into a life nothing more than ordinary, and the self-destructive conventions of marriage in suburbia and and........ yeah, I could go on.
Congrats to Kate on her double-win. But let me just say, Best Actress Award > Best Supporting Award. Am I right? Y/Y?
Go watch Rev Road. It's not Titanic II. I promise.
