“American Hustle’’ has emerged as the least-objectionable choice to win the Best Picture Oscar — following in the pattern of last year’s “Argo’’ and “The Artist’’ from the year before.
This was confirmed at Sunday night’s Golden Globes, which gave a big Oscar boost to the innocuously entertaining “American Hustle’’ — and a much smaller one to “12 Years a Slave,’’ a more polarizing, and brutal, historical film that poses tough questions about the history of race relations in America.
With best picture and best actress (Amy Adams) wins in the Globes’ comedy categories, plus a supporting actress win by Jennifer Lawrence, “Hustle’’ looks to be in an very solid position before Oscar nominations are announced Thursday morning. ( The polls closed last Wednesday.)
“Hustle’’ would have been in really excellent shape if it had managed to take the screenplay award (which went to the quirky “Her’’) and especially the coveted best director award.
Instead, the latter was won by Alfonso Cuarón for “Gravity’’ — who has to be considered a very strong contender at the Oscars, because his film is a visual accomplishment that surpasses that of last year’s Oscar winner, Ang Lee for “Life of Pi.’’
On the other hand, will the academy pass up the opportunity to give the award for the first time to a black man (Steve McQueen of “12 Years’’)? This would allow Oscar voters to make history with the best director choice, the same way they did when Kathryn Bigelow won for “The Hurt Locker,’’ the first woman to do so.
That “12 Years a Slave’’ won the final award of the evening, for best drama film, was a welcome surprise — given that it had been shockingly shut out in all six other categories for which it had been nominated.
Most notably, Chiwetel Ejiofor was upset for best actor by Matthew McConaughey (“Dallas Buyers Club’’) and Lupita Nyong’o, who had been considered a near-lock, was defeated by Jennifer Lawrence (who won the Golden Globe and the Oscar for best actress last year for “Silver Linings Playbook’’).
Nyong’o was robbed, and I doubt more race-conscious Oscar voters will dare to make the same mistake. And “12 Years’’ will likely collect a raft of technical nominations in categories that don’t exist at the Oscars.
McConaughey has to be considered a serious contender in the super-competitive Best Actor race — assuming he manages to snare an Oscar nomination on Thursday.
Co-star Jared Leto, who won the Globes’ supporting actor award, is now the undisputed the Oscar front-runner.
The Globes affirmed the long-standing belief that Cate Blanchett, who won for best dramatic actress for “Blue Jasmine,’’ is the one to beat for this year’s Best Actress Oscar.
Leonardo DiCaprio’s win as best actor in the comedy category for “The Wolf of Wall Street’’ won’t likely revive that film’s flagging Oscar chances, though Leo will likely got a nod.
One of the evening’s big losers was “August: Osage County,’’ which got shut out at the Globes in a weekend when it fared far better than “Her’’ at the box office as both films broadened into wide release. Also snubbed by the Globes — even in the music categories — was another critics’ darling, “Inside Llewyn Davis,’’ which also posted disappointing ticket sales.
“Her’’ and “Inside’’ will likely end up duking it out in the original screenplay category.