‘Banshees of Inisherin’ tops nominations as Golden Globes attempt comeback

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Los Angeles (AFP) โ€“ Black comedy โ€œThe Banshees of Inisherinโ€ topped the Golden Globes nominations Monday, as the tarnished Hollywood awards show tries to rebuild its reputation following last yearโ€™s boycott by A-listers and studios.

The movie about the abrupt end of a friendship on a tiny Irish island during the 1920s picked up a whopping eight nods โ€” the most for any film in almost two decades โ€” including nominations for star Colin Farrell and director Martin McDonagh.

Surreal sci-fi โ€œEverything Everywhere All at Onceโ€ earned six nominations, while raucous Hollywood Golden Age drama โ€œBabylonโ€ย and Steven Spielbergโ€™s deeply personal โ€œThe Fabelmansโ€ took five each.

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which organizes the Globes, has scrambled to reform itself since long-harbored criticisms of the groupโ€™s practices went public in early 2021.

Tinseltown completely distanced itself from the Globes last January over membersโ€™ lack of diversity, alleged corruption and lack of professionalism, and the show took place behind closed doors.

Broadcaster NBC has gambled that it is time to bring back the glitzy gala, albeit under a trial one-year contract, on January 10 in Beverly Hills. The entire industry is waiting to see which stars will show up.ย 

Brendan Fraser, who was nominated Monday for his starring role in โ€œThe Whale,โ€ a drama about a morbidly obese man, has already said he will not attend the awards.

โ€œItโ€™s because of the history that I have with them. And my mother didnโ€™t raise a hypocrite,โ€ Fraser told GQ last month.

Fraser has alleged that a former HFPA president, Philip Berk, sexually assaulted him in 2003. Berk denies the incident, and has since left the group.

Tom Cruise, who was widely seen as a strong contender in the acting categories for โ€œTop Gun: Maverick,โ€ was overlooked by Globes voters Monday.

Cruise last year returned his three Golden Globes to the HFPA in protest at its behavior.

Star power

Nominations for the 80th Golden Globes were unveiled on NBCโ€™s โ€œTodayโ€ program Monday.

Along with Spielbergโ€™s โ€œThe Fabelmansโ€ and โ€œTop Gun: Maverick,โ€ other films nominated for best drama included Baz Luhrmannโ€™s rock-and-roll biopic โ€œElvis,โ€ and James Cameronโ€™s eagerly awaited โ€œAvatarโ€ sci-fi sequel.

โ€œTar,โ€ which stars Cate Blanchett as a ruthless classical conductor, took the final drama spot.

In the comedy or musical category โ€œBanshees,โ€ โ€œEverything Everywhereโ€ and โ€œBabylonโ€ were joined by whodunnit sequel โ€œGlass Onion: A Knives Out Mysteryโ€ and Cannes festival Palme dโ€™Or-winner โ€œTriangle of Sadness.โ€

A-listers among the acting nominees included Daniel Craig (โ€œGlass Onionโ€) Hugh Jackman (โ€œThe Sonโ€) Angela Bassett (โ€œBlack Panther: Wakanda Foreverโ€) and Olivia Colman (โ€œEmpire of Light.โ€)

While recognition from the HFPA has traditionally helped to kick-start Oscar campaigns and market films, the Globesโ€™ importance this year is less certain due to the recent scandals.

Reactions on social media Monday were notably muted. Few nominees publicly commented, although official accounts for several films including โ€œBlack Pantherโ€ congratulated their stars.

The Globes drew flack for failing to nominate a single female movie director, or any best drama or best comedy films directed by women.ย 

Danielle Deadwylerโ€™s powerful performance as the mother of 14-year-old lynching victim Emmett Till in โ€œTillโ€ was among the morningโ€™s most controversial omissions.

But overall, Vanity Fair writers Katey Rich and David Canfield said Globes voters had โ€œplayed it safeโ€ this year, with few surprises.

On the television side, comedy โ€œAbbott Elementaryโ€ led with five nominations, while Netflixโ€™s British royals drama โ€œThe Crownโ€ was among several shows earning four nods.

โ€˜Not the old HFPAโ€™

The HFPA has recently expanded its voting body to include people with more diverse backgrounds, banned members from accepting gifts, and halted its in-person press conferences with stars, which were often derided for the improper behavior of some members.

โ€œThis is really not the old HFPA anymore,โ€ president Helen Hoehne recently told The Hollywood Reporter.

โ€œI respect Brendan Fraserโ€™s decisionโ€ฆ And I personally, sincerely hope thereโ€™s a way for us to move forward and we are able to regain Mr Fraserโ€™s trust, along with the trust of the entire entertainment community,โ€ she added.

Still, powerful Hollywood publicists remain divided over the Globes, with some expressing skepticism about the reforms โ€” and a reluctance to return to the event with their stars.

A plan by US billionaire Todd Boehly to spin off the awards show into a for-profit entity and pay salaries to members has raised eyebrows.


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