Tonight brings us the most significant of pre-Oscar Awards ceremonies: the Golden Globes. Okay, so the level of legitimacy that the HFPA has inspired is questionable at best. But there can be no question that the Globes have the highest profile of all the events leading up to Oscar’s big night. More importantly, though, Ricky Gervais is going to go absolutely mental tonight.

Guy posted his Golden Globe predictions earlier today, as well as his ideal selections. Though there are several categories where Guy and I are of a similar mind, there are one or two, however, where I favor a different film. In any event, here is our opportunity to share our thoughts as the evening unfolds on the hits and misses of the honors, speeches and inevitable deliciously inappropriate musings of the host.

I”ll my posting my own up to date reflections and invite you to join in with your opinions. Kris will be busy representing In Contention in and around the Beverly Hilton, where everyone from Fox to Universal to Weinstein and Warner Bros. will be (they hope) celebrating their spoils. He’ll be back soon enough to report from those, but in the interim, three, two, one…

You can also follow @kristapley on twitter for on the ground updates.

For great updates in the TV categories you can also check in with Dan Fienberg the Hitfix TV expert.

8:00: Well that”s the end of it then. Full list of winners below. A couple of small surprises tossed in, but, in general terms, all safe selections. I wish there were some more interesting choices in the mix. A bit more “Margaret” and “Shame” though I enjoyed the films that were honored. Disappointed in Gervais. I genuinely believed he would make more of this. In better news, his show looks hilarious.

Onward.

7:45: And it”s “The Descendants.”

7:47: And here is where I really protest. Look it”s not that Clooney wasn”t great in the role. He was. But this was Fassbender”s award. However, he was never going to win. It”s a shame (I apologize) but “Shame” really is one of my absolute favorites this year and I cannot see why it has not gotten more recognition. Other than we are a world of man and women children that turn a blind eye to anything that involves truthful discomfort. Sigh. At least I enjoyed Clooney”s speech overall.

Side note: Portman looks incredible,

7:41: “The Artist” is no surprise. But I just can not agree with what seems to be its inevitable win at the Oscars. In any event…

7:33: Meryl Streep seems to have made a funny. Not sure what it was. But it seems like a great thing that she is an actress rather than an improvisational comedian. All do respect. The fact is, I absolutely do respect her and happen to think she was phenomenal in this role. “God, Harvey Weinstein” nice save on that speech! Sort of.

This was a fierce field indeed. I would have loved to see Tilda Swinton win for “Let”s Talk About Kevin” but I am good with this win. Though I may be in the minority.

Was Gervais saving the somewhat good bits for Colin Firth who he knows we all love. Also, I love Colin Firth. More saliently, these cutaways are embarrassing.

7:29: Ricky, will you ever break free of this seemingly impenetrable leash? Pretty please. I was promised “mental.”

7:24: I just do not see the performances, as lovely and charming as they are, as the thing to pull out from “The Artist.” Alas.

Wahlberg could not sound more bored.

I would follow Benedict Cumberbatch anywhere.

7:20: Well, that settles it. Sofia Vergara & “Modern Family” creator Steve Levitan (as a unit) give the best speech of the night.

7:16: I dislike that I did not hear what is likely the most interesting thing the host had to say all night.

7:13: Interesting. Martin Scorsese represents the first real, true surprise of the night for me. My guess is that “Hugo” will not win Best Picture. The vote will have been split between Best Director and Picture with “The Artist” taking Picture in all likelihood.

7:11: Robert Downey Jr. paying tribute to “Hugo” reminds me that I loved him in and as “Chaplin.”

7:06: Secondary side note: I think they are trying to filibuster Gervais.

7:05: Side note: I am planning to hire Freeman to narrate my life.

7:03: I”m willing to wait for Sidney Poitier to finish a thought. So should we all. Helen Miren may fall a bit flat, but, on the upside looks incredible. Forgive me, but I never really did understand why “Driving Miss Daisy” became such a thing. Having said that I got teary eyed looking at “The Shawshank Redemption” montage and I”m not afraid to say it.

All said, I forgot that Morgan Freeman could be so fierce. “John Doe” has the upper hand indeed. And finally, sweet lord, I love “Unforgiven,” my favorite of Eastwood”s other than the less hailed “A Perfect World.”

6:55: Reese Witherspoon is looking remarkably Legally Blondy. Which is not necessarily a bad thing.

6:52: Will Gervais offer a rebuttal to Madonna (who is from DETROIT). Alas, the accent remains.

6:49: Side note: An unnamed actor told me the other day that he”d like to smack Bradley Cooper around a bit. Thoughts?

6:46: Octavia Spencer takes it again all but solidifying her Oscar win. Love her, I do, but I have to agree this should have gone to Chastain.

6:38: I must say, no real stand-outs in the speech department thus far…Spielberg keeps it nice and simple.

6:31: “A Separation” is absolutely the correct choice in this category. I love the raw, intimate portrait it paints and it strangely reminds me somewhat of “Margaret” in the way it presents the macro via the micro. But there is something about the Pygmalion like “The Skin I Live In” that stays with me.

6:26: The show does indeed seem to be hosting itself. Where is the promised mania I ask you?

6:23: Singing intro: Possibly the best joke of the night.

6:22: Woody Allen could not care less about this stuff! Hilarious! He wants to say “thank you” indeed!

6:21: I would not call “50/50” as one of my top ten (though I really like it) but I have such an affection for Anna Kendrick and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

6:14: Wow. I really believed this should be, and would be “Rango.” In any event, Steven Spielberg is impossible not to like, and it is fun to watch him play without restriction in “Tintin.”

6:07: “Game of Thrones???” Okay, but this is a great one. May we also suggest checking Peter Dinklage out in Tom McCarthy”s “The Station Agent” as well?

6:06: Also it is a loose interpretation of comedy.

Michelle Williams was lovely in the role as I”ve said, but Rogen did not hide his disdain for the interpretation of the category “the hysterical comedy…” My, my. I don”t mind this win and really respect her as a talent, though I do believe the interpretation of the strength of her performance is somewhat off. She is a gorgeous Marilyn, but we do not really see Norma Jean.

Again, can’t begrudge her the win.

6:00: Rogen speaks for all the gentlemen in the room. Beckinsale is flawless.

5:59: Homies Pitt and Clooney introduce one another”s films. I actually enjoy the symmetry. Though I always enjoy symmetry. But I far prefer “Moneyball” to “The Ides of March.” As I mentioned earlier, the intern storyline really did not work for me.

5:52: I have to agree with the comments. Gervais seems leashed.

5:48: I’ve said it, several times, but this is out of control!! Really, Madonna??? Could you be star grabbing any more blatantly? She hasn’t walked a carpet in years. Fine. But Blige would have been the one sans “The Muppets.”

5:46: These expressions are priceless.

5:44: Best Original Score. This is one where Guy and I disagree. I actually think “The Artist” is all about the score.

5:40: I must check out “Homeland” and hear it is wonderful. But as my friend Ned says: “Winter is totally still coming.”

5:35: “Defecating into a sink less demeaning than what most of you have done to make it in show business.” I do so love you Gervais.

5:32: “You have no idea.” That is all. Jeremy Irons.

5:27: What I love about “Midnight In Paris”: how the tone switches from author to author, the fantastical look at the human tendency to romanticize the past both individual and collective. What I did not love: Rachel McAdams doing her Woody Allen.

5:25: I”d love to take this moment to recommend that everyone go back and take another look at Todd Haynes”s filmogrophy. I love his work. “Safe” and “Velvet Goldmine” are two particular favorites.

5:21: Okay, we are about movies. But there are not words to express my addiction and love for “Downton Abbey.” Side note, “Downton””s Elizabeth McGovern is married to “My Week With Marilyn” director Simon Curtis. Okay.

5:18: Ohhhh, awkward with the teleprompter. Nice recovery Moore.

Also, I have never read so many mentions of velociraptors.

5:10: Christopher Plummer is no real surprise, he is the front runner for the Best Supporting Oscar win. Lovely speech on his part. I know there will be those who will bemoan the Albert Brooks loss in this field, but I do love Plummer. This may be one of the last chances for him to receive recognition. Also, I do appreciate a man that values his martini…I mean wife.

5:08: The man who will wear literally anything Tim Burton tells him to seems far more dower when reading off the prompter. Still, how can you not love Johnny Depp. Sufficiently nice montage for “Hugo.”

5:05: My favorite of the HPFA rules to Gervais is not to mention Gibson or Jodie Foster”s Beaver. Best jab is at the Foreign Press itself. Overall not over the line in my mind. What is twitter talking about.

Red Carpet Shenanigans:

There is rarely much depth yielded from red carpets, however, there are brief moments of interest to be noted here and there.

On to NBC coverage.

4:59: Embarrassing to hear the stage manager over NBC”s red carpet hosts. Onward.

4:51: Glenn Close nominated in the original song category (again, I say, “The Muppets”) as well as an actress. Here is the night that she steps ahead of her co-star Janet McTeer. Though I don”t believe this will be the night that she takes the prize.

4:45: Clooney says that the best, least seen film of the year is “Warrior.” I really enjoyed “Warrior” and wish more people had seen it – but I”d have to say “Margaret” of course would be my pick in that particular field. Thanks to Sasha Perelraver for that update.

4:40: I am hearing rumors of a Goslingless Globes. Say it ain”t so.

4:35: Leonardo DiCaprio was drawn to “J. Edgar” in that he could not easily define the character. Though DiCaprio delivers a fine performance, the lack of clarity in the overall film really served to dilute the impact for me. In any event, he is not likely to take the prize tonight. But surely he will at some point in his career. Likely sooner rather than later.

4:33: Will Arnett and Amy Poehler are ready for Gervais to unleash the Kraken on Hollywood. My guess is that they”re safe.

4:23: Evan Rachel Wood is lovely. Congrats to her on her nomination for Best Supporting Actress “Mildred Pierce.” I must say, however, that (through no fault of her own) her storyline in “The Ides of March” all but killed the film for me. It weakened to motivations and felt somewhat trite (as true to life as it may be). The real meat of the betrayal, for me as a viewer, lay in the selling of Cabinet positions. And the real crux of the drama lay in the game of mental chess that the characters took part in.

4:18: I love Sir Elton John, of course. But can we say one more time how absolutely ludicrous it is that “The Muppets” were not nominated (thrice) for Best Original Song?

4:10: Michelle Williams muses on Marilyn Monroe”s intelligence and wit. I”ve listened to Marilyn speak in her “real” voice on several occasions and have been deeply impressed with just how smart and self-aware she was. What”s interesting to me about “My Week With Marilyn” is that what feels impressive to me about Williams performance has been misunderstood in my mind. She serves beautifully as the fantasized version of the boy”s perception, even in her frailty. But she still remains essentially the created figure: Marilyn. She never really “drops the act” as it were, nor should she. She is what Colin envisioned her to be and her performance captures that notion perfectly. But the idea that the real woman is presented seems somewhat inaccurate in my mind. However, I did really enjoy what she did.

4:00: Berenice Bejo says there was “no risk, just pleasure” in the creation of the silent film “The Artist.” Indeed, she served as muse for her husband, and “The Artist” director Michel Hazanavicius. I find the film charming, creative and deeply enjoyable. It sort of defines “feel good” for me this year. And as much as the performances added to that effect, I find it odd that they have been pulled out as much as they have. The broad nature is inherently limited for me. In any event, she looks absolutely gorgeous.

3:50: “Life”s Too Short” looks hilarious.

3:45: Alright twitter. Yes, Kelly Osbourne”s hair has a grey-blue tint. Moving right along.

3:40: Rooney Mara apparently takes the physical portions of her roles quite seriously. Not certain I”d be quite that willing to get multiple piercings, but who knows. I don”t believe it will yield a win this year, but her nomination does perhaps bode well for her cache in Hollywood and the scope of her choice in her career. It will be interesting to see how she utilizes that power

3:40: Octavia Spencer watched to Globes at a friend”s place last year with an in house betting pool. She”d be smart to bet on herself this year. Of course, she served as the inspiration for her character Minny. She was in New Orleans on a working vacation with director Tate Taylor and his childhood friend (and “The Help” author) Kathryn Stockett when Stockett asked Spencer if she could use her mannerisms as reference for Minny. I am somewhat surprised that E! chose not to ask her about the correlation. Somewhat.

3:30: Forgive me, it must be said, Jessica Chastain looks stunning. She doesn”t say much more than she is excited to be there. But she does mention that she felt that she had previously believed that there was a “Chastain curse.” She made her first film four years ago and had 11 in the can before one was released. Clearly the Gods of timing were working in her favor. This year is without much question the year of Chastain. How that will play out in terms of wins, however, remains to be seen.

She mentions a Princess Di biopic in the work and as a side note, clearly watches reality TV.

Not sure if I find that endearing or disappointing to be honest. Given the option I”ll role with endearing.

3:10: George Clooney who is nominated for Best Actor in a Drama, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Motion Picture Drama and Best Director does not feel he will win in all fields. He will likely win for Best Actor. He is interestingly enough up against his own work in some instances with Ryan Gosling nominated as Best Actor for his film “The Ides of March,” which is also nominated as Best Picture against “The Descendents.” Though he does put the ceremony in its proper perspective:

“What”s fun is that people get hammered and then people give funny speeches.”

3:05 PM: Christopher Guest wishes Gervais good luck for his hosting duties, which I certainly hope accurately sets the tone for the festivities. Meanwhile, Ricky reports that he feels that the build up to tonight”s performance has been largely overblown as was the response to last years. Summing the press response thusly:

“Normally you have to murder someone to get that much column space, I just told some jokes.”

Indeed.

——————-

Once again, the winners of this year’s Golden Globes are:

Best Picture (Drama): “The Descendants”

Best Picture (Comedy or Musical): “The Artist”

Best Director: Martin Scorsese, “Hugo”

Best Actor (Drama): George Clooney, “The Descendants”

Best Actor (Comedy or Musical): Jean Dujardin, “The Artist”

Best Actress (Drama): Meryl Streep, “The Iron Lady”

Best Actress (Comedy or Musical): Michelle Williams, “My Week with Marilyn”

Best Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer, “Beginners”

Best Supporting Actress: Octavia Spencer, “The Help”

Best Screenplay: “Midnight in Paris”

Best Original Score: “The Artist”

Best Original Song: “Masterpiece” from “W.E.”

Best Animated Feature: “The Adventures of Tintin”

Best Foreign Language Film: “A Separation”

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