Golden Globes: My best-dressed is … Ali Larter

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I know Ali Larter is in “Heroes,” in which her superpower is … having a split personality. Hope that’s working for her, and for the viewers of “Heroes.” All I’m saying is she’s absolutely smokin’ hot. Not that hotness was in short supply on the Globes’ red carpet, but the whole package, dress included, just exudes classic movie-star hotness … and she is my best-dressed for this year’s Golden Globes.

There, I’ve got that out of my system. Now where’s my coffee?

Golden Globes: Princess Brangelina

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How can you argue with the glamour, style and nonchalance of Brangelina? If there is American royalty, it’s these two. But remember, Marilyn Beck and Stacy Jenel Smith of our Celebrities column know: BRAD PITT IS BOX OFFICE POISON. He can’t buy a hit (in movies that don’t also feature Clooney, that is).

Tell me, in your heart — deep within your cold, dark heart — would you really want to traipse around the developing world with Angelina Jolie, adopting children willy nilly and all that? Well, you know your answer. Keep it to yourself, chippie.

Parsing the Globes for ‘meaning’

The shortened Oscar season has neutered the influence? of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association to the point of irrelevancy.

Still … the search for MEANING continues.

Category by category …

BEST PICTURE

Long the presumed frontrunner, Dreamgirls? has been taking its hits lately. Thats the way it works when youre in the lead unless youre Helen Mirren. Or Jennifer Hudson. Then everyone else is just happy to be nominated.?

Tonights win solidifies Dreamgirls ?place at the table. Certainly, if Little Miss Sunshine? had taken the comedy/musical category, you would have been reading scores of little-engine-that-could? stories and more about the perceived flaws of Bill Condons musical. (As if Sunshine,? itself an arty spin on National Lampoons Vacation,? is a work of art.)

As it stands and has stood since it became apparent that Academy members arent bothering to watch Clint Eastwoods Letters From Iwo Jima? its a wide-open race between Dreamgirls,? Sunshine,? The Departed,? The Queen? and the HFPAs drama winner Babel.? (I dont think much of Babel? its chances or its storytelling, for that matter.)

BEST ACTOR

Forrest Whitaker remains the front-runner. Sacha Baron Cohen maybe gets a nomination. (He should. His is the most artistically daring work in the category.) But dont discount Will Smith, whose Pursuit of Happyness? is the most widely-seen and politically inoffensive (provided youre not offended by the films bland inoffensiveness) of the presumed nominees.

BEST ACTRESS

Helen Mirren.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Eddie Murphys win for his energetic Jackie Wilson / James Brown soul man in Dreamgirls? confirms him as the man to beat. And if an Oscar is what it takes to remind Murphy that he can entertain without debasing his considerable talent, then, by all means, give the man the statue.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Jennifer Hudson.

BEST DIRECTOR

God, its going to feel like a punch in the gut if Martin Scorsese loses again. Can he? Sure. But with Eastwood out of the picture, whos going to beat him? Stephen Frears? Bill Condon? Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, the least of The Three Amigos?? The Sunshine? newcomers?

No, this is shaping up to be Martys year at least, until they read first-timer Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris names for Little Miss Sunshine? and the world spins off its axis, hurls itself toward the sun and God repays the Academy for all those times Scorsese got ripped off.

“Babel” takes best drama!

“Babel” managed to beat out “The Departed,” “Bobby,” “Little Children” and “The Queen.” I’m not surprised since the movie had the most nominations and was clearly embraced by the Hollywood Foreign Press. Assn. It will be interesting to see how this effects its Oscar chances. I think “Dreamgirls” might have the edge come Oscar time. I was in the interview room when “Babel” won and it was a surreal expeirence. I rushed in and leaned against a wall and noticed that standing three feet away were Beyonce and Jennifer Hudson! I’m wondering what the heck they were doing there as the ‘Grey’s Anatomy” cast was on stage. Then I notice Eddie Murphy right behind me. He’s so small! But he’s cool. Very cool. When the producer Larry Marks and director Bill Condon show up, I realize they are there to talk about winning for best picture-musical or comedy.
Jennifer looks a little tired. Beyonce is energized calling it “a beautiful night.”

Forest Whitaker wins, struggles through speech…

Poor Forest Whitaker. He was so nervous that much of his speech for best actor in a drama for “The Last King of Scotland” was nearly inarticulate until he got himself together at the end and said “thank you to my ancestors for letting me stand on your shoulders.”

Here is part of what he said: “This is great. Wow. Wow. OK. Thank you. Thank you for this award, for the best actor award. Um. I’m really happy to be in the company of Leo and Will”
Then it got painful before he was able to gathe himself. Just a bit overcome by the moment. He’s the Oscar front-runner so I hope he will handle that occasion better…for his sake!!!

Backstage he was so much more relaxed and impressive as he talked about his craft and about how he feels like his best acting is still ahead of him: “There’s so many places to go, so many things to do. I just figured out, I think, how to do my work.”
Congrats to Forest!

Surprise, surprise…Mirren wins for “The Queen”

Helen Mirren is the queen tonight and the thing is, you feel like she deserves it! She tells the audience how Queen EIizabeth II stepped into “the role of a lifetime” in 1952 when her father died and left her as monarch.
Mirren told the audience: “I honestly feel this award belongs to her because I think you fell in love with her not with me. i tried to make her as truthful to herself as possible.”

Get that Oscar speech ready Helen!!!