One voice for women
> Hollywood stars dress in black and declare war on sexual misconduct at the first major award show of 2018, the Golden Globes
on the film side, and TV juggernauts The Handmaid’s Tale and Big Little Lies.
The overall message at the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s champagne- drenched annual prize-giving was a call for continued change. Meryl Streep, who was nominated for her work in media drama The Post, said on the red carpet: “People are aware now of a power imbalance. It’s led to abuse in our industry ... It’s everywhere.” Seth Meyers, making his debut as Globes host, opened the show with joke after joke about Hollywood’s postWeinstein reckoning. “It’s 2018, marijuana is finally allowed, and sexual harassment finally isn’t,” the late night NBC funnyman said. “It’s going to be a good year. “For the male nominees in the room tonight, this is the first time in three months it won’t be terrifying to hear your name read out loud.”
Leading the pack by the end of the night was Three Billboards, Martin McDonagh’s searing film about a mother who battles local authorities to solve her daughter’s murder.
It picked up trophies for best drama, best screenplay, best actress for Frances McDormand, and best supporting actor for Sam Rockwell.
“The women are not here for the food, they’re here for the work,” McDormand said to applause, noting the “tectonic shift in our industry’s power structure”.
But McDonagh lost out in the directing category to Mexican filmmaker Guillermo del Toro, whose fantasy romance The Shape of Water came in as joint runner-up alongside Lady Bird with two awards each.
There were no nominations at all for female directors, prompting withering remarks from presenters Natalie Portman, Jessica Chastain, and Barbra Streisand.
Streisand, who won the award for Yentl, said: “Did I hear it right – I was the only woman to get the best director award. And, you know, that was 1984?”
While many fields were wide open, James Franco ( The Disaster Artist) was always a shoo-in to win best actor in a musical/comedy movie.
Franco – who also directed the film, which tells the unlikely story of Tommy Wiseau’s 2003 flop-turned-cult hit The Room – honoured his brother and costar Dave: “I love him more than anything. Thanks to my mother for giving him to me.”
Saoirse Ronan ( Lady Bird) pipped Margot Robbie ( I, Tonya) in the much closer best actress race, and Ronan was back on stage again alongside director Greta Gerwig when the coming-of-age fable won best comedy movie.
Gary Oldman, who earned wide acclaim for virtually disappearing into the role of British wartime prime minister Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour, took home the Globe for best actor in a drama. – AFP