The 2020 Golden Globes have come and gone – and presenter Ricky Gervais left Hollywood scorched and singed by his scabrous delivery. But while a vast majority of Tinseltown's elite were left red in the face, several individuals were celebrating a host of awards wins, which may point the way towards the Oscars in February.
Here's the rundown of the Golden Globe winners in 2020...
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Writer-director Quentin Tarantino's ninth feature film surprised everyone with its wins for Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy, Best Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor for Brad Pitt. It may only have been three wins, but that made it the most lauded movie of the evening, and its success may bode well at the Oscars.
Of course, Tarantino has past form with awards bodies. He's won the Best Original Screenplay Oscar twice before, for Pulp Fiction and Django Unchained, and has clinched two Best Supporting Actor Oscars for Christoph Waltz. On reflection, his Golden Globe win for the screenplay is perhaps less than revelatory, although whether the movie will triumph with the Academy Award for Best Picture remains to be seen.
Given the Golden Globes split the Best Film category between comedy and drama, it's perhaps true that Hollywood had an extra advantage. (The Best Drama winner was World War I movie 1917.) At the Oscars, all movies are clumped together in this pivotal category, so it's all to play for. However, consider Tarantino's script and Brad Pitt's memorable supporting performance as key contenders.
Joker
Ferociously dark comic book thriller Joker was largely driven by the anguish and torment of Joaquin Phoenix's central performance. So Phoenix's win for Best Actor - Drama was a shoo-in – he's built a reputation for animalistic, disturbing performances, and the twisted Joker origin story is the ideal platform for his singular talents.
It's highly likely that Phoenix will convert his Golden Globe win into a Best Actor Oscar triumph. However, the film's chance at both Best Picture and Best Director remain to be seen. The movie lost out in both fields at the Globes, and there's a chance that the nature of the movie will be too controversial for Oscar voters to handle.
Maybe by awarding Phoenix on his own, the Academy Awards will consider that enough of a consolation prize? That said, composer Hildur Gudnadottir won the Golden Globe for Best Original Score over the revered likes of 1917's Thomas Newman and Little Women's Alexandre Desplat, so there's every chance Joker could pick up an Oscar in this category.
1917
Sam Mendes walked away with the Golden Globe for Best Director for this powerful World War I drama. This is hardly surprising as the lion's share of the critical plaudits have centred on the movie's technical achievements. It's presented in the illusion of one shot, in fact a series of remarkably complex long takes stitched together, and provides maximum immersion in the horrors of trench warfare.
Mendes has past form at the Oscars: he won the Best Director award for his 1999 movie debut American Beauty. This may curry favour with the Academy Award voters in 2020, and the film's Golden Globe win for Best Film - Drama may also put it in an advantageous position.
Of course, the Globes don't have a category for Best Cinematography, whereas the Oscars do. Expect 1917's formidable Roger Deakins, Oscar winner for Blade Runner 2049, to be a front runner in this field.
1917 is released in Cineworld cinemas on the 10th of January.
Judy
Judy's Renee Zellweger win the Golden Globe for Best Actress for her memorable portrayal of Hollywood legend Judy Garland, a win no doubt spurred on by unanimous critical acclaim.
It's highly expected that she will walk away with her first Oscar for Best Actress – she previously won Best Supporting Actress in 2003 for Cold Mountain. The critical prestige of her performance, combined with the fact that Academy voters love real-life portrayals, will likely skew the odds in her favour.
Rocketman
We've already mentioned how actors playing real individuals have an advantage as far as awards are concerned. Step forward Taron Egerton, who scooped his first Golden Globe for portraying pop icon Elton John in fantastical biopic Rocketman.
He won in the Best Actor - Comedy or Musical category, so when the contenders are clustered together in the Oscar nominations, consider him the main rival for Joaquin Phoenix's crown.
The Farewell
If Joaquin Phoenix and Taron Egerton are gearing up for an Oscars title fight, yet more ringside seats are being reserved for the Renee Zellweger vs Awkwafina contest. The latter won her first Golden Globe for her subtly moving performance in The Farewell, a poignant story about a Chinese-American woman compelled to lie to her grandmother about her cancer diagnosis.
The Farewell received worldwide acclaim for Awkwafina's performance and Lulu Wang's sensitive direction, and while it may be a more subdued, subtle movie than its awards brethren, don't underestimate its chances.
Missing Link
Perhaps the biggest surprise of the night was in the Best Animated Film category. Relatively humble stop-motion movie Missing Link beat out the heavy-hitting likes of Disney-Pixar (Toy Story 4) and Universal (How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World) to walk away with the coveted prize.
Will the latest movie from Laika (Kubo and the Two Strings) triumph at the Oscars? Given the Globes are set to augur well for the Academy Awards, it seems very likely.
What do you think these Golden Globe wins tell us about the Oscars? The big night gets underway on the 9th of February, so tweet us your thoughts @Cineworld, and check out our Oscars predictions video below.
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