Epic immigration drama “The Brutalist” and surreal narco-musical “Emilia Perez” are the big winners at this year’s Golden Globes, as the awards were spread across a wide range of international films.
“The Brutalist” was named best drama film at the first major showbiz awards gala of the year on Sunday, putting it on track to become a major Oscar contender. Adrien Brody, who plays a Hungarian Holocaust survivor, also won best actor.
Meanwhile, French director Jacques Audiard’s Mexican-set film “Emilia Perez” won four awards, including best comedy or musical film.
“Emilia Perez,” about a drug lord who transitions into life as a woman, entered the evening with ten nominations and had the most nominations. The film won for Best Non-English Language Film and Best Original Song, while Zoe Saldana took home the Best Supporting Actress award, edging out her co-star Selena Gomez.
“You may be able to put us in prison, you may beat us up, but you can never take away our soul, our resistance, our identity,” said Karla Sofia Gascon, the film’s star, who is transgender.
Big wins at the Globes can help films attract new viewers and provide important momentum for the Oscars in early March.
“The Brutalist,” which ignored concerns about its long running time, also won best director for Brady Corbet.
“I was told that no one would come out and see it,” Corbet said of his epic about a Jewish architect who survives Nazi persecution and emigrates to the United States.
“Nobody asked for a three-and-a-half-hour film about a mid-century designer… but it works,” he added.
Brazil’s Fernanda Torres won best actress in a drama for “I’m Still Here,” about a family torn apart by the country’s military dictatorship in the 1970s.
Brody’s best actor win was one of the night’s notable career comebacks, more than two decades after he became the youngest Oscar winner ever for “The Pianist,” in which he also played a Holocaust survivor.
And there was another late-career triumph for Demi Moore, who won best actress in the horror comedy “The Substance,” which takes a satirical and often grotesque look at the pressures society puts on women as they age.
Accepting her award, Moore reflected on how she was told by a Hollywood producer decades ago that she was “a popcorn actress.”
The Globes winners are chosen by 334 entertainment journalists from 85 countries, compared to about 9,000 voters who vote for the Academy Awards.
The Globes’ voting body has expanded in recent years and organizers introduced reforms after being criticized for ethical lapses and a lack of diversity.
In the television categories of the 82nd awards ceremony, FX’s “Shogun,” the historical epic set in Imperial Japan, won the prestigious trophy for best drama television series, while “Hacks,” known for its complex female stand-up comedian, won the Won the award for best comedy.
“Shogun,” a tale of political machinations, also won best female and male actor awards for first-time winners Anna Sawai and Hiroyuki Sanada.
For the second time, Jean Smart won Best Actress in a Comedy Series for “Hacks.”
Other awards included Jeremy Allen White for The Bear, Jodie Foster for True Detective and Colin Farrell for his physical transformation in The Penguin.
