“One Battle After Another” reigned supreme at the Golden Globes on Sunday, winning best comedy, while “Hamnet” sprung a surprise by taking best drama film at the splashy Hollywood ceremony.
Paul Thomas Anderson’s screwball thriller “One Battle,” which centers on an aging revolutionary played by Leonardo DiCaprio, led the night by winning four of its nine nominations.
It also collected awards for best director, best screenplay and best supporting actress for Teyana Taylor at the lavish Globes gala, which is a key stepping stone on the road to the Oscars in March.
“You guys are being so generous with this affection for me and this film — and I’ll take it,” beamed Anderson.
His film — a rollicking ride featuring violent leftist radicals, immigration raids and white supremacists — has connected with audiences and critics at a time when the United States is deeply polarised.
But in the closely watched lead actor category, DiCaprio was passed over in favor of Timothee Chalamet’s performance as an ambitious 1950s table tennis player in “Marty Supreme.”
“I’m in a category with many greats — this category is stacked. I look up to all of you,” said Chalamet, who also bested George Clooney (“Jay Kelly”) and Ethan Hawke (“Blue Moon”).
Chalamet said his four previous Globes losses “make this moment that much sweeter” before thanking his girlfriend Kylie Jenner.
‘Hamnet’ upset
The Globes offer separate awards for dramas and comedies/musicals — widening the field of stars in attendance.
The night’s final award was its biggest surprise.
“Hamnet,” a tragic literary adaptation that imagines the life of William Shakespeare and his wife as they cope with the death of their son, took best drama.
“Sinners,” Ryan Coogler’s period horror film about the segregated South of the 1930s, had been expected to prevail.
“I loved the book, but I felt there was really only one filmmaker on the face of the planet who could tell the story,” said Steven Spielberg, a producer on the movie, before handing the microphone to director Chloe Zhao.
