Arts & Entertainment

‘Nomadland’ triumphs at Golden Globes, sets course for Oscars

By David Villafranca

Los Angeles, United States, Feb 28 (efe-epa).- “Nomadland” fulfilled the forecasts that placed it as a great favorite in Sunday’s Golden Globes as it won the award for best dramatic film and set the standards for the Oscars, at which it will clearly arrive as the rival to beat.

Chloé Zhao’s acclaimed film, a poetic look at the devastating effects of 21st-century capitalism on American society, shared the limelight with “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm,” the sequel to “Borat” (2006) proclaimed the winner of the award for the best comic or musical film.

Both “Nomadland” (best drama and direction) and “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm” (best comedy and comic actor for Sacha Baron Cohen) won two awards each, the same as “Soul” (best animated film and soundtrack.)

The only low for “Nomadland” was that Frances McDormand failed to win the distinction for best dramatic actress, where Andra Day won for “The United States vs. Billie Holiday.”

In any case, the most emotional moment of the night was for the late Chadwick Boseman, best dramatic actor for “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” and whose widow gave a powerful and heartbreaking speech.

No one was taken by surprise by the success of “Nomadland.”

It received the Golden Lion in Venice, won the Toronto Audience Award (TIFF), and has swept critical acclaim in the United States.

In this strange season of Hollywood awards, with largely virtual awards such as Sunday’s and after a year of closed theaters, “Nomadland” consolidated its options for the Oscars. It beat “The Trial of the Chicago 7” to best drama, the candidate who could have best competed for the award.

Zhao made history as the second woman to receive the award for best director after Barbra Streisand (“Yentl” in 1984.)

“‘Nomadland’, at its heart, is a pilgrimage through mourning and healing. So for everyone who has been through this beautiful and difficult journey at some point in their lives, this is for you,” she said.

“We don’t say goodbye. We say, ‘See you on the road,'” she added, quoting one of the movie’s key phrases.

The other big smile of the night was that of Sacha Baron Cohen, with two comedy awards for “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm,” who was critical of the awards panel.

“Thanks to the ‘all white’ Hollywood Foreign Press Association,” he said, recalling that there are no black members at the Golden Globes organization.

“Trump has contested this result. He claims that a lot of dead people have voted, which is a very rude thing to say about the [organization.]”

In addition, he thanked “comedy genius” Rudy Giuliani, who was responsible for one of the most surreal and disgusting scenes in his film.

Aaron Sorkin, at the forefront of the political vindication of the protest in “The Trial of the Chicago 7”, settled for the award for best screenplay.

“Democracy is not something you believe in or where you put your hat: it is something you do,” he said, recalling the words of his character Abbie Hoffman.

“You participate. If you stop doing it, democracy falls apart. I don’t need any more evidence than what happened on Jan. 6 (assault on the US Capitol) to agree to this,” he added.

The most resounding disappointment was that of “Mank”: David Fincher’s film landed at the Globes as the most nominated with six nominations and went home empty-handed.

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