Leonardo DiCaprio wins Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama, for ‘The Revenant’



By Brent Lang



The 73rd Annual Golden Globe Awards overflowed with shocks, surprises, new faces, and enough bad language to send the censors into an early grave.

If prognosticators and Oscar tea leaf readers were looking to the Globes to help crystalize a wild and wooly awards season, then their hopes for clarity may have been frustrated. The Martian, a science fiction thriller, was honored somewhat inexplicably in the comedy category, with even its director Ridley Scott expressing shock at the designation while picking up the best picture statue. Matt Damon was also recognized, earning a Best Actor in a Comedy statue for his work as an astronaut stranded on Mars.

Read More: TV Review: ‘The Golden Globe Awards’



But Scott, who was expected to be honored for his work helming the sci-fi epic was passed over in the directing category. Instead, Alejandro G. Iñárritu,who last year lost out on the Globe before going on to win an Oscar for Birdman, was called to the stage for his work overseeing The Revenant.

The historical drama about a fur trapper determined to exact vengeance generated headlines for a punishing shoot that led to crew defections and budget overruns. Calling the film the most difficult of his career, Iñárritu said, “pain is temporary but a film is forever.”

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There are some performers and films that will leave the Globes with momentum heading into the Oscars. Brie Larson and Leonardo DiCaprio helped cement their front-runner statuses picking up acting honors in a drama for their work in Room and The Revenant.

Jennifer Lawrence, a previous winner for Silver Linings Playbook, was recognized again for her work as the creator of the Miracle Mop in Joy. The film is Lawrence’s third collaboration with director David O. Russell — an intense bond that the actress alluded to by confessing, “I want us to be buried next to each other.”

Most award shows feature performers feigning surprise while accepting honors for the umpteenth time. In the case of the Globes, the astonishment seemed genuine. But that’s the nature of the Golden Globes, which are seen as looser, sassier, and more inebriated than the stately Oscars, and given to some head-scratching decisions.

It was also an evening of comebacks. Calling himself the “sum total of everyone I’ve ever met,” Sylvester Stallone earned a best supporting actor award for Creed. Noting that four decades had passed since Rocky put him on the map, Stallone thanked his “imaginary friend” Rocky Balboa” for being “the best friend that I ever had.”

If Stallone and Damon were heavily favored to make acceptance speeches, few saw most of the television winners coming. Amazon’s Mozart in the Jungle prevailed over better-known shows such as HBO’s Veep and Netflix’s Orange is the New Black to score a Best Comedy Series statue.

On the drama front, HBO’s Game of Thrones and Fox’s Empire may command larger audiences, but proved no match for the hacker thriller Mr. Robot from USA. Executive producer Sam Esmail praised the decision, noting “that took a lot of courage.”

And Christian Slater (Mr. Robot) and Maura Tierney (The Affair) were among the victors messing up betting pools, while the CW, USA and Amazon rivaled perennial awards juggernauts such as HBO and FX.

Even Kate Winslet was stunned that she managed to beat out the likes of Alicia Vikander and Helen Mirren to score a Best Supporting Actress statue for her work as Apple founder Steve Jobs’ assistant in Steve Jobs.

“Is this really happening!,” Winslet exclaimed. “What an incredible year for women in film,” the actress added. “I feel prouder than ever this year to be included.”

While best screenplay winner Aaron Sorkin, the man who had penned Steve Jobs, confessed “I thought I had as much chance of winning the screenplay award as I had of winning best actress in a musical.”