“The Brutalist” and “Emilia Perez” topped the movie categories at the 82nd annual Golden Globes on Sunday, while “Shogun” did the same in the television categories on a night that also delivered a handful of surprises in the acting categories.
“Emilia Perez,” the musical film about a cartel boss who transitions from male to female, was the biggest winner of this year’s film awards, winning four Golden Globes including best motion picture comedy or musical, best non-English movie, supporting actress in a comedy or musical for Zoe Saldaña, and best original song.
“The Brutalist,” is the story of an immigrant midcentury architect, with a runtime of more than three hours. It won three Golden Globes including best motion picture drama, best actor in a motion picture drama for Adrien Brody, and best director for Brady Corbet, who also wrote the screenplay.
“I was told that this film was undistributable,” Corbet said of the challenges “The Brutalist” faced. “I was told no one would come out and see it. I was told it wouldn’t work. And I don’t resent that.
“But I want to use this as an opportunity to lift up filmmakers,” he continued. “Let’s prop them up. No one was asking for a three-and-a-half-hour film about a midcentury designer on 70 millimeter. But it works.”
“Emilia Perez” writer-director Jacques Audiard invited his star, the Spanish actress Karla Sofía Gascón, who like the character she played is transgender, to speak in his place when the movie won best comedy or musical.
“The light always wins over darkness,” Gascón said of the message the movie delivers about identity, equality and justice. “You can maybe put us in jail. You can beat us up. But you never can take away our soul, our existence, our identity. Raise your voice, and say I am who I am.”
Despite dominating the pop culture discourse over the last month and half, the musical “Wicked” only won the Golden Globe for box office and cinematic achievement, a category the Globes added a year ago to honor the commercial successes of the year. Its stars, Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, went home otherwise emptyhanded.
Perhaps the biggest surprise of the night came when Brazilian actress Fernanda Torres won best female actor in a motion picture drama for “I’m Still Here,” beating such heavyweight contenders as Angelina Jolie, Nicole Kidman, and Kate Winslet.
“Of course, I want to dedicate it to my mother,” Torres said of her actress mother Fernanda Montenegro, who was nominated for a Golden Globe and Oscar in 1999 for the Brazilian film “Central Station. “You have no idea. She was here 25 years ago and this is proof that art can endure through life, even in difficult moments like this.”
“Shogun” won all four Golden Globes it was nominated for including best television drama, best actor, best actress, and best supporting actor.
“Hacks” won a pair of awards including best television comedy and best actress in a television comedy for star Jean Smart. “Baby Reindeer” also won a pair of Golden Globes including best limited series and best supporting actress in a series or limited series for Jessica Gunning.