AS unlikely as it may seem, casino mogul James Packer has emerged as the most successful Australian at this year’s Golden Globes.
Packer, who is best known in the US for dating Mariah Carey, is the executive producer of the 19th century survival movie, The Revenant, which won Best Film, Best Director, and Best Actor.
Packer put up the money for the film, which stars Leonardo DiCaprio, who is hoping to win his first Oscar for his performance as a fur trapper Hugh Glass, who is attacked by a bear and left for dead by his team.
The film is directed by Alejandro G. Inarritu, who directed last year’s Oscar winner, Birdman, which was also produced by Packer’s company, RatPac.
The Revenant is now in the box seat for Oscar nominations.
Inarritu beat Australia’s own George Miller, who had been nominated for Best Director for Mad Max: Fury Road.
The 73rd annual Golden Globe awards were held at the Beverly Hilton hotel.
Acerbic host, Ricky Gervais, arrived with a beer in hand, and opened by saying: ‘Shut-up, you pill-popping, sexual deviant scum.’
He promised to ‘go into hiding’ after event, adding: ‘Not even Sean Penn will find me.’
Gervais was unofficially banned as host of the Globes for two years, after offending so many of the guests last time he took to the stage.
He said: ‘I’ve changed. Not as much as Bruce Jenner, obviously.’
He added: ‘If you do win tonight, remember no-one cares as much as you do. Don’t get emotional. It’s worthless. It’s a bit of metal that some nice old confused journalists wanted to give you so they could meet you and get a selfie.’ He also told the audience that he used his own Golden Globe statue as a sex aid.
Ricky Gervais
Besides The Revenant, the main winners were Kate Winslet, for her performances in Steve Jobs.
Kate used her speech to hail an ‘incredible year for women in film … there’s a real sense of girl power this year in terms of performance.’
Veteran Sylvester Stallone, who exploded onto movie screen in Rocky four decades ago, got a standing ovation when he went to accept his award for best supporting actor for his role in Creed.
He thanked ‘my imaginary friend Rocky Balboa for being the best friend I ever had.’
Lady Gaga got a prize for her role in American Horror Story, then lost the audience by talking for too long in a way best described as lacking in humility.
She also bumped, without apology, into Leo, who was crowd favourite.
Leo used his speech to acknowledge the suffering and displacement of indigenous people around the globe.
He also acknowledged the grueling nature of the role: among other things, he had to sleep inside the carcass of a horse in The Revenant.
Fans hope that Leo can take out the Oscar this year, after missing out for his many stellar performances in Titantic, Gangs of New York, The Great Gatsby, The Aviator, Romeo and Juliet, and countless other terrific films.
Ricky Gervais lived up to his reputation as brutal comic when he introduced Mel Gibson by saying he’d rather have a drink with Mel than with Bill Cosby, who was last week charged with the rape of a drunken girl in Philadelphia.
One of his best, most vicious jokes came when he introduced the films Joy and Trainwreck, saying they were ‘not the names of Charlie Sheen’s two favourite hookers.’
Cate Blanchett missed out on a prize for her performance as the lesbian lover of a young New York shop assistant in Carol.
The only other Australian up for an award, Ben Mendelsohn, who played a misfit son in the TV series Bloodline, also missed out.
