Golden Globes 2016: the winners, the highs and the lows
The Revenant and The Martian triumph and Ricky Gervais offends everyone in Hollywood
This year's Golden Globes saw The Revenant lift the night's most coveted prize, while its lead actor Leonardo DiCaprio had Twitter buzzing and host Ricky Gervais's sour wit raised eyebrows.
The 73rd annual awards ceremony, honouring the year's best film and television, were held last night in Beverly Hills and adventure drama The Revenant was its biggest winner, picking up best drama film, best director (Alejandro Inarritu) and best drama actor (DiCaprio).
Its leading man also had a starring role on Twitter after being caught pulling a face when he was bumped into by Lady Gaga as she went to collect a prize. The moment inspired countless gifs and memes, though DiCaprio later told ET he had just been surprised because he didn't know who was behind him.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Ridley Scott's sci-fi hit The Martian was named best comedy or musical film, which allowed the director to joke that he expected to receive that honour posthumously, and its star Matt Damon picked up the best actor award in that category.
Brie Larson was named best actress in a drama for The Room, while Jennifer Lawrence won best comedy actress for Joy.
British winners included Kate Winslet, who scored best supporting actress for her role in Steve Jobs, singer Sam Smith, who lifted the trophy for his Bond theme tune Writing's On The Wall, and the BBC's adaptation of Wolf Hall, which was named best mini-series.
British nominees Eddie Redmayne (The Danish Girl), Dame Helen Mirren (Trumbo), Dame Maggie Smith (The Lady in the Van) and Idris Elba (Beasts of No Nation), however, missed out on awards. Hopefuls Carol, Mad Max: Fury Road, and The Danish Girl also failed to win a statue.
British comedian Ricky Gervais hosted the event for the fourth time (he previously emceed 2010-12), but not everyone was a fan of his spiky humour.
The comedian called the Hollywood crowd "sexual deviant scum" and took aim at the organisers, network hosts NBC, Sean Penn, the Catholic Church, Roman Polanski, Caitlyn Jenner, Jennifer Lawrence and the previous hosts.
He also warned winners not to take their prizes too seriously. "No one cares about that award as much as you do," he said. "That award is - no offence - worthless."
He started with "a searingly offensive opening monologue that spectacularly and predictably divided opinion on social media", says Ben Hoyle in The Times, adding that Gervais showed "his savage and irreverent approach to the role had not mellowed with his absence".
Yes, Gervais upheld his reputation "as one of the most shameless awards show emcees in recent memory", says Caroline Framke on Vox. But "he was, to be frank, not very good".
No surprise there, says Vulture. "When Ricky Gervais hosts an awards show, you pretty much know what you're gonna get. And that's what we got."
We had, continues Vulture, transphobic jokes, old Charlie Sheen jokes and recycled Mel Gibson material, but the question is "why are we back here?"
It adds: "After a delightful and genuinely funny, but still often edgy, run with Amy [Schumer] and Tina [Fey]… why did the Globes revert back to Gervais and his stale, antagonistic shtick?"
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
5 hilariously spirited cartoons about the spirit of Christmas
Cartoons Artists take on excuses, pardons, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Inside the house of Assad
The Explainer Bashar al-Assad and his father, Hafez, ruled Syria for more than half a century but how did one family achieve and maintain power?
By The Week UK Published
-
Sudoku medium: December 22, 2024
The Week's daily medium sudoku puzzle
By The Week Staff Published
-
Why has Joker: Folie à Deux divided critics?
Talking Point The sequel to Joker is 'staggeringly inept' in its attempts to explore mental health issues – but Lady Gaga is 'magnetic'
By The Week UK Published
-
Movies to watch in October, from 'Joker: Folie à Deux' to 'Saturday Night'
The Week Recommends Joaquin Phoenix as Joker, a new Jason Reitman comedy and a buzzy Palme d'Or winner
By Anya Jaremko-Greenwold, The Week US Published
-
The Count of Monte Cristo review: 'indecently spectacular' adaptation
The Week Recommends Dumas's classic 19th-century novel is once again given new life in this 'fast-moving' film
By The Week UK Published
-
Death of England: Closing Time review – 'bold, brash reflection on racism'
The Week Recommends The final part of this trilogy deftly explores rising political tensions across the country
By The Week UK Published
-
Sing Sing review: prison drama bursts with 'charm, energy and optimism'
The Week Recommends Colman Domingo plays a real-life prisoner in a performance likely to be an Oscars shoo-in
By The Week UK Published
-
Kaos review: comic retelling of Greek mythology starring Jeff Goldblum
The Week Recommends The new series captures audiences as it 'never takes itself too seriously'
By The Week UK Published
-
Blink Twice review: a 'stylish and savage' black comedy thriller
The Week Recommends Channing Tatum and Naomi Ackie stun in this film on the hedonistic rich directed by Zoë Kravitz
By The Week UK Published
-
Shifters review: 'beautiful' new romantic comedy offers 'bittersweet tenderness'
The Week Recommends The 'inventive, emotionally astute writing' leaves audiences gripped throughout
By The Week UK Published