'La La Land,' 'Moonlight' lead Golden Globe nominations

LOS ANGELES -- "La La Land," an ambitious musical about two dreamers falling in love in Hollywood, and the intimate coming of age drama "Moonlight" led nominations for the Golden Globes on Monday, underscoring their front-runner status in the long road to the Oscars.

"La La Land" scored seven nominations in all, including for Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling in the comedy/musical acting categories, while writer-director Damien Chazelle received nods for best director and best screenplay.

"Making 'La La Land' was a dream come true and we're thrilled that Damien Chazelle's vision has been recognized," producers Fred Berger, Jordan Horowitz and Marc Platt said in a statement.

"Moonlight," the tale of an impoverished black boy in Miami struggling with his sexuality, scored six nods, including Barry Jenkins in the directing and screenplay categories and Naomie Harris and Mahershala Ali in the best supporting acting races.

"La La Land" is up against "20th Century Women," the story of a free-spirited mother; raunchy superhero action movie "Deadpool"; singing comedy "Florence Foster Jenkins"; and teen tale "Sing Street" for best comedy/musical film at the Golden Globes.

"Moonlight" will face war drama "Hacksaw Ridge," Western crime story "Hell or High Water," adoption tale "Lion" and "Manchester by the Sea," which is about a working-class family dealing with tragedy, in the best drama film category.

"La La Land" and "Moonlight" are very different films. But Claudia Puig, film critic at National Public Radio's FilmWeek and president of the Los Angeles Film Critics' Association, said they had a key element in common.

"Both are very emotional movies. They move you, they're poignant, they touch your emotions," Puig told Reuters.

"One maybe has a much more intellectual, sociological component while the other is escapist, but both are also about love and finding your dreams," she added.

"Manchester by the Sea" landed five nominations, including for actor Casey Affleck and screenplay and director nods for Kenneth Lonergan.

"It will actually be my first time attending the Golden Globes and I've been working for more than 20 years, so this moment isn't lost on me," Affleck said in a statement.

DIVERSITY FINDS SPOTLIGHT

After a furor that erupted earlier this year because all 20 acting Oscar nominees were white, the Golden Globes feature numerous actors of color, including Ruth Negga of "Loving," Ali and Harris of "Moonlight," and Dev Patel, who is of Indian descent, for "Lion."

"It's taken a long time to get to this point and for people who are producing content to really see the value of opening up a bit and being more inclusive," Ali told Reuters.

Notable omissions from the best drama film field included "Jackie," a character study of the widow of U.S. president John F. Kennedy in the week after his assassination. Lead Natalie Portman, however, received a best actress nomination.

Martin Scorsese's "Silence," the tale of missionaries in 17th-century Japan, and "Fences," a tense African-American family drama set in the 1950s, were also snubbed in the best drama race. "Fences" did bring nods for actors Denzel Washington and Viola Davis.

More than 90 journalists in the Hollywood Foreign Press Association choose the Golden Globes. Winners will be announced on January 8 at a televised ceremony hosted by Jimmy Fallon.

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'Revenant,' 'Martian' big Golden Globe winners

BEVERLY HILLS, California - Revenge drama "The Revenant" and space adventure "The Martian" won the top movie prizes at the Golden Globes on Sunday on a night of surprises, laughter and barbed comments from fourth-time host Ricky Gervais.

In a closely contested men's field, Leonardo DiCaprio won for his lead role as a fur trapper seeking retribution in "The Revenant," while Matt Damon's astronaut stranded on Mars in "The Martian" won the comedy acting award.

"The Revenant" also brought a directing prize for Alejandro Inarritu, who recalled the long arduous shoot in sub-zero temperatures.

"Pain is temporary, but a film is forever," Inarritu said.

Jennifer Lawrence won best comedy movie actress for her portrayal of the Miracle Mop inventor in "Joy," while Brie Larson, 26, beat veteran Cate Blanchett to take home her first major award for playing a young woman who is abducted and locked up for years in the movie drama "Room."

Lesbian drama "Carol" and Wall Street comedy "The Big Short," which had led nominations going into Sunday's ceremony, came home empty handed, as did admired Catholic Church sex abuse probe "Spotlight."

Other popular winners includes Sylvester Stallone, 69, who received a standing ovation as best supporting film actor for reprising his iconic role as boxer Rocky Balboa in "Creed," beating presumed frontrunner Mark Rylance for "Bridge of Spies."

"I want to thank my imaginary friend Rocky Balboa for being the best friend I ever had," Stallone said.

"Steve Jobs," a controversial look at the late Apple co-founder that floundered at the box office despite warm reviews, took home Golden Globes for supporting actress Kate Winslet, and screenwriter Aaron Sorkin.

The Golden Globes were handed out by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association at a glitzy Beverly Hills dinner packed with A-list celebrities.

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Awards season kicks into high gear with Golden Globes

LOS ANGELES -- Hollywood's awards season kicks into high gear on Sunday (Monday morning in Manila) at the Golden Globes, with a movie about reporters investigating abuse in the Catholic Church and Leonardo DiCaprio touted as likely winners.

The show, the industry's biggest party of the year, is seen as a good indicator of films and actors destined for Oscars glory on February 28.

This year the show promises not to disappoint as British comedian Ricky Gervais returns to dish out his biting jokes, sparing none of the stars guzzling champagne at the gala, or even members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association which picks the Globe winners.

Pundits said that while predictions indicate that "Spotlight" -- a movie about the Boston Globe journalists who uncovered sexual abuse in the Catholic Church -- will win for best drama, the race was really up in the air.

"I think 'Spotlight' is going to win partly because it's a celebration of journalism and there is some 90 journalists who are voting on this," said Timothy Gray, awards editor for trade magazine Variety.

"But I wouldn't bet my money on it because there are other possibilities," he said. "This year there is genuine suspense."

Other films vying for top honors include the lesbian romance "Carol" starring Cate Blanchett, epic survival thriller "The Revenant" with Leonardo DiCaprio, the harrowing kidnap tale "Room," and the summer blockbuster "Mad Max: Fury Road."

The frontrunner for best comedy is "The Big Short," based on a book about the financial crisis of 2007-2008.

Also running in that category are the dramedy "Joy," space blockbuster "The Martian," zany caper "Spy," and Amy Schumer's breakout film "Trainwreck."

DiCaprio appears well ahead in the race for best actor in a drama for his strong performance as fur trapper Hugh Glass in "The Revenant."

Critics are widely predicting the 41-year-old actor will take home his first Oscar for the role.

"There is a feeling that it's his year," said Tom O'Neil, founder of awards tracker GoldDerby.com. "All 17 GoldDerby experts have him unanimously out front to win."

Also nominated for best actor in a drama are Bryan Cranston as a blacklisted 1940s screenwriter in "Trumbo," Eddie Redmayne for the transgender tale "The Danish Girl," and Will Smith for the hard-hitting sports drama "Concussion."

For best actress in a drama the nominees are Blanchett and her co-star Rooney Mara in "Carol," Brie Larson for "Room," and Alicia Vikander who plays alongside Redmayne in "The Danish Girl."

'Edgy and naughty'

Unlike the Oscars, the Golden Globes also honors television shows, and two nominated series are creating a buzz: "Mr Robot," about a computer programmer and vigilante hacker, and "Narcos," Netflix's take on the infamous Medellin drug cartel.

Other nominated TV series include Netflix's women's prison show "Orange is the New Black," HBO's fantasy epic "Game of Thrones," and the transgender comedy "Transparent."

In the best foreign movie category, four European films and one from Latin American are vying for an award, including Hungarian Holocaust drama "Son of Saul," and "Mustang," a French production about the life of subjugation of five Turkish sisters.

Movies aside, all eyes will be on Gervais, who raised eyebrows for his off-color jokes when he hosted the show for three years starting in 2010.

The caustic comedian, who takes over from co-hosts Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, comes with a reputation of fearlessly poking fun at A-listers from Mel Gibson to Angelina Jolie and even the Hollywood Foreign Press. No one expects him to hold back this year.

Gervais has apologized in advance for what he will say, and has been asking fans on his Twitter account for advice on who his victims should be this year.

"I think he is going to touch on politics and show business," Gray said. "But people kind of enjoy him because he is so edgy and naughty."

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