The Golden Globe category for Best Comedy or Musical is one of the more interesting annual races. Thefilms selected are usually not major Oscar contenders and oftentimes, the selections are not critical darlings either. This year is a bit different, with three major Oscar contenders and two surprises.
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (Directed by John Madden)
The first surprise on this list actually gained a Screen Actors Guild nomination for best ensemble and actress Maggie Smith has also garnered a great deal of awards buzz. The film was a huge box office success and has an all-star cast. However, it likely has no chance at winning the award as it has not yet to win any precursors in comparison with its most immediate contestants.
Les Misérables (Directed by Tom Hooper)
This film is the bonafide front-runner in this category. "Les Miz" has not won any precursors, but it is a highend, emotional adaptation of a popular play. Anne Hathaway's performance will win Best Supporting Actress, and this film should win the Best Comedy/Musical Award. The Hollywood Foreign Press has a penchant for picking big Hollywood fare and this film certainly fits the bill. The star-studded cast does not hurt matters.
Moonrise Kingdom (Directed by Wes Anderson)
A smart, witty, and colorful indie film by the revered director that should have a better chance at winning this award than it will get. It has an all-star cast and a tremendous critical reception, but it lacks the panache of "Les Misérables" to be the choice here.
Silver Linings Playbook (Directed by David O. Russell)
It would be wrong to state that the HFP only goes for major Hollywood films as they have picked smaller comedies such as "The Kids Are All Right," "Vicky Cristina Barcelona," and "Lost in Translation" to win in this category. If any film is to beat out "Les Misérables" it will be Russell's highly touted film. The film has won more Best Picture precursors than any other film in the category and has the best shot at winning the Best Picture Oscar. The Globes did nominate the film for Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Screenplay; all of which could help its cause. This one is the only other major contender to win this award.
Salmon Fishing in Yemen (Directed by Lasse Hallstrom)
This film was the biggest surprise in this category as it had not garnered any awards buzz prior to this nomination. In fact, it has not received any other recognition from any critics precursor awards since the nomination either.The film was not a major critical success with just a 69 percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and it was not a major box office draw. The nomination is puzzling, but its chances at victory are slim to none.
Prediction: This comes down to "Les Misérables" and "Silver Linings Playbook." The HFP has not picked amusical to win this category in the last four years and has a prime opportunity to reverse this trend. The fact that they ignored Hooper's "The King's Speech" back in 2011 may also motivate the organization to pick "Les Misérables" as their best comedy/musical of the year.
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