Technical errors and controversy stain the Golden Globes
Los Angeles (USA), Feb 28 (EFE) .- In its 78-year history, the Golden Globes tonight celebrated one of their most complicated galas, then, with the aim of lifting a three-hour ceremony with video calls continuous, was added having to face the accusations of corruption and favorable treatment accumulated by the organization.
Like the Emmys and Latin Grammys, these awards adapted their format to the pandemic. There was no red carpet, no star gathering, no after parties and they pulled a lot of video calls.
In addition, by awarding a varied list of categories in film and television, the common proportion of technical errors increased.
Between speeches that were cut off or audios that did not arrive, there were several moments in which the need for the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) to open the doors to new incorporations was repeated, especially important since there is not a single black member in their ranks.
The two presenters of the night, Amy Poehler and Tina Fey, addressed this matter from the beginning of the gala.
"The HFPA is made up of 90 straight whites," Poehler quipped when explaining the rules.
In reality, there are only 87 members of the organization, accused of monopoly and of seeking favorable treatment by not allowing new incorporations and keeping their contacts with Hollywood studios in a "small committee".
According to Poehler, "There's a lot of nominated crap, and that's the thing about these awards. They let a lot of work done by African-Americans go by. There are no black members in the HFPA and inclusion is important."
GALAS VIDEO CALLS DO NOT FINISH CURRENT
Poeheler and Fey were successful in the challenge of presenting a ceremony more than 4,000 kilometers away. The first he did from Los Angeles and the second from New York before a limited audience of essential workers.
With the screen divided in two, the two presenters managed to forge a complicity and freshness that was not repeated in the rest of the gala.
There were winners who were not heard, such as Daniel Kaluuya; speeches that went decaffeinated like that of Mark Ruffalo, despite his fiery plea for diversity, and scenes of utter confusion, like the phone that rang while Catherine O'Hara thanked her award from the living room.
Not even the guests themselves could hide their surprise at the circumstances.
Jane Levy said "this is so weird" to the rest of the nominees for best actress in a comedy, just before going into publicity. Later, David Fincher would have a shot in front of the webcam.
The Grammys and Oscars will still have a chance, along with a handful of minor galas, to perfect the technique of pandemic galas, completely lackluster without the possibility of gathering so many stars in a few square meters.
COLD APOLOGIES FROM THE HFPA
Another of the strange moments was the minute of apology and commitment to improve expressed by the directors of the HFPA, after the Los Angeles Times newspaper took out the dirty laundry of this organization.
Three members appeared statically on stage to acknowledge that "they have a lot of work to do" to promote diversity and renew the association, much discredited in Hollywood cliques.
After that cold and hieratic intervention, the subject did not come up again.
TRIBUTE TO CHADWICK BOSEMAN
The memory of Chadwick Boseman, who died in 2020 at the age of 43, flew over the gala when he posthumously won the award for best dramatic actor for "The mother of the blues."
His widow, Taylor Simone Ledward, accepted the award on his behalf: "He would have said something beautiful, something inspiring, something that would amplify the little voice in all of us (...) I don't have his words, but we have to take advantage all the moments to celebrate with those we love, "she said through tears.
The audience was missed standing after the moving speech, shared by video call.
Jane Fonda starred in the other great moment of the night by receiving an honorary award at the age of 83.
"We are a community of storytellers. And in times of turbulence and crisis like this, stories have always been essential," said the legendary actress, for whom time does not pass.
"NOMADLAND", "BORAT" AND "THE CROWN", BIG WINNERS
In the television section, "The Crown" and "Lady's Gambit" were the winners of the night.
"Borat" and "Nomadland" triumphed in the film section, paving the way for the Oscars, which, in April, will have to perfect this less lucid and Hollywood way of presenting awards.
