“Emilia Perez” and “The Brutalist” dominate the Golden Globes

Good news for French cinema, two months before the Oscars: “Emilia Perez” by Jacques Audiard dominated the Golden Globes by winning four trophies, including best comedy.

The evening was also marked by the coronation of “The Brutalist”, a portrait of an architect who survived the Holocaust trying to rebuild his life in the United States, who obtained three statuettes.

Awarded at Cannes and released in Swiss cinemas, “Emilia Perez” had 10 nominations and lived up to its favorite status.

In addition to the major award, this musical odyssey about the gender transition of a Mexican drug trafficker won the prize for best international film, that of best supporting actress for Zoe Saldaña, and that of best song for French artists Camille and Clément Ducol, who composed the original soundtrack.

Jacques Audiard, whose filmography gives pride of place to marginal characters, dedicated this victory “to all those who feel worried today”. The French filmmaker urged them “to keep their heads high, to continue fighting and to hope for better days.”

“You can (…) put us in prison, you can beat us, but you can never take away our soul, our resistance, our identity,” said Karla Sofía Gascón, the transgender actress who plays the heroine. of the film.

Awarded at Cannes, the Spanish actress has not had the same success with Hollywood. She lost to Demi Moore, who won best actress in a comedy for her very committed performance in another French film, “The Substance.”

In this horrific fable by Coralie Fargeat, which does not skimp on the gore, the 62-year-old actress plays a former Hollywood glory addicted to a youth serum. A substance that generates a rejuvenated double of itself, with destructive impulses.

Demi Moore admitted to having herself been afraid of becoming an aging actress and thanked the Frenchwoman for “this magical, daring, courageous, off the beaten track, completely crazy script”, which allowed her to finally be recognized during a major ceremony.

“I’m in shock,” insisted the actress. “I’ve been doing this job for a long time, over 45 years, and this is the first time I’ve won anything as an actress.”

Another big winner of the evening, “The Brutalist” won a very prestigious trifecta: best dramatic film, best director for Brady Corbet – who is ahead of Jacques Audiard and Coralie Fargeat in this category -, and best actor for Adrien Brody.

With such a harvest, this 3h30 long film, hailed as a masterpiece and already elevated by critics to the rank of great classics like “The Godfather”, cements its status as a heavyweight for the Oscars.

In the heart of a Hollywood where studios often influence creation, Brady Corbet took the opportunity to address a plea in favor of the independence of directors.

“No one was asking for a three and a half hour film about a mid-century designer on 70 millimeter film, but it works,” he insisted, believing that the “final cut” should always go to the director.

Its big competitor, the papal thriller “Conclave”, won the prize for best screenplay, for its dive into the power struggles of the Vatican during the election of a new pope.

The Golden Globes separate comedies and dramas in their awards.

They have reformed in recent years, after the vast scandal revealed in 2021 on the corruption and racism of their members. Their jury has notably expanded, with more than 200 new members from all over the world.

And it showed in the rest of the film and television charts. Brazilian actress Fernanda Torres created a surprise against major competitors like Angelina Jolie (“Maria”) and Nicole Kidman (“Babygirl”).

She walked away with the Golden Globe for best actress in a dramatic film, for her role as a determined widow under the military dictatorship of the 1970s in Rio, in “I’m Still Here”.

Among the actors, Sebastian Stan was voted best actor in a comedy for his role in “A Different Man”, where he plays an aspiring actor looking for a new start after cosmetic surgery. He was also nominated in the drama categories for his portrayal of Donald Trump in “The Apprentice.”