The Globes are over and the big question now is, “Will this be Leo’s year at long last?”
The former Malibu local has already picked up the Foreign Press Association win for his rough and tumble performance in “The Revenant.” Now it’s time for Leonardo DiCaprio to cast his gaze to the big prize, which has eluded him for so long — the grand daddy of them all — the Oscars.
Other locals are also up for awards. Will Lady Gaga pick up a prize for best song? Will Steven Spielberg score for “Bridge of Spies?”
In the category of best actor, Leo faces some tough competition from Eddie Redmayne in “The Danish Girl,” Matt Damon in “The Martian,” Bryan Cranston in “Trumbo” and Michael Fassbender in “Steve Jobs.” The winner is anyone’s guess but “The Revenant” has plenty of movie mojo after sweeping the Globes, winning awards for best lead actor, best director for Alejandro González Iñárritu and the biggie — best picture.
The Globes are widely regarded as an indication of how the Oscars will go and many Malibu locals will be in the mix.
On the best picture front, local Tom Hanks will be rooting for his thriller “Bridge of Spies,” Malibu beauty Charlize Theron is all in for “Mad Max” and “The Big Short” has the support of Brad Pitt. Also in best pic contention is the drama “Brooklyn,” “Room,” “Spotlight,” Matt Damon’s out-of-this-world “The Martian” and the Globe favorite, Leonardo DiCaprio’s “The Revenant.”
As for best actress, Globe winner Brie Larson may be the one to beat for “Room.” But there are also some heavy hitters and vets like Cate Blanchett in “Carol,” Charlotte Rampling in “45 Years,” Jennifer Lawrence in “Joy” and Saoirse Ronan in “Brooklyn.”
After 40 years, longtime local Sylvester Stallone revived his role as Rocky Balboa in “Creed.” He also received the Golden Globe as well as a standing ovation when he took the stage to pick up his prize.
Others in the best supporting role category include Christian Bale for “The Big Short,” Mark Ruffalo in “Spotlight,” Tom Hardy for “The Revenant” and Mark Rylance for “Bridge of Spies.”
Best supporting actress has some well-known names like Globe winner Kate Winslet in the Apple guru’s biopic “Steve Jobs,” Jennifer Jason Leigh in “The Hateful Eight,” Rachel McAdams for “Spotlight,” Alicia Vikander in “The Danish Girl” and Rooney Mara in “Carol.” In the director’s chair, you’ll find “The Big Short,” “Mad Max: Fury Road,” “The Revenant,” “Room” and “Spotlight.”
In all, “The Revenant” led the pack with 12 Oscar nods.
The Oscar ceremony will take place on Sunday, Feb. 28, and will be hosted by comedian Chris Rock. Until then, expect a flurry of other red carpet walks from SAG to WGA to DGA.
This year’s competition is tough, so stay tuned!