The awards season just got interesting

So the Globes went for James Cameron and Avatar for Best Director and Best Picture - Drama. Bet that pleased Kathryn Bigelow!

You can see why they did it though. Is Avatar the best film of the year? No, of course it isn't. But it is impressive. It has changed the way a film can be made. It is looking likely to become the highest grossing film of all-time (international is now a certainy, it just being a question of this week or next weekend now). It is in short the most memorable. When in 5 years, 10 years, 50 years people look back on 2009 the film it will be remembered for is Avatar. There may not be many people that would say it deserved to beat The Hurt Locker (it doesn't) but then that never stopped Titanic beating the far superior LA Confidential.

Then there's Sandra Bullock. The only woman ever to lead a film to a $200m gross in the US. Immediately following a massive result for The Proposal. Popular. Survived as a palpable, profitable lead well into her 40s (no mean feat in Hollywood). She produces worthy projects (like the Oscar-winning Crash). Now she's put herself into an awards-worthy role. And she's done it in a year when the most outstanding actresses are virtual unknowns in their first lead roles - Carey Mulligan in An Education and Gabourey Sidibe in Precious. Voters can happily slap themselves on the back and decide the nomination is the win for both these young actresses. The Bullock win is a game changer - expect this to translate to the Oscars. It just makes so much sense.

And then, praise be, Jeff Bridges. While it messes up my plan for betting on the Oscars (his odds will be rubbish now - i was relying on the HFPA to give it to Clooney so i could get good odds on Bridges for the Oscars). He is the actor that deserves the win this year. Plus he's beloved. Plus he's always excellent. Plus he's had multiple nominations over a period of 25 years and never won. Plus... he's the DUDE man!

At this point i suspect the Globes may have aced their four acting awards as far as predicting the Oscars goes. But the Oscars usually pull out a surprise somewhere. But where? Hmmmm!