Golden Globes should provide traction in Oscar race

There’s no other awards show quite like the Golden Globes.

With that in mind, here are five things to keep your eye on during the 73rd annual Golden Globes.

HE WAS never going to be polite, but some are questioning Ricky Gervais’ choice of targets during his frequently shocking Golden Globes opening monologue.

Gervais hosted the Globes from 2010-2012, during which time he took comedic shots at just about everybody he could.

But the revelation Saturday that Penn traveled clandestinely to Mexico to interview the drug kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman for Rolling Stone magazine was sure to be one of the night’s most buzzed-about topics.

Where, when and how can you catch the 2016 Golden Globes telecast? “A bit louder, a bit trashier, a bit drunker and more easily bought”.

Gervais made jokes about celebrities who were in the room, and some who were absent from the occasion, including Caitlyn Jenner, nominee Jeffrey Tambor, Jennifer Lawrence and previous hosts Tina Fey and Amy Poehler.

In typical Gervais comedy-style, he told his audience he used one of his own Golden Globes as a doorstop, one to beat burglars and one was by his bedside. “It’s not my fault if they want to share the money”, he said. Oscar nominations will be announced Thursday, with the show following on February 28. That’s due, in part, to their membership. He got a Best Actor nod for Ray, Best Supporting Actor for Collateral and Best Actor in a Mini-Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television for Redemption.

Organized and voted for by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the Globes serve up free-flowing champagne and a smattering of after-parties at the same hotel, allowing stars to let their hair down and relax. See a list of the nominees here.

In the first award of the evening, Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill, dressed comically as the bear from The Revenant, announced Kate Winslet won best performance by an actress in a supporting role for Jobs.

Shortlisted for Best Television Series – Comedy are Casual, Mozart in the Jungle, Orange is the New Black, Silicon Valley, Transparent and Veep.

As bellwethers of the Oscars, the Golden Globes – which split best picture into two subcategories, drama and musical/comedy – have a spotty record.

“We had this incredible crew and incredible cast, and it really all came down to Ridley Scott”, he said, paying tribute to the British director.

However, over half of the films nominated for Best Picture (Drama and Comedy/Musical) are centered around strong female characters – “Mad Max: Fury Road“, “Carol“, “Room“, “Joy“, “Spy” and “Trainwreck“.

Proceeding further in the guessing game, the comedy film “The Big Short” starring Ryan Gosling, Christian Bale, Steve Carell, and Brad Pitt is expected to get the Best Picture comedy award in the Golden Globes ceremony 2016.

Arriving with his girlfriend Jane Fallon, Ricky joked: “I’m heavily sedated under doctor’s orders”.