Fans, pundits rooting for ‘Les Miserables’

DANIEL Day-Lewis, Best Actor for “Lincoln,” at the 18th Critics’ Choice Movie Awards. AFP

LOS ANGELES—Will it not be a miserable night for “Les Miserables” at the Golden Globe Awards this Sunday (Monday morning, Manila time)?

Fans of the beloved musical are hoping that director Tom Hooper’s hit adaptation will triumph in the 70th edition of the awards show which will be aired live around the world from the Beverly Hilton’s International Ballroom.

Also in the running for Best Picture–Comedy or Musical, are “Silver Linings Playbook,” “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel,” “Moonrise Kingdom” and “Salmon Fishing in the Yemen.”

BEN AFFLECK in “Argo”

Pundits are predicting that the film version of Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schonberg’s beloved stage musical will also net honors for Hugh Jackman as Best Actor-Comedy or Musical, and Anne Hathaway as Best Supporting Actress (read our column on this category last Friday).

Hugh’s rivals for the Golden Globe trophy are Bradley Cooper (“Silver Linings Playbook”), Bill Murray (“Hyde Park on the Hudson”), Ewan McGregor (“Salmon Fishing in the Yemen”) and Jack Black (“Bernie”).

In the Best Picture-Drama race, will “Lincoln” prevail over “Argo,” “Zero Dark Thirty,” “Life of Pi” and “Django Unchained?”

“ARGO” producer George Clooney and Stacy Keibler. AP

There’s more suspense as the envelope is opened in this category. Since the filmmakers behind these five films are vying in the Best Director heat, there’s also excitement as to who will win: Ben Affleck (snubbed in the Oscar nominations announced last Thursday), Steven Spielberg, Kathryn Bigelow, Ang Lee and Quentin Tarantino.

Awards experts are putting their bet on Daniel Day-Lewis in the Best Actor-Drama field for his acclaimed portrayal of America’s most beloved president. Daniel is in terrific company—Joaquin Phoenix (“The Master”), Denzel Washington (“Flight”), John Hawkes (“The Sessions”) and Richard Gere (“Arbitrage”). We discussed the Best Actress-Drama contenders in our column last Saturday.

ADELE. AP

Christoph Waltz (“Django Unchained”) is favored by awards prognosticators in the Best Supporting Actor race over Philip Seymour Hoffman (“The Master”), Alan Arkin (“Argo”), Tommy Lee Jones (“Lincoln”) and Leonardo DiCaprio (“Django Unchained”).

The Golden Globe Awards, which also recognize excellence in television, is expected to live up to its reputation as Hollywood’s “party of the year.”

“Argo” director Affleck and his wife, Jennifer Garner, are expected to share a table with George Clooney, one of the film’s producers, and Stacy Keibler.

HUGH Jackman in “Les Miserables”

All eyes will be on Adele, who will make her first public appearance since becoming a mother, as she competes for the Best Original Song for Sony Pictures’ “Skyfall” which she sang and wrote with Paul Epworth. Adele is predicted to be at the same Sony table as “Skyfall” star Daniel Craig and his wife, Rachel Weisz, a Best Actress-Drama nominee.

Other singers gracing the event are the other Best Song nominees, Keith Urban (coming with wife Nicole Kidman, who is a Best Supporting actress bet), Taylor Swift and Jon Bon Jovi.

CHRISTOPH Waltz and Jamie Foxx in “Django Unchained”

Meryl Streep, a presenter and a nominee, and her husband, Donald Gummer, have confirmed their attendance.

Moviegoers around the world who are falling in love with “Les Miserables,” its music and stars, will scan the ballroom and will not be disappointed. Eddie Redmayne, captivating hearts as Marius, is attending. As we write this column, among the presenters are Robert Pattinson, Halle Berry, Julia Roberts, Catherine Zeta Jones, Robert Downey Jr., Christian Bale, Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Lopez, Salma Hayek, Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jeremy Renner, Megan Fox, Lea Michele, Sacha Baron Cohen and Amanda Seyfried.

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