At the 82nd Golden Globes, Jacques Audiard’s ten-nominated Emilia Perez won four statuettes. Inclusivity was in the spotlight, with two “mature” actresses honored: American Demi Moore and Brazilian Fernanda Torres.
The inclusivity trend has struck again. It was the backdrop to the last Golden Globes, giving the spotlight to subjects or actors who, a few years ago, would probably not have been favored by the jury, made up of 334 international journalists.
But the phenomenon didn’t prevent boldness and talent from being rewarded at the 82nd edition of the ceremony, which took place on the night of January 5-6 in Beverly Hills, California. An important event in international cinema, and one that is closely scrutinized ahead of the world-famous Academy Awards on March 3.
Emilia Perez, the big winner
The big winner of the 2025 awards is the film “Emilia Perez”, directed by Jacques Audiard and already rewarded at the Cannes Festival 2024 with the Jury Prize and the Best Actress Award for its four leading actresses.
Despite being nominated…ten times, the film, produced by Saint Laurent Productions, scooped up four of the coveted statuettes: Best Musical Film and Best Foreign Film, Best Supporting Actor and Best Original Song.
It’s true that the French director has pulled off a coup de force by producing a cinematic UFO in the form of a musical film, dealing with a highly improbable subject, albeit one in keeping with the times: the gender transition of a Mexican drug trafficker, a priori associated in the collective imagination with virility in its least desirable form.
“An exhortation to hold one’s head high”
The filmmaker thus dedicated his Golden Globe to those “who feel worried today”. This award is addressed to them, as “an exhortation to hold our heads high, to keep fighting and to hope for better days.”
While Adriana Paz, Selena Gomez and Karla Sofía Gascó also received awards for their acting at the Cannes Film Festival, the Golden Globes focused on American-Dominican actress Zoé Saldana, awarding her the statuette for Best Supporting Actress.
And Emilia Perez certainly hasn’t finished her triumph yet. The feature film has been shortlisted fifteen times for the Baftas, the British Césars, to be held in London on February 16. Distributed across the Atlantic by Netflix, it will also represent France at the Oscars… Fans of French cinema are obviously hoping for a success on a par with Anatomy of a Fall, awarded the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay in 2024.
Mature and glamorous women
Another sign of changing mores in Hollywood is the nomination of two more mature (but still glamorous…) women.
In addition to the aforementioned 40-something Zoé Saldana, the award for Best Comedy Actress went to “sexygenarian” Demi Moore (62) for her role in The Substance. This humorous horror film was directed by another woman, French director Coralie Fargeat, and was nominated five times for the Golden Globes, notably in the best supporting actress category, in the person of 30-something actress Margaret Qualley, who was sculptural in her Chanel gown but came away empty-handed.
It’s a fine foil for all “senior phobics”, as Demi Moore plays the star of an aerobics show who is fired on her fiftieth birthday… and who is offered a miracle substance by a laboratory that will enable her to become the best version of herself, “younger, more beautiful, more perfect”.
“I’m shocked, it’s the first time I’ve ever won anything. 30 years ago, a producer called me a popcorn actress. I believed that. I thought my career was over. I received the script for The Substance at the lowest point of my life. Thanks to Coralie for believing in me. Thank you for the gift of letting me practice a profession that I love”, explained the actress, whose always dazzling plastic was highlighted by her asymmetrical strapless gown with metallic highlights and a futuristic look, signed Armani Privé.
Demi Moore was not the only “experienced” actress to be honored. Brazilian actress Fernanda Torres, 59, won Best Actress in a Dramatic Role in the Brazilian Dictatorship in Walter Salles’ I’m Still Here, against much more famous contenders such as Angelina Jolie (Maria) and Nicole Kidman (Babygirl). Neither of whom, at 49 and 57 respectively, are in the prime of their careers….
Inclusive vein
In the same inclusive vein, the award for Best Comedic Actor also went to Romanian-American Sebastian Stan, for his role as a comedian disfigured by neurofibromatosis in A Different Man. It was an opportunity for the actor to call on the film industry to better represent disability on screen. He is no stranger to taking risks in his career, as evidenced by his role as Donald Trump in The Apprentice, a biopic about the new American President, which was not released until distributors across the Atlantic were reluctant to cooperate.
Other observers were also sensitive to the victory of an outsider, the cartoon Flow, a Latvian-French-Belgian co-production, which won out over Vice-Versa 2 and The Wild Robot, produced by behemoths Pixar and Dreamworks Animation. The choice of no dialogue and the subject – the wandering of a cat after an apocalyptic flood – were not so obvious…
The Brutalist, also multi-awarded
More eagerly awaited was the success of The Brutalist, a three-hour fresco that had already been awarded the Silver Lion at this summer’ s Venice Film Festival. This time, it won three major statuettes: Best Dramatic Film, Best Director (Brady Corbet) and Best Actor. Adrien Brody was preferred to Timothée Chalamet (A Perfect Stranger) and Ralph Fiennes (Conclave). He skilfully portrayed the role of a Hungarian-born Jewish designer who survives a concentration camp and rebuilds his life in the United States. He is cited as one of the big favorites for the Oscars.
Finally, in the series category, Shōgun (Hulu ), the adaptation of James Cavell’s novel won four awards including Best Drama Series and three acting awards. Anna Sawai won Best Actress in a Drama Series, whileHiroyuka Sanada became the first Japanese and first Asian artist to win Best Actor in a Drama Series. Their compatriot and Shogun cast member Tadanobu Asano won Best Supporting Actor in a TV Series, Mini-Series or Movie.
Jeremy Allen White, the chef in The Bear, the series devoted to new-wave gastronomy, was named Best Actor in a Comedy or Music Series.
Hacks was hailed as Best Comedy Series and its heroine, Jean Smart, as Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy Series. The story, again, echoes that of Demi Moore’s role in The Substance, namely that of a famous Las Vegas comedian summoned to reinvent an act deemed to be aging…
Finally, my little reindeer won the statuette for best mini-series.
Almost empty-handed
But winners also mean losers…
Anora, the Palme d’Or winner at Cannes, which tells the story of a young American prostitute married to the son of a Russian oligarch, failed to convince the Golden Globes jury. Denis Villeneuve’s Dune 2 was also unsuccessful. On the other hand, Zendaya, star of the sci-fi franchise, dazzled the red carpet with her Louis Vuitton bronze satin gown and matching pumps. The actress-producer – and in-town friend of Selena Gomez – has been recruited by the luxury trunk-maker to promote this month’s relaunch of the historic collaboration with the Japanese visual artist of laughing flowers, Takashi Murakami.
Finally, Wicked, which resurrects the witches of the World of Oz, didn’t have the magic wand to snatch a major statuette. But its undisputed success in US cinemas earned it the prize for box-office success.
Golden Globes 2025 awards
Best dramatic film: The Brutalist
Best Foreign Language Film: Emilia Perez
Best Comedy or Musical: Emilia Perez
Best Animated Feature: Flow
Box-office performance: Wicked
Best dramatic actress: Fernanda Torres, Je suis toujours là
Best dramatic actor: Adrien Brody, The Brutalist
Best Comedy Actress: Demi Moore, The Substance
Best Comedy Actor: Sebastian Stan, A Different Man
Best Supporting Actress: Zoe Saldana, Emilia Perez
Best Supporting Actor: Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain
Best Director: Brady Corbet, The Brutalist
Best Screenplay: Peter Straughan, Conclave
Best Original Score: Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross for Challengers
Best original song: El Mal by Clément Ducol, Camille, Jacques Audiard (Emilia Perez)
Also read > Cannes Film Festival: three Saint Laurent Productions films selected
Featured Photo: © Selena Gomez in Emilia Perez © Page 114/Why Not Productions
