Cate Blanchett - I’m Not There Julia Roberts - Charlie Wilson’s War Saoirse Ronan - Atonement Amy Ryan - Gone Baby Gone Tilda Swinton - Michael Clayton
Cate Blanchett
After a number of magnificent roles over the past few years, Cate Blanchett may have a quieter 2008 not that she is expecting her third child.Not only that, but the Australian beauty and her husband Andrew Upton have recently announced they would become artistic directors of the Sydney Theatre Company from Jan 2008.38 year-old Cate is already an Academy Award and BAFTA winner, as well as scooping the Volpi Cup at 64th International Venice Film Festival for her role as Jude Quinn in ‘I’m Not there’. ‘I'm Not There’ is a biographical film reflecting the life of musician Bob Dylan. It depicts the iconic singer-songwriter through seven distinct stages of his life by using six different actors (Marcus Carl Franklin, Ben Whishaw, Heath Ledger, Christian Bale, Richard Gere, and Cate Blanchett), though all six characters have names other than Bob Dylan.The title ‘I'm Not There’ is a reference to the Dylan outtake recorded during The Basement Tapes (Sessions) and production began in late July 2006 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It premiered at the 34th Telluride Film Festival on August 31st and won the Grand Jury Prize and Best Actress honours for Blanchett at the 64th Venice Film Festival.
Cate Blanchett graduated from Australia's National Institute of Dramatic Art in 1992 and, in a little over a year, had won both critical and popular acclaim.
No stranger to award ceremonies, Cate already has a Globe on her mantelpiece after she was rewarded for her leading role in Elizabeth (1998), winning numerous awards for her performance, including the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Drama.
Julia Roberts
Julia Roberts has had a pretty good year so far, and it doesn’t look like it’s going to come to an end any time soon.
The 40-year old star began the year by being named the biggest female movie star of all time after her films grossed more that $1 billion at the US box office. On June 18 she gave birth to a son, Henry Daniel Moder before going on to receive the 22nd American Cinematheque Award in October.
So to be nominated for a golden globe is just another thing to put on her ‘things I did in 2007’ list!
Charlie Wilson’s War is released on January 11 2008 and is a satirical film marketed as a comedy, based on a Texas congressman Charlie Wilson's covert dealings in Afghanistan, where his efforts to assist rebels in their war with the Soviets have some unforeseen and long-reaching effects.
Urged on by his anti-communist wife, Wilson helps lead the effort to provide United States aide to the mujahideen. In the process, the film also reveals Wilson as a Congressman whose disdain for the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan is supplemented with his gregarious social life of women and partying.
Based on real life events from a 2003 book of the same title by George Crile, the film has been nominated for five Globes in total; Best Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy; Tom Hanks, Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture; Philip Seymour Hoffman and Best Screenplay in a Motion Picture; Aaron Sorkin. Not to mention Julia’s nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture. The Georgia born actress broke into acting after appearing in youth-orientated movie, Mystic Pizza in 1988, which introduced her to a new audience who instantly fell in love with the former fashion model.
Julia's biggest success was in the signature movie Pretty Woman (1990), for which she got an Oscar nomination, and also won the People's Choice award for Favourite Actress.
She went on to win the Best Actress Academy Award in 2001 for her role as the title character in Erin Brockovich and earned Oscar nominations as Best Supporting Actress for Steel Magnolias (1989).
Saoirse Ronan
The 13-year old star is the youngest nominee in this category and enters with her role as Briony Tallis. As the daughter of actor Paul Ronan, it is no surprise that she has found work in the acting world at such a young age and to be nominated for a golden globe at such a young age is certainly something to make the other kids jealous at school!
The film itself is adapted from Ian McEwan's novel of the same name and stars James McAvoy and Keira Knightley as its leading characters.
In 1935, 13-year-old fledgling writer Briony Tallis (Saoirse) lives a life of wealth and privilege. Robbie Turner (McAvoy), the educated son of the family's housekeeper, carries a torch for Briony's headstrong older sister Cecilia (Knightley) and as their relationship starts to grow, Briony - who has a crush on Robbie - is compelled to interfere; thus changing the course of three lives forever.
The film has received seven Golden Globe nominations in total; Best Director - Motion Picture; Joe Wright, Best Motion Picture Drama, Best Original Score - Motion Picture; Dario Marianelli, Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture Drama; James McAvoy, Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture Drama; Keira Knightley, Best Screenplay - Motion Picture; Christopher Hampton. Not forgetting Saoirse’s nomination.
Whether she win’s or not, there is no doubt that this feisty teen has a long career ahead of her.
Amy Ryan
It's been a great couple of years for actress Amy Ryan, perhaps the least known in this category to those who aren't big movie fans.
Gone Baby Gone was her third movie this year after success with Dan in Real Life with Steve Carrell and Before You Know Your Dead with Ethan Hawke and Philip Seymour Hoffman.
While she earned great reviews for her role as the sheriff's wife in Capote it is her role in Gone Baby Gone as a drug addicted mother whose little girl has been abducted has brought her attention and great reviews.
Gone Baby Gone is based on the novel by Dennis Lehane which has been adapted by Ben Affleck in his directorial debut.
Set in Boston in a neighbourhood of Dorchester four year old Amanda McCready has disappeared without a trace.
The child's aunt and uncle plead with local private investigators Patrick Kenzie (Casey Affleck) and Angie Genano (Michelle Monaghan) to take on the case.
The pair, who know the city well, dig into the child's pat discovering a drug-addicted mother, ex-cons, child abuse and drug dealers but this brings them no nearer to finding Amanda.
They join forces with detective Remy Bressant (Ed Harris) and police captain Jack Doyle (Morgan Freeman) and together they discover the sad truth of Amanda's fate.
But Patrick can't walk away from the case and goes back over the clues finding himself being driven into a web of lies and violence which leaves him facing a moral dilemma.
We will next see Amy Adams in The Changeling, Clint Eastwood's new project with Angelina Jolie and The Missing.
Tilda Swinton
Tilda Swinton is one of the industry’s most under-rated actresses and has been nominated for her role in Michael Clayton.
Clooney plays a burnt-out lawyer and professional 'fixer' who gets caught up in events that surrounded a corporate cover up.
Clooney once again gives a mightily impressive performance as Clayton showing the character's many layers giving him genuine depth as he discovers what kind of person he is.
There are also some great support performances in particular Tom Wilkinson as Arthur Edens, who suffers a serious meltdown, and Tilda Swinton's murderous company chief counsel.
Over the years Swinton has moved effortlessly between big blockbuster movies like Narnia: The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe and The Beach to the more independent movies such as Young Adam and The Statement.
But for her latest role in Michael Clayton Swinton has received rave reviews as her emotionally cold persona is portrayed superbly and used to great effect.
She will next be seen in Burn After Reading with Brad Pitt and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button both will be released next year.
Tip to win Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture - Cate Blanchett
FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw and Ruth Harrison.