George Clooney’s ‘Descendants,’ silent ‘Artist’ win top Golden Globes

Family drama “The Descendants” starring George Clooney won the top prize at the Golden Globes on Sunday, while silent film “The Artist” garnered the most prizes, with gongs in three categories.

The Hawaii-based drama also took best actor for Clooney, while French-directed “The Artist” won best score and best actor in a musical or comedy film at the Globes, Hollywood’s main pre-Oscars awards show.

Meryl Streep won best actress for her mesmerizing portrayal of British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in “The Iron Lady,” while best director went to Martin Scorsese for his 3-D adventure “Hugo.”

“Our quarterback was George Clooney,” said “The Descendants” producer Jim Burke, accepting the award at the climax of the three-hour Globes show at the Beverly Hilton hotel in Los Angeles.

The movie missed out in the screenplay category to Woody Allen’s “Midnight in Paris,” was beaten for supporting actress by Octavia Spencer in “The Help” and best director, where Scorsese won for “Hugo.”

“The Artist,” which had garnered the most Globes nominations with nods in six categories, won one more award than “The Descendants,” with three Globes: for best musical/comedy film, best actor and best musical score.

But it was beaten for best director by Scorsese for “Hugo,” for best supporting actress by Spencer in civil rights movie “The Help” and best screenplay by Allen’s box office and critical hit “Midnight in Paris.”

The film, billed as a tribute to the silent movie era, tells the story of silent star George Valentin (played by Jean Dujardin) whose career is torpedoed by the arrival of the “talkies.” It won best film and best director at the New York Film Critics Circle awards in November.

AFP