Globes confirm Oscar candidates

By Neil Smith Entertainment reporter, BBC News

Now the Golden Globes are over, there now seems little doubt that Kate Winslet and Slumdog Millionaire are the ones to beat at the Oscars.

British actress Winslet was recognised in two categories at the Globes

If the British actress and Danny Boyle's crowd-pleasing saga were not favourites before, they will be now following their comprehensive domination at Sunday's event.

Winslet - named best actress in a drama and best supporting actress by Hollywood's foreign press - may not achieve the same double whammy at the Academy Awards next month.

But she can probably expect to win at least one of the corresponding honours after so many years as an Oscar also-ran.

Slumdog, meanwhile, should probably be renamed Top Dog after winning every Golden Globe it was nominated for.

Hollywood has clearly taken this feel-good tale of a young Indian game show contestant seeking the love of his life to its collective heart.

Remarkable performance

Compare its success to the failure of Doubt, Frost/Nixon and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button to collect a single prize from their collective 15 nominations.

All are quality productions, impeccably played and directed. But they do not stir the emotions like Boyle's film has on both sides of the Atlantic.

Rourke's success at the Globes could boost his Oscar chances

Emotion may also play a part in the late Heath Ledger's emergence as the best supporting actor nominee leaving everyone else in his wake.

Yet there does also seem to be a genuine desire to recognise both his remarkable performance as the Joker in The Dark Knight and the blockbuster film in which it appears.

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association may only be a small and cliquish organisation, numbering no more than around 100 people.

But it tends to serve as a fairly accurate bellwether of prevailing sentiments as the community counts down to the biggest awards bash of them all.

Not everything is cut and dried, however. For example, who will be named best actor when the Oscars are announced on 22 February?

Two-horse race

Up to now Sean Penn has been grabbing most of the prizes on offer with his warm and winning portrayal of the gay politician Harvey Milk in Milk.

Mickey Rourke's Golden Globe win for The Wrestler puts him right back into contention, though, in what is increasingly looking like a two-horse race.

Folman's Waltz with Bashir was named best foreign language film

One can anticipate a similar head to head between the animated features Wall-E and Waltz with Bashir.

The pictures were shortlisted in different categories at the Globes but are likely to be competing against each other at the Oscars.

It is hard to imagine two more different films than Pixar's whimsical tale of a lovestruck robot and Ari Folman's harrowing meditation on a real-life massacre.

Both have their admirers, though, which makes predicting which will emerge victorious on Oscar night s a particularly tough call.

There is still a long way to go, much more red carpet to be rolled and many more long speeches to be made.

For the most part, though, the Golden Globes appear to have identified just about all the primary candidates for Oscar glory.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will announce its nominations in 10 days' time.

It remains to be seen if it has any surprises to spring in an awards season that already appears to be running short of them.