10:33AM, Jan 12, 2009
BEST ACTOR - DRAMA: MICKEY ROURKE IN THE WRESTLER
Mickey Rourke's return to form is a career best performance that reminds you how good he once was and promises to be again.
Digging deep into his own past for his portrayal of a one-time big shot now washed-up wrestler, he throws everything in his arsenal into this film.
To a responsive audience he was perhaps the only actor at the awards who could justifiably thank his agent David Unger for "having the balls" to represent Rourke when he was trying to get back into the Hollywood sandpit.
Rourke also thanked The Wrestler director Darren Aronofsky, stating that the Requiem for a Dream director "brought the best out of me... He's a tough sonofabitch".
And Hollywood's biggest soft tough guy rounded off his speech thanking his dogs "because sometimes when a man's alone all you got is your dog".
His win here is a real Hollywood ending.
BEST ACTOR - COMEDY OR MUSICAL: COLIN FARRELL IN IN BRUGES
One time badboy Colin Farrell demonstrated a more vulnerable side when he accepted the award for Best Actor in a Comedy or Musical.
Visibly stunned he claimed, "They must have done the (awards) count in Florida" and he had nothing but praise for his director Martin McDonagh.
He also bigged up his co-star Brendan Gleeson, stating "This is at least half yours and when I get off stage I'll cut it up and you can have a hemisphere".
Farrell's win here hopefully means he'll be taking on more quirky, thoughtful movies and ditching the big budget Hollywood trash that he always looked slightly uncomfortable in (Miami Vice, we're looking at you).
But, even if he is seduced back, we'll always have this great performance in an irresistible movie.
ALSO NOMINATED: DRAMA
LEONARDO DICAPRIO IN REVOLUTIONARY ROAD
DiCaprio reunites with Titanic star Kate Winslet, giving a rivetting performance as an ambitious husband trapped within his suburban life.
FRANK LANGELLA IN FROST/NIXON
Reprising his Tony Award winning stage performance, Langella gives possibly his most commanding performance as disgraced US president Richard Nixon, locking horns with interviewer David Frost (Martin Sheen).
SEAN PENN IN MILK
Penn is one of Hollywood's most respected actors, and provides a typically polished turn as gay rights icon Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man to be elected to US public office.
BRAD PITT IN THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
Pitt proves his versatility in David (Fight Club) Fincher's magical tale of a man born old and aging backwards, thereby privy to a unique vision of the world.
ALSO NOMINATED: MUSICAL or COMEDY
JAVIER BARDEM IN VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA
Following 2008's Golden Globe win for No Country for Old Men, Bardem is back in a very different role as a lothario a-wooing the ladies in Woody Allen's latest comedy.
JAMES FRANCO IN PINEAPPLE EXPRESS
The stoner wheezes back to life once more, courtesy of Franco's hilarious and purple hazed performance in this action comedy.
BRENDAN GLEESON IN IN BRUGES
Why is In Bruges so good? Because Brendan Gleeson's world weary hitman is the perfect foil to Colin Farrell's foul-mouthed upstart. Which is why both received Golden Globe Best Actor nominations.
DUSTIN HOFFMAN IN LAST CHANCE HARVEY
Hoffman, who has won six Golden Globes over his illustrious career, is effortlessly charming as a middle-aged man drawn to Emma Thompson is romantic London.
