Golden Globes, Dim Sum & Docs

Cheerfulness this weekend came from:

Eating dim sum in snowy chinatown. I think in London I was eating dim sum once a week somehow, thanks to the film business being located a block or two from Chinatown and to the ubiquitous branches of Ping Pong. So I was really craving it and Carlene and I got the full 'carts and hundreds of diners' experience at Jing Fong. I thought the dim sum itself was good, maybe not mindblowing, but the atmosphere was fun. I'd go back and maybe try a few more adventurous tidbits like those scary fried things larger than my head.

Then thanks to my friends at Tribeca I went to see two of the long-listed Oscar docs that I'd missed -- At The Death House Door and They Killed Sister Dorothy. Very different films, both admirable, yet I think Death House will probably stay with me longer. Great weaving of the two interconnected stories -- campaigning for the innocence of a previously executed man and the remarkable prison chaplain who oversaw dozens of executions over the years. I can't wait to see what Peter Gilbert and Steve James do next.

Sunday of course I was just thrilled to be in the right time zone to watch my first US awards show in 4 years. Cheesy as it is, I do love a red carpet. Kate Winslet was one of my personal fashion faves, looking classy and sexy. Salma Hayek and Anne Hathaway also looked great. I even loved Drew Barrymore's big hair!

Highlights of the show? Tracy Morgan telling Cate Blanchett to deal with it; Tina Fey addressing her internet haters; Ricky Gervais bringing his pint glass on stage; tiny Sally Hawkins - who I was so scared might forget to thank Mike Leigh; Sacha Baron Cohen and his quips (thank
god the Brits livened up the show!); Kate Winslet's genuinely flustered speeches; Colin Farrell winning for the wildly underrated In Bruges (get it on DVD now!) and his cocaine quip; Mickey Rourke thanking his dogs; Darren Aronofsky giving Mickey a good natured finger; and Vicky Cristina Barcelona winning over Mamma Mia! - we shouldn't encourage Pierce Brosnan's singing career. As usual E! has the most exhaustive recaps, they might even be able to explain JLo's "Mama Talkin!" outburst or why the Jonas Brothers were presenting.

I really enjoyed Slumdog Millionaire, and even thought it's not my personal top film of the year, but I was so heartened to see it winning. Danny Boyle and Christian Colson -- the British film industry doesn't get nicer than those guys and it was fantastic to see them taking center stage over more typical awards-y fare. And all the shout outs to Tessa Ross are a good sign, not just for the night, but for continued funding for Film4 to keep backing some amazing films, larger and smaller, British and international.

My Globes evening was helped along by pithy comments from Eamon and Andy -- "did she get dressed in a Victorian junkshop?" -- and tapas I made from the amazing El Parador cookbook Stu & Tiff sent me. Delicious, even if I can't get all the best ingredients at the ghetto Foodtown in Bed Stuy. On that note I'm going to go eat leftover tortilla and albondingas.