Mac and Cheese predict the 2012 Golden Globes

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Entertainment reporter Erin McCracken and FlipSide editor Pat Abdalla love movies. In the ongoing blog feature “Mac and Cheese” they dish out fresh commentary about all things film.

Photo: www.facebook.com/GoldenGlobes

Award season is already upon us. The Golden Globes will be handed out Sunday, Jan. 15. By late December, both of us usually have a firm grasp of what films will and should win awards. This year’s an exception. (We can’t even start to speculate about Oscar nominations, due out Jan. 24.) We’re not quite sure how or why the Hollywood Foreign Press Association arrived at its picks, but we’re thoroughly confused. We haven’t seen all of the movies, but we’ll make our best guesses. Share your predictions in the comments section and join the Golden Globes chat 7:30 p.m. Sunday on the FlipSide Facebook page.

Best Motion Picture – Drama
Nominees: “The Descendants,” “The Help,” “Hugo,” “The Ides Of March,” “Moneyball” and “War Horse”
Erin’s pick: Six! There are SIX movies on this list when there are normally FIVE. The HFPA offered no explanation, so I bet they were blindly guessing too. If we play the one-of-these-things-is-not-like-the-others game, “Ides of March” would win. Did they want to play up Clooney versus Clooney or Gosling versus Gosling? I’m pulling for one of two of the noms I’ve seen so far: “The Help,” even though it paled in comparison to the book.
Pat’s pick: I’ve seen “The Help,” “The Ides of March,” and “Moneyball.”
I think “Moneyball” was incredibly enjoyable and a very good movie. Engaging dialogue, solid performances and a tight storyline. However, it’s a step below the others. “The Ides of March” was very well made. All of its aspects were a slight step above “Moneyball.” That said, of all the movies I’ve seen this year, nothing moved me as much as “The Help.” The gamut of emotions that movie took me through ranged from rage to joy. Of these movies, it’s my pick for best picture. That said, the one movie that I would have liked to have seen in this list is “Super 8.”

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama
Nominees: Glenn Close for “Albert Nobbs,” Viola Davis for “The Help,” Rooney Mara for “The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo,” Meryl Streep for “Iron Lady” and Tilda Swinton for “We Need To Talk About Kevin”
Erin’s pick: Several of these nominees transformed for their roles, but Close could take the cake for dressing in drag. I’m dying to see Streep as Margaret Thatcher, but the movie hasn’t shown in the area, so I’ll vote for Davis.
Pat’s pick: I only saw Viola Davis and Rooney Mara’s performance. The others – Close, Streep and Swinton – are always fantastic. It’s a tough call between the two I’ve seen. Mara brought a lot of depth to the role of Lisbeth Salander and gave her whole soul to the role. I don’t know that you can ask for more. Yet Davis pulled it off. She brought out so many emotions in me.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama
Nominees: George Clooney for “The Descendants,” Leonardo DiCaprio for “J. Edgar,” Michael Fassbender for “Shame,” Ryan Gosling for “The Ides Of March” and Brad Pitt for “Moneyball”
Erin’s pick: I love Leonardo. But was he good enough to win for his brilliant turn in the mediocre “J. Edgar?” Pitt was better in “Tree of Life.” Clooney has never awed me, so I’m skeptical about “The Descendants.” The only one who could take this from Leo is Fassbender for his supposedly brilliant performance in “Shame.”
Pat’s pick: I really want to see “The Descendants.” But I’m imagining Clooney wins with this. Leo was fantastic as Hoover, so I’m not going to complain if he wins. What I don’t get is how Pitt and Gosling are in here. I just didn’t think they’re performances were all that great in “Moneyball” or “Ides.” Maybe Gosling should have been nominated for “Drive.”

Best Motion Picture – Comedy Or Musical
Nominees: “50/50,” “The Artist,” “Bridesmaids,” “Midnight In Paris” an “My Week With Marilyn”
Erin’s pick: There you go: Five. HFPA can count! “Midnight in Paris” was fun. “My Week With Marilyn” was nice to look at. I’d love to vote for “Bridesmaids,” but I’m more in love with the throwback concept of “The Artist.”
Pat’s pick: Unbelievably, I’ve only seen “Bridesmaids.” It was hysterical, but I doubt it was good enough for this award.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy Or Musical
Nominees: Jodie Foster and “Carnage,” Charlize Theron in “Young Adult,” Kristen Wiig for “Bridesmaids,” Michelle Williams for “My Week With Marilyn” and Kate Winslet for “Carnage”
Erin’s pick: If it weren’t for director Roman Polanski, Foster and Winslet would each have a decent shot at the statue. Williams might win for her uncanny incarnation of Monroe and Monroe’s wiggle. But “Bridesmaids” deserves some credit, so why not give Wiig’s hilarious facial expressions an award?
Pat’s pick: Aside from Wiig, I didn’t see the other movies, though I’d like to see Charlize Theron win because she was so fantastic on “Arrested Development.”

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Comedy Or Musical
Nominees: Jean Dujardin for “The Artist,” Brendan Gleeson for “The Guard,” Joseph Gordon-Levitt for “50/50,” Ryan Gosling for “Crazy, Stupid, Love” and Owen Wilson for “Midnight In Paris”
Erin’s pick: I didn’t even mention Gosling’s nod in the drama category. But he was brilliant in “Crazy, Stupid, Love.” I want him and his abs to walk away with the award, but I think Dujardin might (deservedly it would seem) get the gold.
Pat’s pick: Brendan Gleeson is one of the best actors out there and “The Guard” should have received more love.

Check out all the nominees. Coverage starts at 8 p.m. on NBC.

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