Lord alone knows why people still pay so much attention to the Golden Globes. It has been demonstrated over and over again that these gongs offer only the loosest pointers to the Oscar nominations. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the dubious body that hands out the things, has yet to explain why it is qualified to judge anything more prestigious than a nobbly knees competition. And yet, here I am, cutting and pasting this year’s nominations.

L to R: H Bonham-Carter, C Firth. Hang on a moment.

The whinges above noted, all the early favourites for the Academy Awards are firmly in place. The King’s Speech, The Social Network and Black Swan all figure heavily. Bookies will continue to count Colin Firth (George VI in The King’s Speech) as favourite for the best dramatic actor award. Natalie Portman (mad ballet dancer in Black Swan) is in poll position for the best serious actress Globe. The Social Network looks like taking the best dramatic film award.

The most entertaining aspect of any Globes list are the dodgy romps and genuine turkeys that turn up in the best comedy or musical category. Where else would Bulesque, The Tourist and Red figure in a best picture race? It wouldn’t altogether have been a surprise to encounter Grown Ups or Leap Year in this shortlist.

At any rate, here are the main film nominations for your perusal. You can find the full list here.

Best Motion Picture – Drama

Black Swan

The Fighter

Inception

The King’s Speech

The Social Network

Best Performance By An Actress In A Motion Picture – Drama

Halle Berry – Frankie and Alice

Nicole Kidman – Rabbit Hole

Jennifer Lawrence – Winter’s Bone

Natalie Portman – Black Swan

Michelle Williams – Blue Valentine

Best Performance By An Actor In A Motion Picture – Drama

Jesse Eisenberg – The Social Network

Colin Firth – The King’s Speech

James Franco – 127 Hours

Ryan Gosling – Blue Valentine

Mark Wahlberg – The Fighter

Best Motion Picture – Comedy Or Musical

Alice in Wonderland

Burlesque

The Kids Are All Right

Red

The Tourist

Best Performance By An Actress In A Motion Picture – Comedy Or Musical

Annette Bening – The Kids Are All Right

Anne Hathaway – Love and Other Drugs

Angelina Jolie – The Tourist

Julianne Moore – The Kids Are All Right

Emma Stone – Easy A

Best Performance By An Actor In A Motion Picture – Comedy Or Musical

Johnny Depp – Alice in Wonderland

Johnny Depp – The Tourist

Paul Giamatti – Barney’s Version

Jake Gyllenhaal – Love And Other Drugs

Kevin Spacey – Casino Jack