Did studio-funded trips and concerts buy votes for some of this year's nominees...?

In an all-too-clear reminder of how strongly a role politics and perks play in today's film world, The Independent has learned that Golden Globes judges were treated to an all-expense-paid trip to Las Vegas by Sony Pictures, the studio that financed Burlesque, just weeks before the picture was nominated for this year's Best Musical or Comedy award.

To put it mildly, the nomination was a surprise among critics and Hollywood insiders, as the Cher/Christina Aguilera vehicle attracted a lukewarm reception at best. The review aggregating website Rotten Tomatoes currently shows that only 38% of critics gave it a positive review. Those critics termed 'Cream of the Crop' (a selection of nationally prominent critics) approved of the film at an even lower 26% clip.

Burlesque's critical dismissal, however, was not enough to snuff the torch of love that the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) inexplicably carries for the creaky dance-a-thon. Those in the know detailed to The Independent the pricey junket lavished upon judges of the HFPA at Sony's expense, which included free deluxe hotel accommodations, free meals, and a private concert by Cher herself. Lo and behold, a prestigious nomination soon followed for the film that the Daily Mirror called "awful" and Film School Rejects rated as "brain dead". (Our own Ben Lamy was none too thrilled about its inclusion in the nominees either. See his take here.)

With the inclusion of Burlesque in the Best Musical or Comedy category, one must also wonder about The Tourist, starring Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie. The drama was also panned and received an abysmal 21% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, yet received a nomination of its own in the same category. No word yet as to what kingly gifts that Columbia Pictures or UK distributor Optimum Releasing may have bestowed to warrant its unlikely nod.

The Golden Globe winners will be announced live 16 January 2011.

The Independent

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