Sean Penn drama adds surreal undercurrent to Golden Globes

As a lure for Hollywood stars, the Golden Globes Awards are nearly unmatched. But the 73rd annual show, where actors were streaming down the red carpet Sunday, may have already been upstaged by the surrealism of Sean Penn's intrepid journalism.

There were plenty of story lines heading into the Globes in Beverly Hills, California: Can the Boston Globe drama "Spotlight" triumph as best picture? Will the nerdy science-fiction hit "The Martian" top the comedy nominees? How will Ricky Gervais do as host after a lauded three-year stint by Tina Fey and Amy Poehler?

But the revelation Saturday that Penn traveled clandestinely to Mexico to interview the drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman for Rolling Stone magazine was sure to be one of the night's most buzzed-about topics. Penn was not in attendance Sunday, but surely had Gervais making last-minute changes to his opening monologue.

Early notable looks on the red carpet included "Jane the Virgin" star Gina Rodriguez in an off-the-shoulder gown. "Blindspot" star Jaimie Alexander somehow hid her own real tattoos in a green gown with a neckline that plunged all the way to the navel as the stars of film and TV arrived Sunday for the Golden Globe Awards.

Emmy Rossum wore a tight red dress and a twisting diamond necklace, Brie Larson shimmered in gold and Laverne Cox rocked a backless gown in ivory crepe with a fishtail train.

The looks were as varied as the night's nominees. Without a runaway favorite for this year's top Academy Award, a handful of key contenders will be looking to Sunday night's Globes for a little traction on the road to the Oscars. Academy Award nominees will be announced Thursday.

Among the nominees with the most to gain from a best-picture win when the Globes are handed out in Beverly Hills, California, are "Mad Max: Fury Road," ''The Revenant" and "Spotlight" in the drama category, and "The Big Short" and "The Martian" in the comedy category.

The five films are the only Globe best picture nominees in either category to also appear on the Producers Guild of America's list of 10 best picture nominees announced this past week. There has never been an Oscar best picture winner that hasn't also been on the PGA's list of best picture nominees since the guild started handing out awards in 1990.

Other nominees in the Globes' top two categories this year are the dramas "Carol" and "Room," and "Joy," ''Spy" and "Trainwreck" in the comedy category.

"The Revenant," starring the best-actor favorite Leonardo DiCaprio, came in buoyed by its $37 million wide-release, good enough to almost topple J.J. Abrams' box-office juggernaut, "Star Wars: The Force Awakens."

That film on Wednesday became the highest-grossing movie of all time in North America. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which presents the Golden Globes, announced its nominees a few days before the first industry screening of "Star Wars" in mid-December.

The absence of "The Force Awakens" — a certain ratings booster for any awards show — will surely be one of the things Gervais needles the Hollywood Foreign Press Association about at the Beverly Hilton Hotel ceremony, which runs from 8-11 p.m. EST, telecast live on NBC.

Gervais, who will host for the fourth time after a three-year stint by Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, said on the "Ellen DeGeneres Show" last week that booze gives him the courage to make his wince-inducing jokes.

"If I didn't drink, I wouldn't be brave enough to say some of the things I'm going to say," Gervais said.

After a 10-year ratings high three years ago, the Golden Globes' viewership has dipped slightly since, with an audience of 19.3 million tuning in last year.

That, though, is still very strong for the Golden Globes, which have worked to shed an image of eccentric selections made by a group of little-known international journalists. The Globes have instead grown into one of the most popular award show broadcasts of the year, thanks to increasingly credible nominees, its trademark relaxed atmosphere and its unique position as a major awards show that honors both film and television.

Netflix earned a leading eight nods on the TV side, where nominations are scattered across streaming services, broadcast and cable. Six shows come in tied for the most nominations with three: "Fargo," ''Mr. Robot," ''Outlander," ''Transparent," ''American Crime" and "Wolf Hall."

Presenters at Sunday night's Golden Globes will include Tom Hanks, Helen Mirren, Michael Keaton, Amy Adams, Kurt Russell, Lady Gaga, Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Lopez, Eddie Redmayne, Kate Hudson, Channing Tatum and Kate Bosworth. Also presenting will be Mel Gibson, who is returning to the Hollywood spotlight after keeping a low profile for almost a decade, following an explosive drunken-driving arrest and public custody dispute.

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