Best Actress
- Annette Benning / Julianne Moore - The Kids Are All Right
- Anne Hathaway - Love And Other Drugs
- Jennifer Lawrence - Winter's Bone
- Lesley Manville - Another Year
- Nathalie Portman - Black Swan
Two of the best lead performances by an actress this year have, quite surprisingly, come from exactly the same movie: The Kids Are All Right. Both Julianne Moore and Annette Benning are absolutely outstanding in the poignant comedy movie about a dysfunctional American family. Moreover, with the usual left-wing politics of the Academy and their admiration for roles that embody topical issues, the fact that they both play lesbians is also likely to secure them nominations. However, the question is: Which actress will the studio push in this category and which actress will they push in the supporting category?
Although no-one has seen the movie yet, there's also a lot of buzz surrounding the romantic comedy Love And Other Drugs. The trailer looks schmaltzy and it has the air of a melodrama, but after Sandra Bullock won last year for The Blind Side, it shows that the Oscars love these kinds of flicks. Therefore, Hathaway, who I believe should have won in 2007 for her role in Rachel Getting Married, could see herself in the running again.
Another performance which I have raved on and on about since I saw it earlier this year is Jennifer Lawrence's one in Winter's Bone. She's a young, upcoming talent and the Academy love to recognise fresh new faces. Just look at Abigail Breslin in Little Miss Sunshine or Marion Colltiard in La Vie En Rose. Most of all though, not even the most hardened of actresses could pull off a haunting and heartfelt role like she did in the indie thriller.
Mike Leigh has a great track record for getting nominations for his cast and Another Year will probably be no different. Lesley Manville is being hotly tipped as one of the front-runners in this category after she broke the hearts of viewers at the Cannes and Toronto film festivals earlier this year.
Lastly, the performance that is on everyone's lips right now is Nathalie Portman in Black Swan. It's a dark turn for the young actress but, apparently, one that she totally nails. Perhaps it's a little too unsettling to take home the golden statue, but after all the buzz that she has received for it, no-one can deny that Portman is locked for a nomination.
Who might also be contenders?
Sally Hawkins - Made In Dagenham - Inspiration, uplifting, funny and moving. What more do I need to say? The Academy love a good, traditional performance like this and Sally Hawkins delivers the best one of the year in Made In Dagenham. Could she find herself in the running?
Hailee Steinfeld - True Grit - Speaking of the young, upcoming talent that I mentioned before when talking about Jennifer Lawrence, the True Grit actress is turning out her first ever role here. From the trailers it looks like it could be a powerful one too. So could this one be the breakout performance of 2010?
Diane Lane - Secretariat - Yes, the movie does look and sound like an obvious, cliched little affair. But it has all the makings of a movie that could catch the Academy's attention. Especially Lane in the leading role.
1 comments:
Looks solid, I don't really know who's getting buzzed outside of Bening, Moore and Portman. Not sure which category they're putting Manville in but I'm sure she'll get nommed.
I really have "high hopes" for Another Year. ;)
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