I found that writing down all of these reviews has been way easier for me than going through some of the later years. I think that's because the race is still on going and I've read so many articles and comments on who would get nominated and now who should win. It's easy to build up an opinion to be able to converse with others online which in turn makes it easier to write everything down because it's swirling over and over in my head so I'm able to make sense of it quicker and write these reviews quicker instead of taking weeks and months. It was also easier because I didn't stick to just one film and do all the nominations for it then move on like I normally do. I finished Best Supporting Actress almost in a day or so because it was easy to write about. If I could do it this fast every year, I'd be in the 60s by December! Although the slow and steady thing isn't too bad. This category is already locked in for Larson, so you got some rambling instead.
2015 Best Actress
Brie Larson - Room
This is your front runner and presumptive winner. I'd be shocked, and so would the Oscar blog world, if she doesn't win. From what I've read, she's really campaigning hard in Hollywood which always rubs me the wrong way like with Redmayne last year. I'm also wavering on how I feel about Larson's performance exactly. Everyone is saying how incredible and wonderful and moving it is and I agree that large parts of it are exactly that. But there's also some parts that feel cliche or at least not as amazing as the rest of her performance. I was really hoping Larson would come out as my easy pick for a winner but I have to say I wasn't bowled over like I hear everyone else saying they were. That makes me question whether I know what the hell I'm talking about and if it's okay to think it's good, but... This is a tale of two films almost. The first half is dedicated to showing Ma and Jack living in their tiny Room together. This is where Larson excels at playing the protective mother explaining the world to her son the best she can since he's never seen the outside of the room. She's loving and nurturing in a place where it would seem impossible for those things to exist. She's mature beyond her years and Larson portrays that aspect impressively. Ma also remains vigilant, hiding Jack away from their captor and keeping her wits about her to devise an escape plan. These are the parts that Larson is absolutely Best Actress worthy. Her chemistry or motherly instincts towards Jack are authentic and really something to watch just how they interact. The first half is tense because you are wondering who the captor is, how she got there, how will they escape, and tons of other questions and thoughts running through your mind. Then they are freed and the film slows way down and we start getting into the more cliche, expected beats of this kind of story. You think Larson might be able to adjust back to normal life alright and that Jack will have a big issue, but the opposite is true. That's where the performance starts to lose steam for me as as the story lets Larson down big time. What made her performance so special in the first half is gone from the second half though it is still an obviously good portrayal. I'm not sure exactly what I'm looking for from Larson in the second half but it just doesn't quite live up to her acting in the Room and I really wish it did. That said, Larson is pretty great here and would be a fine winner.
Cate Blanchett - Carol
I think I'm starting to get annoyed by Cate Blanchett nominations now, which isn't a good thing. She's become one of those actresses that the Academy defaults to because they are afraid to go out of their comfort zone and nominate something off the wall or different. So when she has a decent enough performance, she gets all these rave reviews because she's Cate Blanchett and everyone wants to be first on the hype train. It's like some critics and bloggers don't want to look wrong or dumb or whatever when they stand up and say this performance isn't all that great and certainly not Oscar worthy. I think going down the list of names here and you see a Cate Blanchett you go well, yeah okay and go to the next name. Meaning she always looks like she belongs but it might not always be the best pick. Blanchett as the titular Carol is a bored housewife who has flings with other women while living a rather posh lifestyle. It's honestly a role I could see Blanchett doing in her sleep, which is a credit to Blanchett but also means she's not really taking any risks or pushing herself as an actress with this one. It feels very similar to her turn in Notes on a Scandal (or even Blue Jasmine, but without the neurosis), though I think that performance had a lot more depth than this one does. That's one of the main things about this performance is we never really get to know who Carol is and I don't even know if we ever found out why her and her husband were having issues, I just assumed it was because of her flings. It's a very superficial performance, one where Blanchett flutters in acting all dominant and sexual which is taboo for the 50s and that's about all there is to it. We get momentary glimpses of the heartbreak going on beneath her veneer of sophistication and all the domestic issues she's dealing with but those don't last very long before she's back to being provocative. Carol could have been so much more than it was, mainly due to performances like this that just felt way too constricted. I expect better from Blanchett.
Jennifer Lawrence - Joy
Just like with Cate Blanchett, I'm getting more and more annoyed by Lawrence's constant nominations. This is her 4th Oscar nomination and she's only 25 years old! That's a record and it's a wholly undeserved one. She has no business being nominated for Joy, even if she is the best part of an otherwise awful, tone deaf movie. And she probably shouldn't have been nominated for American Hustle, either. The common denominator between those two performances is the fact that she's way too young to be playing what should be middle aged women roles. She is not at all believable as a mother in this movie and she feels more like a big sister and that kills all of the scenes where she's supposed to be trying her hardest for her kids and family and all that junk. It rings hollow and falls flat which is unfortunate because that's a big part of the movie is her making it as a single mother. So take that part out of the equation and what are we left with exactly? A movie that has some very odd, mistimed, and downright awful "humor" that's about Lawrence's character inventing a self wringing mop and powering through until it sells a ton on TV. Joy is essentially just an acting showcase for Lawrence, who has to run the gamut of emotions and situations and one dimensional characters in her way. I'm sure any actress would have loved a movie like this to show off their range and Lawrence is up to the task, sure, but she can't save the movie and her one woman show begins to wear thin after awhile. Lawrence needs to get away from doing David O. Russell movies and start working with other directors on non franchise films so that she can really showcase her abilities because she's being wasted in these awful roles and movies of his.
Charlotte Rampling - 45 Years
Some might see this nomination as a surprise but that's only because they weren't paying attention and probably had never heard of the film at all. This is a performance where on first watch you might not fully appreciate all that's going on with Rampling's performance. It's a quiet role, one that doesn't draw much attention to itself. It's also a devastating role with so much subtext and nuance that you really have to be paying attention and really like these realistic character dramas. I like the idea of these types of films and sometimes they just instantly click with me like In the Bedroom, but sometimes I struggle to find the beauty in them like Amour. I was initially on the fence about Rampling. I didn't see what was so amazing and highly praised about her work here. The second viewing allowed me to better understand what she was going through and how she was reacting to it all, which a lot of it is hidden inside Rampling. I still am not totally in love with the performance but I'm also not easily dismissing it, either. I think it's a character that not a lot of other actresses could pull off as well as Rampling does. I think it's a solid acting job that will most likely go overlooked unless someone wants to go on an Oscar nomination binge, unfortunately. To at least tell what the role is about: Rampling is a woman who is getting ready to celebrate her 45th wedding anniversary with her husband who finds out a former lover from before they met who was killed in an accident has been find on a mountain. That news sends the husband into a state of shock and mourning and makes Rampling question more and more as the film goes on just if she was her husband's true love. As you can tell it's an emotionally heavy film that internalizes a lot of the reactions and thoughts of the characters and we are left as an audience to try and make sense of what is going on. Rampling's performance obviously hits its peak right towards the end as you'd expect and it is very draining. Some may not connect with her but it's hard not to at least empathize with her. It's a performance that was a lot better the second time around for me.
Saoirse Ronan - Brooklyn
This was one of the last films I watched before the nominations came out pretty much because the story of Irish immigrant girl in America finding love didn't exactly scream great film to me. I should have known not to be so stupid because I really, really liked the film but I really, really liked Ronan's performance more. I mean she really does a tremendous job carrying this entire film on the strength of her acting. She makes a film that might get overlooked into a must watch. She makes a little film about Irish immigration and love into a substantial film nominated for Best Picture. She's that good to me. There's not even any one thing about her performance, it's just solid from start to finish. There's also nothing flashy or showy about it, she just steadfastly acts circles around everyone else in this category. I like that her character stays the same person yet still grows at the same time. She's kind of a no-nonsense person and Ronan portrays that in the same no frills type way. I like her personality the most. When the other girls tease her at the boarding house, she let's it roll off her back and furthers her education while working and finding a boy. Though the romance part in the US comes off as hokey, that's not because of Ronan at all, who doesn't succumb to any schmaltzy, melodramatic, or chintzy inclinations. She plays it natural and helps buoy the worst part of the film. It gets even better when she goes back to visit Ireland and is a little more mature and stands up for herself at the end with fiery conviction that may not be personally satisfying to me, but fits the character well. Ronan would be my pick for Best Actress but I know that's not going to happen, unfortunately. In place of that, I urge everyone to watch Brooklyn for her performance alone.
Well, the top three this year (by my standards) is a pretty strong little group. My winner would be Ronan because she carries her film and is great from start to finish without anything to pick apart. I hope that she can one day get a win because she's a solid young actress. Larson will be your winner but is my second because I think once she leaves captivity, the performance sags a bit and doesn't continue to wow. Rampling is quietly deceptive third that sneaks up on you before you realize you actually kinda like it. People won't have seen this but they should, if at least to see what they think for themselves. Blanchett coasts in a role she could do in her sleep that probably shouldn't be nominated and Lawrence just fails to deliver even though she is the best thing in a terrible movie. Those last two are a wider gap from the other three, yet I know some lists will put them towards the top because people can't see past the names. Not me, though.
Oscar Winner: Brie Larson - Room
My Winner: Saoirse Ronan - Brooklyn
Brie Larson
Charlotte Rampling
Cate Blanchett
Jennifer Lawrence
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