I know some people saw this as a bit of a shocker on Oscar night, but if you were paying attention to awards season this wasn't all that surprising. The race was between Colman and Close for most of the season with Gaga starting strong but fading early. Colman had a few wins coming into this so it wasn't much of a surprise and probably years down the line will cement itself as the right pick. Trying to get Close an Oscar for anything she does just feels wrong on the surface, though I say this having not seen any of these performances. Aparicio is just glad to be there and McCarthy has become a darling of the Academy for a comedic actress going dramatic. It's an interesting list, so let's get into it.
2018 Best Actress
Olivia Colman - The Favourite
I wasn't totally sure of what to expect from this performance. I knew Colman from some TV work and an indie film a few years ago called Tyrannosaur. And then you look at her wiki page and see she's been in a bunch of great films and is doing lots more TV work and is a phenomenal actress. But going into this film, I thought she was going to be this uproarious, funny, active Queen. I say active because I thought she'd be on the move in the film, but she's not. I'm not smart about British history and don't know who Queen Anne is but now I know she was this depressed, sad, lonely, diseased woman. In the film, Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz are vying for her love and trust and affection. They really just want to be the true power behind the throne and the Queen doesn't understand or see that. She's a bit oblivious and doesn't seem to enjoy being a leader. She likes her rabbits and her younger women and not much else. Colman put on a bit of weight for the role and looked very frumpy. The Queen had gout and I feel like at the end of the film she had a stroke or at least mumbled and had a vacant look in her eyes. I think Colman played her part extremely well. She has to look frumpy and dumpy, throw tantrums when she doesn't get her way, wail depressingly because she's sad and lonely and can't have kids. She's like this manic depressive person, just up and down all the time. Colman also gets to have some comedic moments of her own, often more subtle than overt. I like the scene where she addresses the Lords and one of them thanked her for not doing what she was just about to do which made her panic and then faint. She later said she didn't know what else to do so she just collapsed. It's that darkly funny physical comedy that is ever present throughout the film but allows Colman to show off more than being simply morose and glum. My one issue is that this performance and role feels more like supporting than lead to me. I know that the other two ladies are fighting over Colman's power and that she is the Queen, but it feels like she takes a back seat at times to the others. You might say all three are co-leads but this doesn't feel like her film even if it's about her. It's still very strong work, even if I was expecting something different. I suspect I'll come to like this performance even more over time after it settles into my brain. But overall I'm happy with her win and feel like I will agree with the Academy.
Yalitza Aparicio - Roma
I love nominations like this one. Aparicio was a first time actress who decided to try out for an open casting call because she was waiting for test results before starting a teaching career. It's great that a native Mexican actress can be an Oscar nominee because she did do an amazing job with her character in the film. Roma is a film that demands a naturalistic performance. It doesn't need someone "acting" because it would stick out so badly. It needs an Aparicio because she lends that authenticity to her character. She plays a housemaid for a wealthy family who we see has some problems, but also Aparicio encounters her own issue when she gets pregnant by a guy who immediately leaves her. She rings true as a maid and as a loving caretaker of the children and as a good friend to the other maid. Her performance is one that doesn't have much extensive dialogue which is probably for the better as she gets to act with her body and her looks and demeanor. So when she does say something, it usually hits harder because the emotion is earned. She's such a sweet woman who just wants to provide for the family that provides for her and she wants love. She's the calm in the chaos around her even when it involves herself. As a first time performance it truly is wonderful work to watch. She looks right at home on the screen but also as the character. She exudes warmth and has this quiet strength about her. Aparicio may never do anything like this ever again, only time will tell, but this is very good introduction to the world and is such a real, raw performance that I'm excited to see what she does next, if anything. I definitely feel like she belongs on this list and she holds her own against the other women in this group. It's just a great, solidly quiet performance for a woman who tried out simply because she was bored one day.
Glenn Close - The Wife
Poor Glenn. This was her 7th Oscar nomination and by all accounts was probably her best shot at finally winning. It was between her and eventual winner Olivia Colman and she didn't quite make it. Even today as I write this, I have no idea what the film is about and I feel like not very many people actually saw this one. It's a short film, coming in at just over an hour and a half, but feels much longer. It's a story about a long suffering wife - but with a twist. Her husband has just been informed he's going to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature. We then learn that he was unfaithful a few times and he was the dominant force in the marriage and part of the reason she, who was a promising young writer, stopped writing. I think you can guess the twist already and I figured it out pretty quickly in the story. It's telegraphed and then revealed eventually and then you understand even more where Close's resentment truly springs from. The role and film and performance is definitely Oscar bait and it's unfortunate that her two most recent nominations are for that kind of role. But unlike in Albert Nobbs, this is a good performance that doesn't take the Oscar bait qualities to extreme heights. She is obviously uber talented and she can act with such ease and make it all seem so effortless. She does that for this performance but it still feels like it's lacking something. Maybe it's a heart or soul to the performance but it feels calculated to hit certain beats and measures at specific points and doesn't arrive with much feeling. The role and film remind me a ton of Julianne Moore in Still Alice and Charlotte Rampling in 45 Years, though with less emotional impact than either one. I want a Glenn Close nomination to have a quality other than being great acting work and looking for an Oscar. I know that sounds a bit weird because obviously you need great acting work to win, but you get my point that there needs to be something more to her performances than what she's given us the last two times out.
Lady Gaga - A Star Is Born
I don't really know if we can call this a first time acting performance as Gaga had done some TV work and basically been playing Lady Gaga for years. But this was for sure the role she was born to play as her story and her characters' journey are very similar. Yes, Gaga is a brilliant singer, songwriter, musician, entertainer. But she nails the homely small town working girl who has a dream part of the character just as much as all the singing and performing ones. Which is to me why her performance works so well for the film and just on a purely acting note. Yeah you can be an entertainer and sing but can you hit those emotional beats and allow those real moments in the film to land with the viewer. She does. Easily and brilliantly. It helps that she and Bradley Cooper have incredible and undeniable chemistry throughout the film. The moment they first meet is cute but also feels so real and relatable. She's a nervous, awestruck mess backstage when they are talking and he's been so charming. Those moments are terrific to watch in part because Gaga is so good in those small, quiet moments where her character has to be real and authentic. Of course, she's also amazing in the scenes where she is performing her songs, too. Those are just as important to the character and the film and it helps that she's actually singing and performing and actually helped write super catchy songs. She deservedly won an Oscar for Best Song and gave one of the best, if not the best, song performances on the telecast with Cooper that's ever been done. She does well as an actress though and you see that it moments where she has to stand up to Cooper's drinking and in her enabling him and in her heartbreak. She has to hit all those acting notes and does a great job at it. I was impressed after being worried that she wouldn't be able to hang with Cooper. She will be in play as a possible winner for me because I did enjoy her performance so much.
Melissa McCarthy - Can You Ever Forgive Me?
This always felt like an afterthought when following the awards race this year. This was Glenn Close's year to win pretty much from the start, although Lady Gaga had her brief time at the top. Then Olivia Colman came into the picture and made the race competitive and ultimately won the Oscar. But Aparicio and McCarthy were the ones who came along for the ride, just happy to be there, more so for Aparicio. So McCarthy was kind of like the well, we have four nominees and McCarthy was in a drama film, let's just vote her in for the fifth spot. No one talked about this film or this performance and I'm sure all those that love McCarthy's comedy wasn't scrambling to find this in a theater near them to watch her play an alcoholic writer. But that's unfair to McCarthy, who it's obvious that the Academy really loves. She is a talented dramatic actress and uses her frumpy, chubby look to help aid in delivering authentic performances. I say that because Julianne Moore was actually cast first but had creative differences and so McCarthy came into the role. Moore would have taken this performance in a different direction I feel like, so having an uglified McCarthy just works better. But the performance is more than just looks. McCarthy has to inhabit a character that is so insular and sad and pathetic and averse to human interaction and just a miserable person overall. So when she does become friends with Richard E. Grant's character, it makes it feel more authentic and gives her some humanity. Two poor souls can connect and appreciate each other even when their lives are at the lowest point. The story is about McCarthy who is down on her luck as an alcoholic writer who decides to forge correspondence of famous people and sell them to book shops and collectors. An interesting story but this is a character driven piece and a look into the life of a sad, depressed person who pushes everyone away. McCarthy does a great job of becoming that person and she and Grant have a great working chemistry together so that all we really care about in the film is their two performances. There isn't a lot of range that McCarthy has to show but I wouldn't call this a one note performance exactly. It's good work but it does feel like it's missing that Oscar moment or quality to it. The kind of performance that gets nominated but not thought about too much. I feel like comedians really shine in these types of performances where they have to play these lonely, pathetic individuals who feed off being miserable. There's a fine line between that aspect and comedy and makes it easier to transition to playing these dramatic type of roles. Anyway, it's a good role for McCarthy and her nomination is fine. I do feel like this will be a forgotten performance of hers since t wasn't seen by many people. Who know, maybe this will be a hidden gem for someone doing this project in twenty years or so.
I am kinda glad Close didn't win this year. Her performance just feels like Oscar bait from an actress who could do that work in her sleep. I'd rather she win for something amazing that challenges her and isn't so predictable and boring. Aparicio is up next mostly because it's her debut and because her strength is not in doing a lot of acting. It's her face and body language and the silent moments where she shines, which is a smart move from her director to not make her do too much. McCarthy is up next because she gave a pretty good dramatic performance. And I actually kinda like the film. It's grown on me a little since watching and I gave Grant my win in Supporting Actor. It's one more people would need to see but I think it was a perfect role for her. Gaga comes in second. I thought about giving her the win because I just adored her and the film, but she gets the Oscar for Song and that's a good enough trade off for me. Colman is great and I like all her other work that she's done lately not that that matters here, but I will agree with the Academy. It's good stuff and I'm glad she won over Close, as petty and shitty that is for me to say. It's the truth, though! Earn the win, don't just do Oscar bait crap. Anyway, pretty good year overall and I'm happy with that.
Oscar Winner: Olivia Colman - The Favourite
My Winner: Olivia Colman - The Favourite
Lady Gaga
Melissa McCarthy
Yalitza Aparicio
Glenn Close
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