
And now for the ladies! I'm already running out of ways to introduce this week's entries, so let's just do this thing.
Didn't Watch: Nyad
You're probably all noticing a theme at this point. No, I did not watch all the movies on this list. My apologies to Annette Benning, there's no arguing she's a phenomenal actress. And I'm sure it was a great performance and I wish her the best.
4. Emma Stone - Poor Things
This is one of those categories where I kind of wish everyone could win. I thought they were all incredible performances and it was difficult to decide how to rank them. But I think I'm going to put Emma Stone at the bottom. Don't get me wrong, she carried this movie. She WAS this movie. And she brought life to every scene and ever character relationship. She embodied the curious spirit of her character and honestly, if I'm wrong and she wins, I won't be mad about it. The range, from the dance scene to the scene in which she learns how cruel life can be, she really helped us see Bella experience the full range of human emotion. I may not have liked Poor Things as much as some people, but Emma Stone was one of the reasons I did enjoy it.
3. Sandra Hüller - Anatomy of a Fall
I think what I really liked about this performance is how understated it was, in a good way. She wasn't overly dramatic in every scene, which sold the high-tension scenes all that much more. And it added to the mystery around her guilt. You couldn't tell if she was just trying to keep it together or if she was hiding something. The scene when she realizes her son is asking her to leave and she just has to accept it was so hard to watch and such a good sequence. The way she portrayed those feelings alone earned her the nomination. The whole performance was excellent and real and I loved watching her.
2. Carey Mulligan - Maestro
Again, a movie I just felt okay about with an incredible lead actress. Carey Mulligan was so good in Maestro. She was honestly the best part of the movie. While the first half struggled to figure out what it was saying, her portrayal of the character's feelings never changed. And then as the fighting would mount and more of her inner conflict came out, you could see the shift in character. And the entire cancer sequence, from the diagnosis to her last days, amazing. I really appreciated that she wasn't trying to be the gentle, stoic matron that stays strong for her kids and her husband. Cancer is scary, dying is scary, and the character was vulnerable about that. And Carey Mulligan presented all of it with dignity and respect.
1. Lily Gladstone - Killers of the Flower Moon
And the Unhelpful Reviews Oscar goes to!
Once again, I'm pretty sure my favorite performance is taking home the Oscar, and I don't think this is about diversity. Lily Gladstone was so. good. I keep thinking about that "wasting illness" sequence. That can't be an easy day on set. It has to be hard to sell that you're on your deathbed like that. I mean I know they spray her down to mimic the fever and change up her makeup, but still, she has to sell just about everything else. Some of the raw emotion she put into those scenes created this character that was so stoic and yet still very much a real person. And then that final scene when she asks Leonardo DiCaprio's character something that I can't remember now but he clearly lies and you can just see it in her face that she doesn't believe his bullshit anymore. Now THAT is a feminist moment. It was an incredible performance and she deserves all the accolades and attention.
We're moving on to supporting roles so stay tuned! And let me know who you think is winning Best Lead Actress!
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