Every day until the Oscars ceremony we’ll be highlighting a different category or movie here on the LAMB! Here’s a link to all the posts written so far: https://largeassmovieblogs.com/2018/01/the-lamb-devours-the-oscars-2018-roster.html
Today, Matthew Stewart from Simplistic Reviews is here to look at the nominees for Best Actress.
There aren’t many certainties these days. The world is in flux, tensions are high, and we face stress in what we do and do. However, come every March we can always argue the merits of whether Meryl Streep should be nominated for yet another Oscar…well, that’s at least what I argue every year.
With that being said, let’s take a look at this year’s list of the leading ladies looking to capture the gold. Spoiler alert; this should be a way tougher choice if you’re looking at the performances individually and not just who has been winning all the awards this season so far.
The Hipster Vote: Saoirse Ronan
I’m being a bit cheeky with this one of course, but it’s impossible to see who is rooting for this win to actually happen. The Q Rating for Greta Gerwig is through the roof right now, and calling Lady Bird “Juno without the Weirdness” is fair, but you could also call Real Women Have Curves the “Proto-Lady Bird just with a predominately Latin cast,” but that’s neither here nor there. Ellen Page could have easily won in 2008, but with Ronan playing a similar role in a stronger year, her chances are slim.
Respect Old Hollywood Vote: Meryl Streep
Another year, another nomination for Meryl Streep. It’s no secret that I’m just not a Streep fan at this point. Do I see merit in her role in The Post? Sure, it’s a film about the press in an era where the press is on the attack in our current dystopian nightmare, but really? Better than Jessica Chastain in Molly’s Game? Heck, what about Allison Williams in Get Out.
The Quiet Storm Vote: Sally Hawkins
Of course the pun is totally intended. The Shape of Water is pure magic, and what Sally Hawkins does with just her eyes and hands is something to behold. Her heart-wrenching plea for help to Richard Jenkins nearly brought me to tears and her Amelie-like performance would likely be a winner in any other Oscar season.
Close But No Cigar Vote: Margot Robbie
In another case of “any other year” Margot Robbie transforms herself into something we’re not quite sure we’re ready to see, or want to see. Her take on a sympathetic Tonya Harding isn’t what you might expect, and the job she does to expose the audience as complicit in her downfall is one of the biggest shocks I got to enjoy all year in the theater. I was left jaw dropped by the audacity, but also the truth of it all. Any other year, Robbie would be a slam dunk, but let’s get to our last nominee, and winner…
The Oscar Goes to…. Vote: France McDormand
Win after win this award season locks McDormand into her 2nd Academy Award in just a couple of weeks. Not only has her “I don’t give a f*ck” attitude endeared her to the masses, but her performance as a mother who deals with her local law enforcement after the brutal death of her daughter is something amazing. Her quips, her comebacks, and her overall attitude and acts of defiance are just the things that we need in a society that quietly sits behind their computers as “keyboard commandos” whereas her actions are swift, decisive, maybe a little silly, but at the same time we can put ourselves into her shoes and think how far we would go in order to get the justice WE THINK we deserve.
And there you go, those are our nominations! The race is stacked, but we all know who is going to win, it’s Frances, but honestly this is one of the better years for female performers. The roles are diversified, we have nominations from to a creature feature love story to a tabloid drama and everything in between. However, here’s to next year where we might be able to catch a little more diversity in this category.
Who do you think is going to win ?
Tags: Simplistic Reviews