Friday, February 24, 2012

The Final Conclusion - Best Actress 2011

2011


So the much anticipated ranking:

I suppose my biggest issue with this performance was that Michelle could have been given so much more. She's proven it over the years that she's able to perform miracles on the screen with the right material. Well, this material just wasn't right for her. She did all that she could with this part, both technically and emotionally. It's a great performance, it's just not something to go crazy about.

Great Glenn's performance as Albert is not her best work, and it doesn't have the totally mindblowing and disturbing effect of some of her other roles, it's a wonderfully touching and emotional performance. It may not give you a huge experience, it's like reading a chapter from a classic novel: inspiring, uplifting and beautiful in itself and more than serves its purpuse. I stand by her!

Rooney Mara gives a wonderful, impressive and very complex performance as Lisbeth Salander. What may seem robotic to others is just pure greatness for me. She brilliantly portrays her character's vulnerability and humiliation, but also her cool and incredibly exciting personality. She shows so many sides and reveals so many layers of this woman so effortlessly that she might come off as doing no acting at all.

Viola Davis is able to give a layered and heartbreaking performance as Aibileen. In each and every moment of the film, she's endlessly loveable, showing so many emotions and faces of this character. Her incredible talent shines through this somewhat thin material and is able to be wonderfully moving, natural and funny at the same time. I have my isssues about her role, but she's just fantastic

In the end, this is a very obvious choice in every possible way. Meryl is everything that a Best Actress winner should be. She gives a fantastic performance as Margaret Thatcher. She's just brilliant in the technical part of her performance, nails the emotional scenes and she's just thoroughly impressive playing this very controversial and divisive character. Simply brilliant.


 So I can proudly announce
that the winner is...
Meryl Streep 
in 
The Iron Lady
Hail Meryl!

Final thoughts: So Meryl wins her third... from me at the very least and FROM THE ACADEMY AS WELL! YAY!. :) Moreover, she's set a record as my only three time winner so far. Moreover, she's also my first consecutive winner. :) I hope that I won't get too repetitive with Meryl. After the rare vicious comments about her in the past, I feel like going back to her. She's downright brilliant as Thatcher. Viola was also fantastic and I wouldn't be mad if she won (I would be happy for her), just quite disappointed. Michelle was an obvious fifth, Great Glenn and Rooney were pretty much equal to me. My love for Great Glenn caused kind of a controversy here, but I was incredibly glad about the supportive comments. And I'm not someone who remains ungrateful so mrripley, Louis and Fritz can all pick a year (and of course, the previously requested years of Louis and Fritz will be done next, I just didn't have time, sorry). Thank you guys! Also, congrats to Joe Burns and greysie on the correct predictions, they can also pick a year!

*Addition: There was a pretty big Meryl vs. Viola fight among bloggers and fans and we ignored that the best performance of the year (Charlize Theron's) was actually snubbed. She acted five circles around any of these great ladies. Amazing. 

Omissions:
  • Charlize Theron in Young Adult *My pick*
  • Kristen Wiig in Bridesmaids

The next year: 
  • I Want To Live: The sequel!
  • Klute: The Sequel! 
What do you think? Any thoughts on your mind? Any comments on this  Oscar year (I'll do some posts and rankings on it during the weekend)?

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yay Meryl! :)

Next one - 1995? Not sure...

dinasztie said...

Don't forget that you can also pick a year! You predicted correctly last time!!! :) Don't be the George C. Scott of my predicting games! :D

Louis Morgan said...

I previously said my ranking, but I should probably rewatch The Iron Lady, and TGWTDT to sure it up. I unfortunately can't say I was amazed by an acting category this year except for Best Actor which only had a single weak link.

1995 sounds logical based on the clues.

I would be interested to see your take on 1953 since that year lacks a favorite.

Anonymous said...

how would you rank the year on a whole?

joe burns said...

Wow, i'm really surprised! I thought Viola would be number 1 and Michelle would have been higher...

mrripley said...

I think i am going to go for a non meryl/glenn year,to avoid any vitriol that may come your way!!!

i will do one i have not seen done on hardly any other sites and it inc 3 iconic performances in that group that is 1991!!!

i thank you for the honour.gr8 blog!!

i think you could inc some years honoroble omissions.

Anonymous said...

You are waaay higher than me on all these performances. I really don't like Meryl, Rooney and Glenn are both ok, and Michelle was solid.

This year got almost the same scores as last year, which is shocking to me because I thought the quality was much, much lower this year. In every category.

greysie said...

Wow, I didn't expect to guess your ranking. I'd like you to do 1933 when you can :-)

dinasztie said...

mrripley: I have only one Great Glenn - Meryl year left, so... :D I think it was mainly about the Albert Nobbs performance and everbody likes her in Dangerous Liaisons.

Derek: Indeed, but there's a difference between the same grades. :) Last year (after changing), I had two 5s, two 4.5s, one 4 (which is ten times stronger than Michelle's 4).

dinasztie said...

Oh, I forgot. The updates on the omissions is always updated so check if your favorites are there. :)

Fritz said...

Wow, somehow I didn't expact that! :-) But congrats to Meryl! MOre wins than Jane Fonda, that's shocking! :-)

Cole said...

I would prefer to see rooney and Michelle higher but that's okay! I don't think the competition is lower than last year but I truly think the films in which they act are much much lower than last year except for The girl with the dragon tatoo and maybe The Help (I love this film but in term of quality, it's not a masterpiece). I mean last year Black Swan, Blue Valentine, Winter's Bone, Rabbit Hole et the kids are all right are all great great films with a lot of qualities: acting, directing, screenplays... This year the best thing in each of the films are the leading female performance.

joe burns said...

Hey, I'd love to see you do 1988 soon! That would be my choice!

dinasztie said...

Joe: As Jean Dujardin would say "wiz pleasuhhhre". :)

Fritz: Well, Meryl got more nominations than Jane so it's no surprise. She has simply more chance. We both know whom I love more. :)

Dominique said...

Of all the years mentioned this is the only one in which I have seen the maximum number of performances except michelle williams in "my week with marilyn" and I can say that Viola Davis deserved to win...and also The Iron Lady as a movie sucked...

Anonymous said...

I'm a bit late but I am so glad you liked Glenn Close's performance as Albert Nobbs. It's such a beautiful and moving work by this talented actress, and she might even be my pick for this year, although I loved Davis and Streep as well.

Unknown said...

Just wanted to say that I've looked through most of these years, and your choices and reasons are spot-on. I'm thoroughly impressed. Who do you think will win it in 2016? Emma Stone or Natalie Portman? I'm aware that it's probably going to be Natalie, but I am very partial to Emma.