The Final Conclusion - Best Actress 1976

1976

So the much anticipated ranking is:

5. Talia Shire in Rocky

I didn't exactly hate Talia Shire in Rocky, I was just never impressed by her work. She doesn't do much except for standing and being silent and she doesn't even do that in an expressive way. Apart from the nice, moving ending, there's nothing in her performance that's really memorable.

4. Marie-Chirstine Barrault in Cousin Cousine

I still ask myself the question: was this performance much of a strech? Probably not. Marthe's not a very complicated character but Marie-Christine Barrault did a great job playing her. Although she's far from amazing, there are no flaws in this performance and it serves its purpuse perfectly. It's very enjoyable work that I would love to rewatch any time.

3. Faye Dunaway in Network

Faye Dunaway is just fantastic as Diana Christensen, in my opinion. Although I would be a little bit hesitant to call her amazing, her greatness is undeniable. She nailed all the aspects of Diana, she turned this incredibly difficult character into gold. Truly memorable work by a great actress at her peak.

2. Liv Ullmann in Face to Face

Liv Ullmann, in short, is astonishing as Jenny Isaksson in Face to Face. Liv shows such depths of this character that it becomes a very disturbing, frightening experience for the viewer. Although it might be too much for some, nothing can stop me from saying that Liv is just unbelievable as Jenny. Truly unforgettable work by a brilliant actress.

 

1. Sissy Spacek in Carrie

I can confidently say that Sissy Spacek's performance as Carrie White is worthy of its iconic status. Not only is it creepy horror acting but something much more frightening. We get to experience so much frustration and fear and Sissy displays these emotions perfectly. Chilling, wonderful, beautiful performance.

So I can proudly announce

the winner is...

Sissy Spacek

in

Carrie

What's the problem?
 

Final thoughts: A very enjoyable year. I'm not saying it's the best ever but it offered some really great performances. The Top 3 is masterclass, Barrault is very good, Shire is the weakest link for me. She just didn't belong to this category. Choosing between the fantastic Liv and the wonderful Sissy was just so difficult. I noticed a certain pattern: whenever Sissy is close to being my pick, she fights a fierce battle with another actress (that was with 1980 and 2001) for my vote. I mean does it count that a performance is more iconic and popular than the other? Does screentime matter? In the end it came down to which performance I liked more and who sticks in my memory more (what a surprise).

Congrats to Fritz and Anonymous (who said good things about my design, next time please leave a name :D)! You can pick an available year both (or any other where you can give me access to all of the movies): 1933, 1953, 1956, 1967, 1968, 1971, 1982, 1985, 1988, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1999, 2000, 2004, 2007, 2008

Omission: Mari Törőcsik in Mrs. Dery, Where Are You? *My pick*

About the next year: Since this one is going to be my 40th year, I want to make it special so it's going to be a total surprise. After that it's 1995 as Louis requested.

What do you think? Any thoughts on your mind?

Liv Ullmann in Face to Face

Liv Ullmann received her second Best Actress nomination for playing Dr. Jenny Isaksson, a psychiatrist who's having a really ugly nervous breakdown. In my opinion, Liv Ullmann's Oscar win was a really near miss. She was obviously the critics' favorite that year, she had lots of sympathy because of her infamous Scenes from a Marriage snub. Many people expected her to win the Oscar, actually, she was the real front-runner of the race. I guess there were two reasons why she probably lost. First, that awful foreign language factor (which is a shame, if you ask me) plus the Hollywood superstar Faye Dunaway starred in a movie that the Academy was gaga over. If you ask me, it's a real shame that Liv doesn't have an Oscar.

Now I am going to be 100% honest. Ingmar Bergman was/is the best director on this planet, in my humble opinion. However, for me Face to Face (despite its success at the Oscars) is one of his lesser works. There we go, I said it. I love depressing movies but this one is a bit too much. I mean, Bergman went beyond a certain point that he never should have crossed. That being said, it's still a pretty great film, it's just not as brilliant as some of Bergman's other works. It tells the story of Jenny's nervous breakdown in a very disturbing way and I don't think that it's an enjoyable piece for the viewer.

However, the movie depends on the always fantastic Liv Ullmann. What can you expect from the actress who gave the world Persona's Elisabeth Vogler, Autumn Sonata's Eva, Marianne of Scenes from a Marriage and other unforgettable characters? Nobody (and by that I really mean nobody) is/was able to suffer on the screen quite like Liv. She dives so deep inside pain and humility and as a result her performances become incredibly disturbing. Whenever she's on the screen, the charming real-life Liv disappears and her presence becomes incredibly brutal.

In her autobiographical book called Changing, Liv describes the journey of getting to know Jenny and also herself. We get to see there how stressful and difficult this part was for her (much more than we would think watching Liv in this movie). She says that Ingmar Bergman wrote the part of Jenny with her in his mind. Nobody is able to play this character the way Liv did it. It's just impossible to imitate her almost torturing acting style.

Whenever I see a very unpleasant performance, I always feel as if plasters were removed from my skin. However, while watching Liv Ullmann in Face to Face, I felt as if somebody opened up some my wounds and spilled hot acid on them. It's almost unbearable to watch Jenny going through her very painful journey. Liv covers such a wide variety of emotions that it's almost impossible to sense them for the first time.

We get to know Jenny as a very confident and content woman who's also very distant. She's very kind to everybody and yet I could always feel how cold she really is. It's incredible how Liv gradually added more and more disturbing depth to this character. Jenny's dreams are incredibly disturbing and that's mostly because of Liv's ghostlike, haunting presence. We get to see horrifying depth of a human being and it's just astonishing how much Liv understood this character.

In the effect of this performance it's very much like Sissy Spacek in In the Bedroom. They plant a tiny thought in your brain, which starts to grow and grow and eventually, it becomes incredibly haunting and disturbing. You're blown away not while watching them but way after them when you really think. And then it's just all unbelievably great.

Although Jenny's dreams are the most distrubing sequences of the movie, the parts with Erland Josephson are equally brilliant. The highlight of Liv's whole performance is a 10-minute-long breakdown where she remembers some horrible experiences. The way she switches to one memory to the other is just fantastic. Liv shows so many emotions and the horrifying mental state of Jenny. Liv gets so deep into the characters mind and she inhabits her character so brilliantly that I can't help wondering if it was actually Liv breaking down in front of the camera. I was so perplexed and terrified sometimes that I just started to laugh at the character. She disturbed me so much with her acting that I can't really describe my confusion. I can see why some might be distracted by this performance: the character has so many layers and the whole thing makes you feel very uncomfortable. And probably nobody really wants to watch this movie more than once.

Liv Ullmann, in short, is astonishing as Jenny Isaksson in Face to Face. Liv shows such depths of this character that it becomes a very disturbing, frightening experience for the viewer. Although it might be too much for some, nothing can stop me from saying that Liv is just unbelievable as Jenny. Truly unforgettable work by a brilliant actress.

What do you think?

The Next Year

1976

So the nominees were:

• Marie-Christine Barrault in Cousin Cousine
• Faye Dunaway in Network
• Talia Shire in Rocky
• Sissy Spacek in Carrie
• Liv Ullmann in Face to Face

A three-way race to many, we'll see how these ladies will do with me. :)

What do you think? What's your ranking? What's your prediction for my ranking?

The Final Conclusion - Best Actress 1972

1972

So the much anticipated ranking is:

5. Diana Ross in Lady Sings the Blues

I have very mixed feelings towards Diana Ross' performance as Billie Holiday. On the one hand, Ross is quite strong in some of the scenes and she has a lots of star power, which can be impressive, occasionally. On the other hand, I cannot overlook the fact that in some of the scenes she's very weak and she wasn't mature enough as an actress to play this part.

4. Maggie Smith in Travels with my Aunt

I keep asking myself: is this enough from the great Dame Maggie Smith? Not really. I always kept wanting more and more. I missed Maggie's usual dazzling presence and despite the fact that I was entertained quite well, I still wanted more. Still, I have to say that Dame Maggie Smith is entertaining and amusing as Aunt Augusta Bertram.

3. Cicely Tyson in Sounder

I have to say that Cicely Tyson gives a beautiful performance as Rebecca Morgan. Tyson adds real emotional depth to this (tiny bit) standard character. Her unique, very interesting presence, her great acting choices result in truly great work. Had she been given more to work with, she would have got my vote for this year, rather easily.

2. Liv Ullmann in The Emigrants

Liv Ullmann is really great as Kristina in The Emigrants. It's not her best performance and it's true that she's the best with Bergman but it would be very unjust to deny her merits in The Emigrants. Although the movie works against her, Ullmann was able to make a lasting impression and have a great effect on me. It's very effective acting by a terrific talent.

1. Liza Minnelli in Cabaret

I could praise Liza Minnelli endlessly for this huge, unforgettable and wonderful performance as Sally Bowles. Liza Minnelli is the heart and soul of this brilliant movie and if I may say so, she gives the best performance ever in a musical. I'm not a fan of the genre but I'm crazy about this one. You can watch Liza over and over again in this movie but you'll have just as much fun and you'll be just as touched as you were for the first time.

So I can proudly announce

that my winner is...

Liza Minnelli

in

Cabaret

Everybody loves a winner... :)

Omissions: 

• Goldie Hawn in Butterflies are Free

Final thoughts: This year was not as fantastic as it seemed to be. Nevertheless, I enjoyed it because I had only seen Liza in advance and it was good to discover new performances. With me, Liza had an easy win. She was way ahead of her competition. I mean, OMG, how was it even a question who the best was? Good God. I wasn't sure about my #2, but I'm glad I went this way. Liv and Cicely were excellent but I wanted to see more of them. Diana is one of the most overrated nominees ever. I really don't see why some think she should have won over Liza. I really need to relax. Maggie is one of the most disliked nominees ever, so I was really interested in her and I can tell you, I have seen much worse. Still, I feel a bit disappointed about her.

Anyway, Anonymous gave correct predictions but after the deadline, so semi-congrats. :)

The ranking of the reviewed years:

1. 1944
2. 1969
3. 1974
4. 1989
5. 1959
6. 2006
7. 1964
8. 1939
9. 1977
10. 2010
11. 1997
12. 2009
13. 1980
14. 1941
15. 1972
16. 1963
17. 1966
18. 1973
19. 1990
20. 1978
21. 1954
22. 1948
23. 2002
24. 1957
25. 1940
26. 1998

About the next year: I will slow down until May 19th but after that everything will be fine. But until then my posts won't be very regular. Sorry about that. But I'll give you clues about the next year:

• I'm saying let's just GIVE THE SHOOOOOOOOOOTTTTTT!

What do you think?

Liv Ullmann in The Emigrants

Liv Ullmann received her first Best Actress nomination and became an international superstar by playing Kristina, a poor peasant woman in Jan Troell's movie, The Emigrants. I'm sometimes so surprised by the Golden Globes. They usually give their awards to American stars and yet they picked Liv over Diana Ross and Cicely Tyson. As a result, some even predicted Ullmann for the win back then. I think she was third or fourth but I imagine she may have even been second. BTW, if you read her memoir called 'Changes' you can read so many details about the ceremony and her feelings and Diana Ross' crying (she doesn't mention a name).

The Emigrants is a great but a bit long movie that is a bit slower sometimes than it should be. It can get really depressing occasionally like when they get on the boat. It's not great to see people suffering, especially when you know that such things actually happened in real life. I have to admit, though, that the suffering and misery became too much to be taken really seriously after a while. There are so many tragadies that you become a bit neutral eventually. Interesting enough, this was one of Ingmar Bergman's favorite movies. Max Von Sydow gives a great performance and I think he would have deserved a Best Actor nomination for his work here.

Liv Ullmann is one of my favorite actresses. It might also be the fact that Ingmar Bergman is my favorite director and she played in many of his best movies. In fact, I had only seen Ullmann in Bergman movies before I watched The Emigrants. So I was wonderfing if I would love here just as much as I loved her in, say, Autumn Sonata or Persona. The thing I love about her is that she can show so many aspects of human pain and suffering. She's a beautiful woman but whenever we see something bad happening to her, she can be so ugly and painfully ordinary. I love the changes on her face and everything. In short, she's a brilliant actress.

When we first see Kristina, she's a beautiful but somewhat distant young girl on a swing. Ullmann's beauty shines through the screen and it's just a joy to look at her. In many ways, this role is not different from what she usually plays. But Kristina's character is much warmer and more loveable than the character that Liv played with Bergman. Ullmann is one of the least technical actresses. Just like most of the famous European actresses, she's very emotional and a cares more about the emotional aspect of a character. As a result, we get very emotional performances from her. You can see that she shows all the necessary emotions with her body: her lips, fingers and most importantly, her eyes.

The Emigrants consists of two parts. The first part is really terrific, quite harrowing and the second part gets quite boring after a while. There's a parallel between Ullmann's performance and the movie. In the first part, Ullmann is incredible but in the secondd part she gets too much in the background and becomes a bit uninteresting in the end. Actually, she's not even uninteresting, she just doesn't get anything to do after a while. She's not even on the screen, which is a huge mistake as she's the heart and soul of this movie. The Emigrants is an epic movie and even the most talented performers can get lost in an epic. You need an exceptionally interesting character like Scarlett O'Hara to always be effective in an epic. Ullmann's Kristina is not such a character. She's very interesting because how ordinary she is but she's not a huge character enough.

However, a huge actress can replace a huge character to a degree. And Liv Ullmann is an amazing actress. Her performance in the first part (as I said) is just fantastic. All the emotions are handled so well by Ullmann and she's so brilliant at showing Kristina's suffering and pain. There's a very tragic event (the movie gives clues at the beginning) and Liv's reaction is mindblowing. She's very unusual but the whole thing is quite amazing. I was thinking 'OMG! She's brilliant!'. I was totally taken by Liv's effective acting.

But again, she doesn't have enough screentime. There are moments in the second part that are terrific like the one when she's looking for her lost daughter and becomes hysterical. It's also really heartwrenching to see her struggles on the ship where she becomes really sick. As I said, Liv is also brilliant in these scenes but the pieces of the puzzle cannot get together as much as in the first half because the movie doesn't let Liv succeed.

Still, Liv Ullmann is really great as Kristina in The Emigrants. It's not her best performance and it's true that she's the best with Bergman but it would be very unjust to deny her merits in The Emigrants. Although the movie works against her, Ullmann was able to make a lasting impression and have a great effect on me. It's very effective acting by a terrific talent.

This migth seem more than the review might suggest but I think this performance is a strong 4,5.

What do you think? Time for your last predictions! :)

The Next Year

1972

So the nominees were:

• Liza Minnelli in Cabaret
• Diana Ross in Lady Sings the Blues
• Maggie Smith in Travels with my Aunt
• Cicely Tyson in Sounder
• Liv Ullmann in The Emigrants

Wow, a fantastic looking year once again, I'm so excited.

What do you think? How do you pick? What are your predictions for my ranking (the contest is on)?