The Final Conclusion - Best Actress 1958

1958

So the much anticipated ranking is:

5. Rosalind Russell in Auntie Mamie

Somehow I feel that Roz Russell's performance as Auntie Mame is quite lacking and not a really great one. There's something really off-putting about it and I feel she could have tried harder to elevate the material. It might be that she didn't impress me because I don't go for this type of performance. I don't know why I didn't like her but the point is that I wasn't impressed at all.

4. Deborah Kerr in Separate Tables

I liked Deborah Kerr in Separate Tables, despite the fact that she didn't give the best performance of the ensemble an she was too much outshone by some of the fellow members of the cast. If we look at her performance out of its context, it's a pretty great one. It just pales in the context of the movie and the rest of the performers. Still, good job that works well.

3. Shirley MacLaine in Some Came Running

Although it's true that Shirley MacLaine gave a great performance as Ginnie Moorehead but she was trapped in a movie that's constantly working against her, plus she didn't have enough time to develop the character as well as she could have/should have. Still, I applaud Shirley for making Ginnie loveable and being the best part of her movie.

2. Susan Hayward in I Want to Live!

It's no wonder that Hayward won the Oscar for this performance. Although I have some problems with her work here, I can say that she's indeed fantastic at showing all of Barbara's emotions. It's a very realistic portrayal of a desperate woman who wants to live. Hayward made this character much more complicated and layered than most actresses would have.

1. Elizabeth Taylor in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

This is a wonderful performance that (at least to me) lives up to its reputation. Elizabeth Taylor is really fantastic as Maggie, the Cat, creating a fascinating, complex, multi-layered character. The fierce emotionality Liz added to Maggie is just brilliant. You can so easily identify with this character thanks to Taylor's greatness in this part. Extraordinary work.

So I can proudly announce

that my 30th winner is...

Elizabeth Taylor

in

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

The first double winner. :)

Final thoughts: A so-so year. I didn't give any 5s but I guess a year can be great if I don't give any 5s. It wasn't the problem here. This ranking surprised me though I was almost sure that Liz would win. There was only one really fantastic performance (Liz), Susan was "just" fantastic. I had my problems with the others. Roz was quite much for me, Shirley was very good but she was robbed of enough screentime, so it couldn't have worked anyway. Deborah is not my favorite actress but I really liked her in Separate Tables.

About the next year: I don't have any idea yet, I still want to save 1967. Originally, I wanted to do that but I want to save the great years. I'll think about the next year but I'd be glad to have requests. :) It's your turn. I don't want to make a poll because that usually turns out bad and I'm rather superstitious.

What do you think?

Shirley MacLaine in Some Came Running

Shirley MacLaine received her first Best Actress nomination for playing Ginnie Moorehead, a vulgar, loud young girl in Vincente Minnelli's Some Came Running. I don't think that Shirley had any chance of winning the Oscar that year. She was a relative newcomer, this was her first nomination and there were bigger, more overdue stars than her (namely Susan Hayward, Deborah Kerr, Rosalind Russell and Elizabeth Taylor). I guess this was the sort of breakthrough nomination that's so often given nowadays. The members of the Academy discovered Shirley's talent and the nom helped her get a lot of great roles that made her a real star.

Some Came Running is a weird movie and it's not good at all. It's overlong, way too complicated and long. There are so many storylines and the whole thing just didn't make any sense to me. I was really confused sometimes and I didn't see the point of the actions of the characters. I guess the Academy members liked it more as they gave a couple of nominations to this one. Arthur Kennedy got her last Oscar nomination for playinf Frank. I don't really think that he deserved to be recognised as he wasn't anything special. The same goes for Martha Hyer who's so clichéd here.

Shirley MacLaine is not among my favorite actress but I guess you know that quite well already. But there are things that I like about her acting. She could play a young girl with a heart of gold so easily and believably. I even liked her Irma La Douce, which is quite a rare thing. She perfected this type of character in the Best Picture winner, The Apartment. Things were changing later and she started to play mothers and I don't like those performances that much though Terms of Endearment was quite good.

However, Some Came Running she was still in her girl-with-a-heart-of-gold period. Ginnie is a girl who meets a military man and quickly falls for him. But Ginnie's mobster ex-boyfriend goes after them and wants to take her back, causing a real tragedy. Ginnie seems to be a real troublemaker but in fact, she's probably the most innocent character of the whole movie. She's naive and she loves Daniel like a child. Ginnie's emotions are really pure and she doesn't want to hurt anybody. I think Shirley was great at showing Ginnie's personality, which is not really complicated but there's more inside her than it seems.

In the beginning, we see her as a loud, over-the-top girl who's instantly humiliated by Frank Sinatra's character, Daniel. Ginnie's love is so strong that these things don't bother her. After that, she's not on screen for a very long time and even after that, she's rarely there. Shirley only becomes a leading character towards the end of the movie, until that she's just a colorful element of the background. I'm not saying that she's bad, it's just that I didn't see enough of her and she was not outstanding enough to survive the movie's gaps. I guess that's the biggest problem of this performance. The overall effect of it might have been much stronger if she had been given more screentime. This way, we can only be touched by the ending (which is indeed very good).

So it takes a lot of time to really see how good Shirley is as Ginnie Moorehead. As I said, she was best at creating Ginnie's innocence and showing her loving personality. All the scenes of humiliation are done excellently by her and the character almost broke my heart. She was the only character in this movie that I really felt sorry for. In fact, she was the only character who had depth and who was properly written and played. Shirley deserves lots of credit for being the only great thing about it movie. For me, watching this film meant waiting for her to come because I knew that something good was going to come. Like the scene where she goes to meet her "rival", a schoolteacher with whom her love is in love with. It's a really heartwrenching moment done exceptionally well by Shirley. She perfectly showed Ginnie's determination to get the man she loves more than anything. It was a sad moment but a great one.

I still have to say that I wasn't truly blown away. Although it's true that Shirley MacLaine gave a great performance as Ginnie Moorehead but she was trapped in a movie that's constantly working against her, plus she didn't have enough time to develop the character as well as she could have/should have. Still, I applaud Shirley for making Ginnie loveable and being the best part of her movie.

I decided to give her a 4 because of the strength of some of the scenes.

The Next Year

1958

So the nominees were:

• Susan Hayward in I Want to Live!
• Deborah Kerr in Separate Tables
• Shirley MacLaine in Some Came Running
• Rosalind Russell in Auntie Mame
• Elizabeth Taylor in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

Wow, an interesting looking year but I don't have any idea how my ranking will look like. At the time, a whole country wanted Susan Hayward to finally win and her triumph was one of the most applauded ones (if not the one) in history. Many people are still talking about that year with sweet memories, so we'll see if I go with America's pick of the time or somebody else.

What do you think? Who's your pick? What are your predictions?

The Final Conclusion - Best Actress 1983

1983

So the much anticipated ranking is:

5. Jane Alexander in Testament

There are fantastic scenes in this performance of Jane Alexander but the overall impact is a bit mixed. This work is a bit incoherent and the character could have been developed better. It's the screenplay's fault mostly but Jane Alexander couldn't avoid all the traps set by the writing. Still, some astonishing moments really make up for the weaker ones.

4. Debra Winger in Terms of Endearment

I liked Winger as Emma. I may not be in awe of her as much as others, I can appreciate the merits of Winger's work. Although the performance starts out a bit boring, it improves in time and it becomes a very interesting one that has a great effect on the viewer. It might be the fact that I don't like this type of characters very much but I wasn't that impressed.

3. Shirley MacLaine in Terms of Endearment

I have to say that Shirley MacLaine is just excellent as Aurora Greenway in Terms of Endearment. Although I'm not as impressed by her some many others, I like her performance very much and I found her exceptionally entertaining. I have my problems, unfortunately but the overall effect of it is quite positive.

2. Meryl Streep in Silkwood

I cannot deny Meryl's greatness as Karen Silkwood. she's sometimes incredibly great and it's great to see Meryl play such an odd character. I'd really like to praise this performance as I feel it's really great and I most certainly loved her. Meryl is really gripping in this role and shows Karen's development brilliantly.

1. Julie Walters in Educating Rita

This performance is not as popular and talked about as the other ones this of year even though it really should be. Julie Walters gives a fantastic, heartwrenching and very emotional performance as Rita, a girl who just wants to sing a better song. I was really touched by Walters' natural acting, loveable presence and great sense of humor.

So I can proudly announce

that my winner is...

Julie Walters

in

Educating Rita

This is a better song, aye? :)

Omissions: 

• Hédi Temessy in Job's Revolt *My Pick*

Final thoughts: Again, I less than satisfying year. I was first blown away by Julie whose luminous presence made my pick easy in the end, despite the fact that I changed my winner many times. Meryl really grew on me and in the end, but I was still disappointed. Shirley was quite good, Jane and Debra were good, too but not that much. And again, I picked a not-so-popular nominee but I really don't care. I love making controversial decisions. It may not even be controversial, though. :)

About the next year: It's going to be a great one and I start it on 19th. Until that, no posts, sorry. The return will be great, though. :) I won"t give clues this time because I'm not sure which year I should do.

What do you think?

Shirley MacLaine in Terms of Endearment

Shirley MacLaine received her sixth and to date last Oscar nomination for playing Aurora Greenway, a very complicated widow and mother in the Best Picture winner Terms of Endearment. MacLaine's win was quite secured, I think even though with hindsight it looks a very tight race. Her triumph was something that has to come every once in a while. That was the case with Susan Hayward (ironically, she beat MacLaine), Susan Sarandon and Kate Winslet. All these ladies lost to many times to be ignored once again. I guess if Julianne Moore or Annette Bening get nominated once again, they would win. The presenters (Liza Minnelli and Rock Hudson) did not even try to hide that they were rooting for Shirley. But I guess it was just more natural that way.

Terms of Endearment is an interesting case. At least with me. It's very much like Driving Miss Daisy. For the first time, I was totally taken by the emotions and it blew me away but this time I was a bit more sceptical and I felt that it was quite boring sometimes. It's a typical 80s weepie, slightly different from the movies like Love Story. James L. Brooks' Best Director win over Ingmar Bergman is an outrage, in my opinion. Jack Nicholson gives a very fun (almost cameo) performance but I'm not sure of he totally deserved the Oscar. But more on the movie on Winger's profile.

Shirley MacLaine is an actress that I don't really like but my dislike never really influences me (at least not to such an extent as it does with, say, Joanne Woodward) because I actually always enjoy her performances. It's just that I'm not always totally taken over by her. But what can you do when you see a performance of hers that's universally loved and respected? As Aurora Greenway, she gave a very huge and quite over-the-top performance, which serves her movie quite well (Or does it make the movie?).

I guess the immense love the surrounds the performance has very much to do with the character of Aurora Greenway. Debra Winger got the big dramatic moments but I would argue on who got the juicier and baitier role. Winger's Emma is the character that you sympathize with, the one you feel sorry for but ulitmately it's Aurora who gives the most fun. She's the most entertaining thing about the movie and she holds it together. She's the mother tiger, a lion, a true predator who can be incredibly grumpy sometimes.

When you get a really entertaining, amusing character, it's not very difficult to excel or fail. Fortunately, MacLaine achieved the former as she gives a really great performance as Aurora Greenway. First of all, I feel that MacLaine is the best when she acts in a comedy, so the funny parts are all done incredibly well by MacLaine. In 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, I read that the chemistry between MacLaine and Nicholson is so great and they are both so fantastic that it almost ruins the movie. And I have to admit that I don't agre completely. However, I also have to admit that MacLaine's scenes are all very dynamic and fun.

Also, the chemistry between Nicholson and her is just perfect. Their scenes truly rock and they seem to be parts of another, better movie. So it's no wonder really that many think that they are both perfect.

Furthermore, the really crucial scenes with Shirley and Winger are also excellently handled by Shirley and the fight-and-make-up relationship between them is astonishing. The two ladies had notorious fights during the filming and everyone thinks that they really payed off. And they really did. There's always so much tension between them and it's just great. OK, don't expect something like Autumn Sonata, but still. They are wonderful together. And yes, the "GIVE MY DAUGHTER THE SHOT!!!" scene is fantastically acted by Shirley.

However, something really keeps me from totally embracing this performance. On the one hand, it's exceptionally entertaining and fun but somehow I felt that she was too overwhelming after a while and I became quite tired of her. And yes, she became quite boring after a while. I guess many disagree but I think that Shirley MacLaine becomes boring in this movie eventually.

Still, I have to say that Shirley MacLaine is just excellent as Aurora Greenway in Terms of Endearment. Although I'm not as impressed by her some many others, I like her performance very much and I found her exceptionally entertaining. I have my problems, unfortunately but the overall effect of it is quite positive.

What do you think?

The Next Year

1983

So the nominees were:

• Jane Alexander in Testament
• Shirley MacLaine in Terms of Endearment
• Meryl Streep in Silkwood
• Julie Walters in Educating Rita
• Debra Winger in Terms of Endearment

A fantastic looking year, a year that I know well as I have previously seen all of the ladies so I'm very excited (just like with 2006) how much my opinion changed.

What do you think? What are your predictions for my ranking? Who's your pick? What's your ranking?

The Final Conclusion - Best Actress 1977

1977

The much anticipated ranking:

5. Shirley MacLaine in The Turning Point

On the one hand, Shirley MacLaine's presence is not strong enough, doesn't fight against the weakness of the screenplay and she doesn't give the work of a lifetime. On the other hand, she has some very strong and well-acted scenes, which may not make up for the rest completely.

4. Marsha Mason in The Goodbye Girl

Marsha Mason may be neither amazing nor groundbreaking in The Goodbye Girl. She may not have huge dramatic moments or huge breakdown or even hysterical comedy, she gives one hell of a performance, which is entertaining, moving, lovely and so damn natural.

3. Anne Bancroft in The Turning Point

Anne still gives the best performance of her movie, adding real depth to the character of Emma. Although she doesn't have much screentime and that catfight scene was just not for her, I still appreciated this performance and I was certainly very impressed by Anne Bancroft.

2. Jane Fonda in Julia

People don't rave about this performance as much as they do about, say, Klute and They Shoot Horses... even though they should. It's one of the most beautiful and heartbreaking peformances every by this beautiful (who's never been more beautiful than here), superbly talented actress.

1. Diane Keaton in Annie Hall

Some consider Diane Keaton's win for Annie Hall a love letter to Diane herself, the character and the movie and they think that the Best Actress Oscar win wasn't about the actual performance. While I agree with the first part, I still have to add something: her win and my review is indeed a love letter to Annie Hall (the character and the movie) and Diane Keaton's brilliant, hilarious, radiant, beautiful, heartbreaking, luminous, fantastic and unforgettable performance.

So I can proudly announce

that my winner is...

Diane Keaton

in

Annie Hall

La-di-da-la-di-da; la-la

Final thoughts: A great year. I did it probably because I wanted to write the 100th review about an iconic performance (Diane that is). I mean, this is not a legendary year but it's indeed special and I'm happy that I covered it. The ranking was the easiest one I've ever had to do and I don't think it's surprising at all (I knew it already before I started). The overall standard of the movies was rather high. Although I hated The Turning Point for the first time, I enjoyed it now. Same goes for the performances: I enjoyed all of them, some more and some less. Shirley was the weakest link though she wasn't bad. Anne and Marsha were great, Jane was fantastic and Diane is... All things considered, this year was lovely.

And the winner of the predicting contest is Louis Morgan. Congratulations! :-)

Omissions: I haven't seen Gena Rowlands in Opening Night, but she's said to be amazing. I should check that performance out. Also, Diane Keaton in Looking for Mr. Goodbar must be also great. Both sound interesting. But there's an unbelievable, unbeatable performance in a Hungarian movie given by one of my favorite actesses and that's Erzsi Pásztor in The Devil Beats His Wife. AMAZING. 

About the next year: I wanted to do 1964, but there's no The Pumpkin Eater, damn. However, it seems that I might get it (the chances are getting higher and higher, so keep your fingers crossed), so if I have it, I'll do it instead of this mysterious next year (I'll announce the next year when I'm sure and next weekend is gonna be about this year, so I have still some time to get The Pumpkin Eater). The other year came quite suddenly to me but it seems to be interesting. There's only one clue with the next year but a help: The main principle is simplicity.

• Friends forever

What do you think?

P.S.: Could anyone help me with getting Wild is the Wind, The Rainmaker or Some Came Running (any link is fine)? It's a shame but I can only do one year from the 50s (1950) and I promised myself to leave that one last.

Shirley MacLaine in The Turning Point

Shirley MacLaine received her fifth Oscar nomination (fourth in the Best Actress category) for playing Deedee Rodgers, a former ballerina and a housewife in Herbert Ross' Best Picture nominated movie, The Turning Point. It's interesting to think about Shirley's Oscar chances here: on the one hand, she was considered overdue, on the other hand, her performance was not big and celebrated enough and did not sweep the precursors. She was pretty much like her sister-in-law, Annette Bening this year. I guess she was the fourth in the voting.

The Turning Point is a fine, if a bit boring movie. When I first saw it, I thought it was horrible with horrible writing and awful performances. Now, I actually enjoyed it quite a bit. I don't know it might be my Black Swan mania but I found The Turning Point quite good. It was nominated for not less, than 11 Oscars and won NONE of them (just like The Color Purple). However, I think that 2 nominations were just jokes: although Mikhail Baryshnikov and Leslie Brown show some fantastic dancing, their acting is mediocre at best. No wonder they lost to real actors.

Ok, I don't know if I have previously mentioned this, but I just can't stand Shirley MacLaine. Although everyone seems to be so crazy about her Oscar speech, I think it was very big-faced and it did not show any humility or grace. It was funny for sure but it wasn't very appropriate. Moreover, I did not really like her remarks about her loss to Elizabeth Taylor. However, I always try to overcome my dislike for her personality and I want to concentrate and focus on her work in certain movie as I think she's a very good actress.

It's very rare when two performers from the same movie are nominated together in a leading category. In the supporting categories, it's much easier not to compare them. However, when you have two lead nominees, the comparisions are inevitable. You see, have you heard any discussions about F. Murray Abraham without Tom Hulce being mentioned at once? You always hear: he was terrific but Hulce was just as good. Same goes for Thelma and Louise, Terms of Endearment (Shirley again) and the ladies from The Turning Point. Especially, The Turning Point and especially Shirley MacLaine in it. There's one reason for that: I think that Shirley is so dependant on the role of Anne Bancroft and she also relies on Bancroft and the other actors very much.

I know that I should put this a bit more kindly but here's the truth: Deedee's role is boring and uninteresting. There I said it. There isn't much in the screenplay for her and although there are big moments for Shirley, there is no real top of the whole performance. Let's face it: Deedee is an unhappy woman who regrets her decision (which she made a really long time ago) and she's jealous of her old friend and acts in a very bitchy way with everyone. This is pretty much only the top of the iceberg but Shirley somehow added some real humanity to this real. She portrays all the emotions of Deedee extremely well though she's not required to do much.

The first (and biggest) problem with this performance (and the reason why it cannot really work) is that Shirley let herself be a victim of the weakness of the screenplay. She sank into it without trying to swim. She gets into the background too often and even though she has almost twice as much screentime as Anne Bancroft, Shirley seemed to be much more supporting than Anne. Shirley doesn't have much time either and quite frankly, when she wasn't on screen, I did not really miss her and not because I could still feel the strength and radiance of her presence but because I wasn't interested in her. I was like "OK, here she is, she's good and then she's gone. OK, there are other actors here." Shirley's performance was never very fulfilling and substantial.

Also, I don't think that Shirley gave her best here. I never felt that she tried hard enough to be something really great. She has some very intense moments, like the confrontation scene between her and her daughter. Deedee reacts so badly to confrontation and she instantly starts accusing others. The greatest achievement of Shirley was that she was able to show that there's some kind of an emotional bubble around Deedee and she's just unable to express her emotions in subtle way. She just immediately starts being bitchy. That huge catfight scene between her and Anne Bancroft would have been quite ridiculous (like something from Melrose Place or Dynasty) if they hadn't laugh in the end. I was a really honest reaction which was nailed by Shirley (more on Anne later). It totally fit Deedee's character. Those scenes are extremely memorable and might just make up for the rest.

So, to sum up, Shirley MacLaine's performance in The Turning Point is a bit mixed bag. On the one hand, her presence is not strong enough, doesn't fight against the weakness of the screenplay and she doesn't give the work of a lifetime. On the other hand, she has some very strong and well-acted scenes, which may not make up for the rest completely but they're quite good.

I go for this strong 3,5.

What do you think?

The Next Year

1977

The nominees were:

• Anne Bancroft in The Turning Point
• Jane Fonda in Julia
• Diane Keaton in Annie Hall
• Shirley MacLaine in The Turning Point
• Marsha Mason in The Goodbye Girl

I figured it would be nice to take a break from this year's Oscar talk and take a look at a field with these great actresses. What do you think? What are your predictions?

And why am I doing this year? Scroll down to the ranking for the answer. :-)

The Final Conclusion - Best Actress 1963

About the field: three terrific and two weaker, but entertaining performances. These five actresses all impressed me to a degree, so I'm definitely shocked that this year is so rarely talked about. These performances are definitely worth watching and reviewing and I hope you watched the movies too, when you could. We saw five simple, working class women dealing with everyday problems: out-of-wedlock pregnancies (in three of the cases) or a violent man's love (in two cases). Despite the similar natures of the characters, the five ladies could not have been more diffenrent. This is actually a very exciting race, and each performance and movie was worth the time. A true pleasant surprise (which I expected a bit). The ranking was really difficult for me and only the #3 was obvious for me (and eventually #1). So here it is:

5. Shirley MacLaine in Irma La Douce
During the movie I was quite impressed and I liked her, but while I was writing the review I suddenly had complaints, doubts and I finished it sourly, struggling to go on. Too bad, as I wanted to love Shirley and I did in a way, it's her performance just lacked something which would have made it special. Still, she's very entertaining and sometimes even hilarious.

4.Natalie Wood in Love with the Proper Stranger
Wood's charm always helps her performance a great deal, because she's so beautiful and radiant, that you can never take you eyes off her. I liked her a lot during the movie, but found flaws in it when I was writing the review about it. I still appreciated it a lot and it certainly impressed me to a degree. But again it's not totally enough to totally satisfy me.

3.Rachel Roberts in This Sporting Life
Roberts is always in control of the character technically, although her performance mostly relies on the emotions and the impact on the audience. This is one of the most effective performances I've ever seen and the most brilliant (and smart) thing about is that you really don't recognize at first how tricky Roberts is with you, the viewer.Heartbreaking, natural, simple, unforgettable.

2. Patricia Neal in Hud

Neal uses her face and mostly her eyes to tell the story of Alma. Yes she speaks much, but she doesn't tell much with words, it's her facial expressions that let you inside her mind. I cannot really think about any performances like hers among actresses. She hits you hard with her subtlety like a bus, grab you and doesn't let you take your eyes off her.

1. Leslie Caron in The L-Shaped Room
This is not performance with a nice packing and absolutely no content in it (I can say numerous hailed performances lacking content), this is hundred per cent reality. Brutally real, brutally heartbreaking. One of the truly great achievemnents I've ever seen. This is Acting with capital A. The most subtle dynamite. Very few performers are able to achieve such greatness.

 

So I can proudly announce that my winner for 1963 is...
Leslie Caron

in

The L-Shaped Room

Yes, yes, Ms. Caron.

Also worth of a nomination that year: Ingrid Thulin in The Silence, Klári Tolnay in Skylark, Gunnel Lindblom in The Silence

So, our next year is also a secret that I will reveal tomorrow, but of course I can give you clues (now I give four).

• Comedy, why not?
• Blondies suck...
• Viva La France!
• Please don't get mad!

Shirley MacLaine in Irma la Douce

Shirley MacLaine received her third Best Actress nomination for playing Irma, a prostitute from Paris in Billy Wilder's amusing comedy Irma La Douce. MacLaine famously (IMO undeservedly) lost to Liz Taylor when she said some not very nice things about why she did not win. In Irma la Douce she reunited with her co-star in The Apartment, Jack Lemmon. The success was sure and MacLaine received her nomination for her rather leightweight work and I think received many consolation votes from some Academy memebers.

Irma la Douce is an ordinarily funny, but very amusing Billy Wilder-Jack Lemmon movie, which is very far from the brilliance, say, Some Like it Hot or The Apartment. But again it's very-very entertaining and definitely has great lines and very good jokes. The actors give decent comedy performances, Jack Lemmon (my favorite actor ever) is not at the top of his game here, so it's no wonder he was not nominated. This is probably the only movie where I did not like him the most (or at least the second.

Shirley MacLaine's performance as Irma is a very underappreciated one and I dare to say that this nomination of hers is quite disliked or even hated. In a way I can understand the criticism or why people do not love it, this is just not the type of nominated comedy role which people like or appreciate. It's very delightful, but not really one of the best of Shirley or the Best Actress nominees.

Yet I don't want to say anything bad about her, because she really stole the show from the beginning. Even with the first scenes she shows her charm and joy and I think it was simply hilarious. Although when I saw it for the first time I was blown away by her first scenes, now my appreciation has cooled a bit, which does not necessarily mean dislike. It's funny though that throughout the movie you are impressed by someone, but after that the whole thing disappears unfortunately.

She's the best at saying the hilarious lines in such a weird and still funny way. She uses every opportunity to shine, but still after all I felt that something was missing from her performance, I feel that it's a bit incomplete as the beginning of the movie completely focuses on her but in the end she becomes a simple co-lead. First we get to know an independent, loveable and (in a way) conventional call-girl, who's far from the hooker-with-a-hear-of-gold type and it's absolutely free from clichés.

The best parts are in the beginning, including my favorite one, where she first meets Jack Lemmon's character, Nestor. The way she acts in that scene is simply hilarious, radiant and joyful and probably one of the best comic scenes I have ever seen. She's very light, in fact a bit too light for my taste. I don't want to see forced acting, but I want to think that she worked hard on her performance.

As I said, in the end her performance becomes very slow, her presence gets much-much weaker and I started to miss the Shirley of the beginning. But again I can't blame her as she was simply not given that much to do in then and simply did not have the oppotunity to show how much she can do. Although she's able to completely steal the show and outdo Jack Lemmon in many scenes (which is quite impressive), I just cannot really overcome the fact that she nearly faded in the end, which always influences the overall opinion about a performance.

So to sum up, I can only compare her to Emily Watson in Hilary and Jackie. a very different performance. During the movie I was quite impressed and I liked her, but while I was writing the review I suddenly had complaints, doubts and I finished it sourly, struggling to go on. Too bad, as I wanted to love Shirley and I did in a way, it's her performance just lacked something which would have made it special. Still, she's very entertaining and sometimes even hilarious. Good job nevertheless and definitely nomination- and Globe-worthy.







So what do you think? Do you agree or not? I would like to see comments! :)

The Next Year

I'm back from my vacation so we can begin our next year. Well, unfortunately it's no secret that it's 1963, probably one of the most rarely talked about races ever.I've seen only two nominees so far and both of them more than 2 years ago. However, I'm very excited to re-watch them and see the new ones. I really don't know whom I'm going to pick and how the ranking will look like, but that makes it more exciting. (I predict lots of four Meryls)


The nominees were:

• Leslie Caron in The L-Shaped Room
• Shirley MacLaine in Irma La Douce
• Patricia Neal in Hud
• Rachel Roberts in This Sporting Life
  
• Natalie Wood in Love with the Proper Stranger

So, who's your pick? Who's your prediction? If anyone predicticts my exact ranking will get a special mention in the final conclusion. Last time Fritz predicted the whole ranking, so congrats:)

We should try watching these movies together, so I will send links (just click on the title of the movie at the beginning of the entry) in order to discuss them together.