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 1943

1943

So the much anticipated ranking is:

5. Greer Garson in Madame Curie

I was quite disappointed by this performance as I expected way more of Greer Garson, a truly wonderful actress. She's trapped in a boring movie, which is the enemy of its on and she's sometimes overshadowed by the boredom of Walter Pidgeon. Under these circumstances, it's a decent performance with problems.

4. Jean Arthur in The More the Merrier

Everything works perfectly with this performance. Then why am I still a bit disappointed? For some reason, I was never totally blown away by Jean Arthur's work. Although I enjoyed it from the beginning to the end, there wasn't a moment when I said "Wow! She's amazing!". Still, it's a well-played, entertaining comedy role and I really don't have complaints.

3. Joan Fontaine in The Constant Nymph

I wouldn't say that this is a pleasant surprise because I expected to like Joan but I was really impressed by Joan Fontaine's performance as Tessa. Although this is neither groundbreaking nor amazing work, I enjoyed every minute of it. Joan never fails to make Tessa a sympathetic character and I liked the character overall.

2. Ingrid Bergman in For Whom the Bell Tolls

It might seem like that I'm collecting many things to prove that I like her (because of my love for Ingrid) but I'm indeed quite fond of this performance. It's nothing groundbreaking but it's quite impressive and interesting. Ingrid does her usual routine and the result of it was positive for me. Not great but certainly good.

1. Jennifer Jones in The Song of Bernadette

A no-brainer, easy winner. I really did not expect to be impressed by Jennifer THIS much but I was, after all. Jennifer Jones is nothing short of amazing as St. Bernadette. Her grace and dignity shines through the screen and grabs your attention and never lets you go. It's a wonderful, unforgettable performance that's not as frequently talked about as it should be. A real miracle, if I may say so.

So I can proudly announce

the winner is...

Jennifer Jones

in

The Song of Bernadette

Easy win.

Omissions:
Ingrid Bergman in Casablanca *My Pick*  (Do I have to explain????)

Final thoughts: A mixed bag. Jennifer Jones got my vote very easily. I liked the rest of the ladies, too but to a much lesser extent. Joan and Ingrid were almost equal for me, Jean was not far behind them and Greer wasn't much worse than them. I think it's a very even but quite weak year and Jennifer so obviously stands out in this bunch. She's just wonderful. Otherwise, I enjoyed this year but didn't love it.

Note: From now on, I won't rank the years. I don't really see the point of it.

About the next year: Wow, I'm ending the summer with a really strong three-way race. I'm very excited to give clues once again (after such a long time :D). However, I can only start reviewing next Saturday. But I'll annonce the year on Wednesday.

• Mommie dearest (x2)
• Don't get THIS mad!
• Leading or supporting? Vanity will decide. :D

So what do you think? Any thoughts on your mind?

Greer Garson in Madame Curie

Greer Garson received her fourth Best Actress nomination for playing Marie Curie, the famous scientist in the Best Picture nominated Madame Curie. One year after winning the Best Actress Oscar in 1942, Greer was nominated once again for playing a strong female character (and she would receive two other consecutive nods plus another one in 1960). I think there was a lot of leftover love for Greer Garson, that's why I believe that she was ahead of Joan Fontaine or even Jean Arthur. She basically recreated Mrs. Miniver, a character that people were crazy about at the time.

Madame Curie is an extremely dreary, uninteresting and shallow biopic about the Curies. I mean how can you make such a boring film from a quite interesting story. I felt they just wanted to do Mrs. Miniver once again and move the audiences with the inspirational lives of these people. Come on. Everything is very Hollywood here and I bet there's a great difference between reality and this movie. Walter Pidgeon gives one of the most boring and uninspired performances ever to be nominated for an Oscar. I mean he's obviously so bored and he seemingly doesn't give a sh#t about the movie.

And there's Greer Garson who (you may or may not know) is an actress that I love immensely. Many consider her performances dated and not too flashy but I'm not one of them. She has a very radiant and refreshing presence, which seems quite unusual for her era. Her acting is so natural and I especially appreciate that she never seems to be faking. All in all, I really love her (even in the often criticised Mrs. Parkington) and therefore I was really looking forward to Madame Curie.

Truth to be told, my hopes seemed realistic. Greer (an actress I love) plays Marie Curie, a very interesting strong female character and I was sure that Greer would be excellent in the part but, alas, she wasn't. At all. I don't really understand why but there wasn't a moment where I strongly felt Greer's usual wonderful charm that I'm always raving about. It's simply missing and that's quite shocking as I thought that no matter what if a performer has charm it always helps a great deal.

Marie Curie is a very rich character and I think a great actress can get a lot out of her character. However, despite her greatness, Greer was just not able to make her a fascinating character. Or was she really interesting at the first place? Playing scientists may not be that rewarding unless they have serious problems. Biopic performances are mostly applauded when we see scenes of devastation, addiction, singing, marital problems, violence and such things. You can see none of those things here since the Curies were quite ordinary people who happened to be scientists. They were, however, truly dedicated to their work and that's something that Greer did excellently. We can always see Marie's determination to solve problems and work on a better future.

The rest of her performance is just unremarkable. Personally, I would have expected her to get something out of the fact that Marie was obviously more talented than her husband and yet she had to live in his shadow in a way. Or just quite simply the fact that Marie was a woman and how she succeeded in a world of men. These are interesting things rarely discussed in this movie and everything connected to them is just insignificant and boring. All we see is how perfect and wonderful this marriage was and how well these people worked together. Well, I don't think that they never had big rows when experimenting. And then I got to the point: the unspectacular reaction to discovering a new element: I don't know how you feel but I would be much more enthusiastic if I changed the face of science. That might be just me, though. :)

However, I must admit that Greer is still far and away the best thing about Madame Curie (why do I always want to write Mrs. Miniver once again? :D) . You know, everything IS relative. On her own, she's nothing amazing but she's very good compared to the awful performance of Walter Pidgeon. When Pierre died I felt that it was a breath of fresh air to Greer's acting in this movie. Her breakdown with tears and her last speech remined me of the Greer that I love.

To sum up, I was quite disappointed by this performance as I expected way more of Greer Garson, a truly wonderful actress. She's trapped in a boring movie, which is the enemy of its on and she's sometimes overshadowed by the boredom of Walter Pidgeon. Under these circumstances, it's a very good performance with its problems.

What do you think?

Joan Fontaine in The Constant Nymph

Joan Fontaine received her third and last Oscar nomination for playing Tessa Sanger, a teenager falling in love with a composer in The Constant Nymph, the favorite movie of hers. In my humble opinion, Joan could have been third, fourth or even fifth. I guess she was fifth as Greer Garson might have had some leftover love after Mrs. Miniver plus Madame Curie was a Best Picture nominee while The Constant Nymph was not. However, Joan was at the peak of her career in the early fourties so who knows? This one remains a mystery for sure.

The question about The Constant Nymph is not the usual "How did you like it?" but "How did you get it?". Well yeah, this movie is among the most hard-to-find Best Actress movies (it's probably the second on the list after The Blue Veil"). Everybody who's lucky enough to see it, can watch only very awful copies. However, it's quite a good film and it's much more surprising than one would imagine. I really liked Charles Boyer and although he's doing his routine, he's quite good here. The supporting cast is also quite good in this movie. All in all, I must say that I enjoyed this movie though I probably wouldn't watch it again.

Joan Fontaine, in my opinion, is a very interesting actress who always gives very special performances. I prefer her to her sister and big rival Olivia as Joan's performances always seem to be much more honest and less fake. I always enjoy Joan's presence on the screen even when she's not given a very rich character to work with (like in Suspicion). It's sad that Joan is not that frequently talked about nowadays even though she would deserve to be. Whenever Joan comes to my mind, I always think that she's able to give such rich performances. She fills very uninteresting characters with life and she's able to turn in wonderful works. In Rebecca, her unspectacular character turned out to be full of layers and she really rocked in that part.

Because of these reasons (and the fact that this was Joan's favorite movie of hers), I was quite optimistic about The Constant Nymph and was really looking forward to watching it. You know, when I read the story, I didn't think "another 1940s romantic movie with a young girl hopelessly falling for an older man". I though "Wow! Joan Fontaine must be great in this one (and she is). Yes, the story (and once again, the character) is not that interesting at first sight. Tessa is just a fourteen-year-old who's crazy about a handsome composer, Lewis (played by Charles Boyer). Alhtough her love marries her cousin, there's still a special relationship between Tessa and Lewis.

Honestly, I hate when adults play teenagers but 1943 has caused me to get rid of my prejudices as not one but two actresses gave excellent performances as teenagers. While Jennifer Jones had a very epic role in The Song of Bernadette, Joan's character is somewhat different. However, there's a common thing in their performances that neither of them overplays the childlike aspects of the characters. Joan could have fallen into that trap much easier than Jennifer as Joan's character had many of the traits of young girls. She's giggling, she blushes because of the sight of a man and such things. With Joan, it's all really believable.

The chemistry between Charles Boyer and Joan Fontaine was crucial to the story and it worked. They seem like the perfect hopeless lovers and I actually felt sorry for them. Although it's Joan who's the emotional centre of the film, Boyer adds his own to the story. Whenever I saw Joan, it was just fine the way it was and I was simply charmed by her presence. Her scenes with Boyer (as a result) were really likeable and I thought that neither of them overdid them. This is another thing I admire about Joan: she never really overplays the sentimentality of her characters.

Joan plays the ending excellently. I was kind of surprised by it and Tessa's last scenes were really impressive for me. I was taken by the emotions and I felt truly sorry for her. However, it was never too soappy or sentimental (at least not more than it had to be).

So to sum up, I wouldn't say that this is a pleasant surprise because I expected this but I was really impressed by Joan Fontaine's performance as Tessa. Although this is neither groundbreaking nor amazing work, I enjoyed every minute of it. Joan never fails to make Tessa a sympathetic character and I liked the character overall.

What do you think?

Ingrid Bergman in For Whom the Bell Tolls

Ingrid Bergman received her first Oscar nomination for playing Maria, a raped young girl in the movie, based on Ernest Hemingway's novel, For Whom The Bell Tolls. I think Ingrid (along with her legendary performance in Casablanca) must have been the only real competitor of Jennifer Jones. After the Oscars, when Jennifer Jones told Ingrid that she should have won, Ingrid said "No. Your Bernadette was better than my Maria." Well, Ingrid Bergman was surely really gracious and I admire her for admitting not being the best one (remember her 1974 speech). Those were days when stars had class.

For Whom The Bell Tolls is a long movie, above all. It's very huge and the whole thing has a very epic feeling. It's really shocking that neither this nor The Song Of Bernadette was able to beat Casablanca, a seemingly smaller movie. I would say it's great that this movie lost as it's incredibly boring sometimes. I mean the technical part is fine, even by today's standards but the whole thing just didn't work with me. The performances aer fine: Gary Cooper's acting is kind of boring, he just overdoes his usual on-screen habits. Katina Paxinu is fine but I'm much less enthusiastic about her this time so I might join the Gladys Cooper camp. Akim Tamiroff is strong but not that great.

And there's Ingrid Bergman. I know that nowadays many people are bashing her (and it's kind of painful for me, I'll admit) but for me she'll always remain special because of many of hers performances. I mean how can you not be blown away byAutumn Sonata? How can anyone forget her in Casablanca where she says goodbye to Humphrey Bogart? However, nobody can deny that she has a very unique presence, which may not appeal to some but it certainly does for me.

Ernest Hemingway always wanted Ingrid to play the role of Maria. I can easily see why. I think nobody else could have portrayed Maria's fragile personality the way like Ingrid did. For example, I just don't see Katharine Hepburn or Bette Davis in this part (or any other actres of that era). Ingrid's presence fits Maria perfectly, in my opinion. Her radiant, very emotional acting was needed for this movie. While Gary Cooper's acting seems to be wooden, Ingrid is more emotional and personally, I found it easier to relate to Maria or understand her emotions.

However, I'll also have to admit that this performance's success depends on whether you like Ingrid or not. If you love her, you'll be impressed but if you dislike her, you'll simply hate this performance. She's very "Ingrid" here. Everything that's criticised about her is there in this movie. The teary eyes and everything that drive some of Ingrid crazy. Thank God, I'm a fan of hers since I am one of those who were quite impressed. I'm not saying it's one of her best, you can't say that about her nominated works (except for Autumn Sonata and Gaslight) but it's a very fine performance, in my opinion, which stands out from the cast.

What I liked the most about this performance is the purity of Maria's character. She's a person who's gone through some really horrible things. It's a very memorable scene where she talks about how her parents were killed. Again, it must be a horrible, unbearable moment for the haters but for me, it all worked. I think she did quite well at showing Maria's ambivalent feelings. Ingrid is not a techincal performer at all (it's a problem that whenever she needed an accent, she used her own) but it's always the emotions that get me. Sometimes she's a bit much, indeed but I still cannot resist her because of her radiance and beauty. Her beauty is quite simply irresistable. You just cannot take your eyes off her and that helps her overcome the gaps in the technical part.

I was also happy that she didn't get lost in her big movie. She was always significant enough for me to pay attention to her (OK, that's the point of my reviews but at least I didn't have to struggle). In some of the scenes, her presence was really magical and I completely forgot about everything else. That's a big achievement, I think.

It might seem like that I'm collecting many things to prove that I like her (because of my love for Ingrid) but I'm indeed quite fond of this performance. It's nothing groundbreaking but it's quite impressive and interesting. Ingrid does her usual routine and the result of it was positive for me. Not great but certainly good.

What do you think?

Jean Arthur in The More the Merrier

Jean Arthur received her only Oscar nomination for playing Connie Milligan, a woman who decides to share her apartment during WWII in The More the Merrier. I think Jean was probably the third one that year. I guess nobody could stop Jennifer Jones from winning, except for Ingrid Bergman who starred in an epic movie. Jean, however, played a comic part and the Academy prefers serious drama to comedy. Still, the fact that she was a star helped her, I'm sure. It's ironic that the funny ladies of the 30s and the 40s (Roz Russell, Irene Dunne and Jean Arthur) never received Academy Awards.

The More the Merrier is a nice comedy about a woman who shares her apartment with two strangers (both of them men, one is older, the other one is young, guess what happens). The last time I saw it, I was much more impressed by it and I kept on raving about it. However, this time I'm much less enthusiastic about it. While it was enjoyable, it's no His Girl Friday or The Awful Truth. It is lovely and the screenplay is quite good but it's nothing amazing. Charles Coburn won the Oscar for his performance but I don't see how they voted for him.

Jean Arthur is an actress I mostly know from Frank Capra's 1930s movies where she usually played a bit cynical women who turn out to be really charmed by a simple American fella but she was also quite memorable as the mother character in Shane. That being said, I think she's a very lovely, charming actress who was most certainly the best choice to play Connie in The More the Merrier. She has the opportunity to show all her comic skills and to display her irresistable charm.

However, to tell the truth, Connie's character is not the most original one ever created. She's very firm, she has a boring fiancé and such things. Her normal life (which is full of her own rules) is turned upside down by two strangers. One cannot accuse Jean Arthur of not developing Connie. We can see her journey from her initial self to a more loving and kinder woman. And the best thing about it is that this development never becomes too ordinary or predictable. Sure, the story is predictable but thanks to Jean, it's really no problem.

Arthur gets many funny scenes with Charles Coburn in the beginning and she nails them all. Again, she filled those clihés with her own charm and they turned out to be very amusing. First, the movie is a typical comedy of errors and Jean knows perfectly well how to handle it. She neither overplays nor underplays the scenes. They are just fine the way they are. It's like when you hear a joke for the fifth time and you still keep laughing at it because the person delivers is excellently. Well, that's most certainly the case with Jean Arthur here. The scene where she locks Charles Coburn out of the apartment and then he knocks on the bathroom window is an entirely predictable sequence and yet it works because of Jean.

When Joel McCrea enters the picture, the movie becomes much more romantic but Jean does that part excellently, too. They make up an excellent couple and I really was rooting for them. Everything worked out with them and the scene at the party is just wonderful. I was totally taken by Jean's charm and I became just as dazzled by it as Joel McCrea's character.

The end is also fine: Arthur's timing is excellent (once again) and I really laughed out loud when she was crying. Again, I'm a sucker for those exaggerated cries and this one was no exception (still, Diane Keaton remains my favorite in that category).

As you see, everything works perfectly with this performance. Then why am I still a bit disappointed? For some reason, I was never totally blown away by Jean Arthur's work. Although I enjoyed it from the beginning to the end, there wasn't a moment when I said "Wow! She's amazing!". Still, it's a well-played, entertaining comedy role and I really don't have complaints.

What do you think?

Jennifer Jones in The Song of Bernadette

Jennifer Jones received her first Best Actress nomination and only Oscar for playing Bernadette Soubirous also known as St. Bernadette. Jennifer Jones' Oscar win is one of those star-making wins when a relatively unknown actress wins an Oscar out of the blue and becomes a huge star and receives many more nominations and becomes a star. I mean there was NO way that Jennifer was losing the Oscar. She was in the Best Picture front-runner, won the first Golden Globe, she had David O. Selznick on her side (and with this the most of Hollywood). I guess Jennifer's good friend Ingrid Bergman might have come close to her (combined with her Casablanca performance, she gained many votes, I think).

The Song of Bernadette is a wonderful movie. I mean it two and a half hours long and it doesn't feel that long. There are no useless, boring moments in it and the story flows brilliantly. Personally, I'm quite shocked that this one lost the Best Picture award. Not that it's better than Casablanca but it's definitely bigger and more epic (Why did they pick Casablanca? A mystery. It's brilliant, though.). I guess... no, I don't have an idea. This movie received many other nominations and three very deserved technical awards. I liked all of the supporting players, Gladys Cooper was a standout but I'm not sure if I would vote for her.

You know, winning an Oscar depends on so many things but there's no easier and more powerful way to get the coveted award than surprising the voters. When there's a brilliant actress like Jane Fonda or Maggie Smith, you just except them to be brilliant and you're not satisfied with anything less. However, when an unknown or underrated actress comes along, you just say "WOW! I never imagined she could be that great!". That worked for Mo'Nique, Marion Cotillard, Natalie Portman, just to mention names from the recent past. Well, I think that was also the case with Jennifer Jones. There was this unknown young girl who gave a really unforgettable, huge performance.

The role of Bernadette screams Oscar: scenes of religious experiences, real life person, horrible death at a young age and these are all shown in an epic movie. And while Jennifer Jones' performance is indeed epic, there's nothing loud or exaggerated about it. In fact, it's one of the most subtle performances ever to win the Best Actress Oscar. And thank God for that since this means that Jennifer Jones plays Bernadette the way she should be. You know, I'm kind of relieved that she was chosen to play Bernadette, not a huge star like, say, Loretta Young (OK, I know, why did she come to my mind?). Jennifer is free from all the vanity and modesty radiates through the screen.

When I was thinking about this work, one word came to my mind: humility. Jennifer plays Bernadette with such respect and love. She's not a fascinating personality. She's not great-looking, she's not smart, she's silent and a bit shy. Jones plays these aspects of the character so well and there's something so pure in her work. I can only compare her to one quite similar and yet different performance that I love dearly: that's Audrey Hepburn's in The Nun's Story. Not only are they both testaments to the talents of the actresses, but they also shine so much that it's impossible not to be taken away by them. Just like with Audrey, whenever I looked at Jennifer, I just felt great. It really wasn't anything physical, it was more of something spiritual and that rarely happens. There's so much grace and dignity in this movie and that's 100% thanks to Jennifer Jones. I really can't imagine anyone else.

The scenes with the visions are unforgettable, if I may say so. I was so touched by Bernadette's faith and hope. Wheter you be a believer or not, you can find inspiration in Bernadette's story and Jennifer's performance. It's true what Henry King said in his autobiography. Jennifer doesn't look, she can see. I mean, I was totally blown away by her ability to grab my attention with her unspectacular(-looking) performance. At the trials, there are no big monologues or breakdowns and yet she's able to make a great impression. It's kind of strange but I think people really should see this movie.

The scenes towards the ending are truly heart-breaking and Jennifer plays them with wonderful naturality and ease. I mean there was nothing sentimental about her and yet I felt very emotional about her. Although Bernadette has a long and horrible death in the end, those scenes are not different from the others. Jennifer is just as subtle as she was and she doesn't try desperately to move the audience.

I really did not expect to be impressed by Jennifer THIS much but I was, after all. Jennifer Jones is nothing short of amazing as St. Bernadette. Her grace and dignity shines through the screen and grabs your attention and never lets you go. It's a wonderful, unforgettable performance that's not as frequently talked about as it should be. A real miracle, if I may say so.

What do you think?

The Next Year

1943

So the nominees were:

• Jean Arthur in The More The Merrier
• Ingrid Bergman in For Whom The Bell Tolls
• Joan Fontaine in The Constant Nymph
• Greer Garson in Madame Curie
• Jennifer Jones in The Song of Bernadette

A weak year apparently but we'll see. :)

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

The Final Conclusion - Best Actress 1962

1962

So the much anticipated ranking is:

5. Lee Remick in Days of Wine and Roses

Although Lee Remick is overshadowed in many ways, she's just excellent as Kirsten, a pathetic woman, a real victim. Her story is very heartbreaking and you don't get any fun out of it but Remick's realism in this part is really impressive. A great performance that should be much more frequently talked about.

4. Geraldine Page in Sweet Bird of Youth

I would kill to see this performance on the stage but instead I have to make do with a great motion picture performance that's nothing short of excellent. Geraldine Page makes Alexandra a very fascinating character and she single-handedly makes the movie worthy of watching. This work is a real treat. Truly-truly memorable effort by a great actress.

3. Katharine Hepburn in Long Day's Journey Into Night

I must say that I was thouroughly impressed by the performance of Katharine Hepburn. Although there's something in me that prevented me from totally embrace it, I still find her truly amazing in her part. As Mary Tyrone, she's just chilling and really disturbing but she never overplays Mary's broken personality. Fantastic work.

2.Anne Bancroft in The Miracle Worker

I was totally amazed by Anne Bancroft's star-making turn as Annie Sullivan, the determined and tough teacher. Anne Bancroft created a multi-layered fascinating character that is a real joy to watch. Her beauty shines through the screen and it's effect is just astonishing. I was taken by this work and I can only praise her for this. It's kind of cheesy to say it's a miracle but for me, it is.

1. Bette Davis in What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?

This is an iconic performance and rightfully so. It's both delicious and shocking, funny and disgusting. Bette's brilliance is at (another) peak here and she's really unforgettable. No matter what she does on the screen, it's going to be something that you'll never ever forget. She nails each and every nuance of Baby Jane and the result is a fantastic, dazzling and intense work by a brilliant actress.

So I can proudly announce

the winner is...

Bette Davis

in

What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?

Who gets the last laugh?

Final thoughts: A really great year (the highest grades overall) but somehow I wasn't that blown away. All of these ladies were great but somehow I didn't enjoy this year as much as I expected to. Still, a wonderful year with great performances. The ranking was very difficult for me but I hopw to have made the right decision. I wasn't very sure but eventually, this seemed like the best alternative.

Omissions: Jeanne Moreau in Jules et Jim; Anna Magnani in Mamma Roma; Shelley Winters in Lolita

About the next year: It's no secret that it will be 1943. :)

What do you think?

Geraldine Page in Sweet Bird of Youth

Geraldine Page received her third Oscar nomination for playing Alexandra Del Largo, a depressed, movie star in the movie Sweet Bird of Youth. Geraldine Page won the Golden Globe for this performance of hers so I suspect she received many votes from the members of the Academy, too. I think she was third behind Anne Bancroft and Bette Davis. The fact that she had lost the previous year for Summer and Smoke must have helped her a lot, too. Poor Geraldine, I think she was always either second or third or at least fourth and that's why she had to wait so much for the win.

Although Sweet Bird of Youth is not a masterpiece, it's quite a decent movie. It doesn't have the tension of Richard Brooks' earlier Tennessee Williams adaptation, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. One can easily observe that in Paul Newman's performance. His work here was just uninspired and bored (unlike in Cat... where the character's inner pain almost burned the screen) though never really bad. He just didn't stand out. Ed Begley's nomination and eventual Oscar win is a mystery unsolved. I guess... no I don't. He just won. Same goes for Shirley Knight's nomination.

The only reason why people still remember this movie is Geraldine Page's performance as Alexandra, the mentally unstable actress. If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't watch a movie like this twice. She's the only reason to watch this movie and it's so strong. Geraldine Page was born to play Tennessee Williams' heroines. Her neurotic persona and the unique, radiant presence of hers makes her the ideal choice for such roles. All of my greatest memories of Geraldine Page are in connection with her famous nervous ticks. When I think about Geraldine Page, I see the hysterical Eve in Interiors crying theatrically next to the window or the hopeful old lady from A Trip to Bountiful who's desperate to go home once. In short, I love this woman and I would be stupid not to love her most delicious performance as Alexandra.

Alexandra (as I said) a typical Tennesse Williams heroine: she's broken down, mentally unstable and yet she's hoping for a better future. She has a lover that she never takes really seriously. Somehow, things work out for her in the end. She's a diva in the best sense of the word. Despite all this (or because of this), I felt so sorry for her. Geraldine was not afraid of making Alexandra (or as she likes to be called "Princess") a miserable creature. Her breakdown at the cinema, the tragic falshbacks all add to the dramatic effects of this performance and Page uses the opportunities that she's given. From the first minute to the last, you just cannot take your eyes off her and she has a very magnetic presence.

However, something is working against Geraldine: her movie. In all fairness, she's not given enough time to shine and therefore she's less brilliant than she could have been. I mean, the story of Chance and the Finleys take away so much time from her and as a result, she never becomes the leading character that she deserves to be. This is not Geraldine's fault but it's a setback for her, unfortunately. If I'm really honest, I just don't see why she was needed in this movie. Just for the sake of a great female character? I really don't want to criticise Geraldine with this, I'm just angry about this thing.

Still, denying Geraldine's greatness here is totally useless as she stil owns her movie. She offers many unforgettable scenes. For example, her big exit where she frankly tells Chance what to do :D and when things work out for Alexandra. Geraldine plays masterfully with Alexandra's emotions and she leaves a really strong impression. You know, I'm a sucker for great theatrical acting. I imagine I would have orgasmed over Geraldine's last scene had I seen it on the stage. This way it's just a brilliant experience.

I would kill to see this performance on the stage but instead I have to make do with a great motion picture performance that's nothing short of excellent. Geraldine Page makes Alexandra a very fascinating character and she single-handedly makes the movie worthy of watching. This work is a real treat. Truly-truly memorable effort by a great actress.

What do you think?

I sleep to the ranking. Conclusions: tomorrow!