Debbie Reynolds in The Unsinkable Molly Brown

Debbie Reynolds received her only Oscar nomination to date for playing the unsinkable Molly Brown in The Unsinkable Molly Brown. Debbie Reynolds was a huge star back then and the fact that she had this very huge musical role with much singing, tears and the opportunity for a great performance might have helped her get some votes. She could even be second after Julie Andrews though the third or fourth place might be more probable. One will never know, though. There might have been some sympathy left for her after the Eddie Fisher/Liz Taylor scandal (though by that time Liz was with Richard Burton already).

The Unsinkable Molly Brown is a movie that is sometimes unbearable to watch (sometimes it even tops Gloria and that's something, really). However, after a time somehow I got used to it and it wasn't much of a torture later on. Whenever there were no "emotional" scenes between Harvey Presnell and Reynolds, the whole thing was quite OK. But whenever Presnell started singing, I could have smashed the screen with an axe. The story is basically about an uneducated, poor girl who's planning to get married to a rich guy. She eventually marries a poor guy who becomes incredibly rich later on. Nothing is easy, though in the snobbish society of Denver.

Somehow, I never really cared about Debbie Reynolds. Besides The Unsinkable Molly Brown, I only saw her in Sining in the Rain, in which she was quite good though I don't really understand the hype about that performance (i's very much like her nominated performance as Molly Brown). Therefore, I did not know what to expect from Debbie here. First of all, I have a thing against 60s musicals as they annoy me incredibly. I don't like that whenever there's an "emotional" or "funny" scene, people start singing (which is more like yelling). There are romantic songs, songs from the poor but honest crowd and so on. And this is something that's true here.

The most important thing I noticed: Debbie Reynolds was clearly acting for that Oscar. This is a typical musical performance which secures at least a nomination for the lead. And the character like Molly Brown is one of the best examples for such baity roles. There's much singing, dancing, there are lot of stupid scenes which were meant to be funny and of course the big tears in the end. The whole thing was so predictable but that did not surprise me. Although I knew that I would get this, I secretly hoped that I would get something different and truly surprising.

The beginning of Reynolds' performance as the poor, loud mountain girl with a stupid face is quite simply horrible. There we go, I said it. It's so loud and she went way over the top with Molly. There isn't a subtle moment at all and every second is incredibly annoying. I mean what was the purpose of those grims on her face? It really did not serve that something which was meant to be a story.

I was about to die, when something happened. The whole performance became quite fun after a while. I don't know if it was because I started to get used to the badness or that it was actually good. I don't know but there was light at the end of the tunnel. Reynolds was quite entertaining in the scenes when Molly and Johnny become rich and are just trying to fit in. She's quite charming when she reacts to not being invited to a party. Right there, I felt some sympathy for this character and it lasted for a while (until they get home from Europe).

The temporary goodness in her performance disappears after a while. However, she's not as horrible as she was in the scenes in the beginning. She's not even bad but she doesn't really have much of a presence anymore and I just wasn't really interested in Molly anymore (not that I had ever really been previously). There wasn't much to care about. There was a drunk scene, which was handled quite well but it was nothing special, really. And then the huge dramatic moment with tears... it was nice but (again) nothing special.

So, I can say that I got what I expected, a standard 60s musical performance from Debbie Reynolds. Although this work is really mixed and uneven, there are some scenes to admire or at least like about it. It's nothing mindblowing or ground-breaking but it did not bother me that much, so I don't feel bad about it. It even had a minor positive effect on me.

I did not feel bad about her, though.

What do you think? It's time for the final predictions!

Kim Stanley in Seance on a Wet Afternoon

Kim Stanley received her first Oscar nomination (out of two) and her only one in the Best Actress category for playing Myra Savage, a woman in possession of a strange "gift". I'm a bit uncertain if I think about Stanley's chances of winning that year. Although Anne Bancroft swept the high-profile awards, Stanley got all the important acclaims from the critics. Still, the movie was too British (much like The Pumpkin Eater) and she wasn't as much of a movie star as Bancroft. Stanley was basically a stage actress and did not make many movies.

Seance on a Wet Afternoon is a very weird and tough movie. It's really full of tension and it's quite different from the other movies of Bryan Forbes. It's not a real kitchen sink drama like The L-Shaped Room and The Whisperers, it's just a very intense psychological drama. Richard Attenborough, who went on to receive an Oscar for Best Directing the year Kim Stanley was nominated for Frances, gives an excellent performance as the coward, terrified husband of Myra. He was totally robbed of the nomination, in my opinion. Anthony Quinn was better as Zorba but Attenborough was great anyhow.

Kim Stanley's performance is so interesting and I am so full of emotions about it. I don't know her work very well and as she worked mostly on the stage, I really doubt that I can see that much of her later. She was a real method actress and that's really visible in this performance. She totally becomes this very complicated woman and Stanley, the actress completely disappeared. As I was watching the movie, I always saw Myra Savage, the British psychic and not Kim Stanley, the American actress.

Myra Savage is a character that requires someone who's an actress first and not a star. She's a very ordinary woman with an ordinary face and a very annoying personality. I mean, we should just imagine Elizabeth Taylor playing her. We would get the tears, the shouting but we wouldn't get the simplicity of Myra. Although it's a very tough and hard role to play, Stanley handled it with visible self-discipline and she never went too over-the-top with her. The part had some traps and difficulties but Stanley managed to avoid all of them.

Kim Stanley added all the layers to this character, step by step. First, Myra seems to be obsessed woman who seems to be acting a lot. However, she sinks deeper and deeper into her madness and her obsession with a terrible secret, which Stanley always suggests us with her acting. She gives little clues with short sentences, words and we just can't see the truth behind them. And it's just astonishing how Stanley managed to always keep Myra very mysterious. Whenever you feel that you're getting to know her, something very extremely surprising comes and you feel so shocked.

Furthermore, Stanley's always so frightening in those seance scenes. One can always feel that Myra really believes that she has this gift and that she's really talking to spirits. It's extremely hard not to talk about this performance without giving away much about the movie and it all the twists of the plot. However, I can say that Stanley's responisble for the suffocating tension of the movie and even its overall effect on you.

Also, Stanley and Attenborough have a marvelous chemistry and they work together astonishingly well. There's a huge confrontation scene between them, which is just perfect. It's great that they never try to outdo each other, they truly co-operate and the result is just fantastic. Attenborough is the more subtle and quite one, Stanley is more loud and emotional and as a result the performances keep the balance and that's amazing, I think. They always remain very believable and one just doesn't have any doubt that they have been indeed married for a long time.

This performance (very much like Bancroft in The Pumpkin Eater) is extremely hard to judge. It's full of fantastic scenes and it's overall effect is just brilliant and just like with Bancroft, I am not really sure what I am going to think about her. However, I just cannot overlook that Kim Stanley was able to put on a fantastic, chilling and unforgettable performance as Myra Savage. Great work.

What do you think?

Anne Bancroft in The Pumpkin Eater

Anne Bancroft received her second Oscar nomination for playing Jo Armitage, a woman who has a very complicated life in the movie, The Pumpkin Eater. At the time, she was the actual front-runner along with Julie Andrews and I think that she wasn't far behind. Unlike Sophia, her previous win might have helped her but that might also be the cause why she eventually lost the award. She console herself with a Golden Globe, Bafta and a Best Actress award at the Cannes film festival. Apparently, Julie Andrews thought that Anne should have won. We'll se if I agree.

The Pumpkin Eater is a very unusual and extremely weird movie. Sometimes it's incredibly boring but sometimes it can be really fascinating. The main flaw about it is that it tries so hard to serve the needs and demands of its era. It's very 60s, it's very British, it's very artsy though somehow I felt it was a bit forced. Or it can be simply quite dated and that's it. Peter Finch who was a terrific actor, gives a very good performance here though he's quite lost occasionally. James Mason (just like in Georgy Girl) plays quite a pointless and perplexing role and I did not like him at all.

However, I really don't know what to think about Anne Bancroft in this movie. I had previously seen the performance but I did not understand it better this time even though I thought I would. Her whole acting in this movie is rather perplexing and it's very complex. Probably this is what settled her win at Cannes. This is a multi-layered role that must be incredibly hard to play and I don't think that many actresses could have pulled it off or at least not this way. It requires a performer who's fearless and emotional but who's also great at the technical parts. I think Anne Bancroft was a great choice. As I said about her in my review of her work in The Turning Point, she was an extremely versatile and interesting actress. She has the advantage of her great looks and magnificent voice. Whenever I hear her voice, I get chills. However, all these attractive things about her are NOT present in The Pumpkin Eater. Everything that worked on other occasion disappeared here. Surely, Anne did not choose the easy ways with this part.

Anne's performance here is incredibly strange and unusual and therefore it can be a bit distracting sometimes. There were scenes where she's so extremely harrowing and amazing that it made me literally speechless, like the one where she breaks down at the store. It's such an odd moment and it becomes even more weird with her hysterical laugh and cries. That breakdown scene is extremely shocking and it is certainly very depressing. Somehow I felt that Anne also went through this hell along with Jo. With small expressions on her face, Anne showed the pain of this character so thrillingly. I felt so uncomfortable while I was looking at her and sometimes I even resented her work. I felt so many emotions while I was looking at it and it is so intense and really haunting. Actually, when I was watching her, I wasn't that impressed but as I'm thinking about her I feel that she was really shocking and she totally grabbed me. When I turned it off, I felt really dazzled and confused. And let's just admit it: one doesn't like being confused. I realised that this whole thing showed the darkness in this character's head so thirllingly. You only realise it when you really think about (for the first time, she fooled me).

The relationship between Jo and her men are so thrillingly shown by Anne. This becomes so visible in the scenes between Jo and her psychiatrist. She's just sitting there uncomfortably and she's very embarassed. Those sequences are really strong. However, nothing can really live up to the confrontation scene between her and a woman at the hairdresser's. I think she might have been the darker side of Jo. She says "My life is an empty place" and Jo says that later, too. Anne is amazing there even though she mostly acts with her face.

Sometimes I really did not get what the purpuse of the movie really was but now I am beginning to understand it, thanks to Anne's greatness. It's extremely tough material that you see but once you feel the essence of it, it becomes a really fantastic experience. As I was watching it, I felt many times that she was boring and that her performance was just too forced but now I'm totally shellshocked. There's one scene which is quite probably the highlight of her performance and it's going to stay with me forever. After being operated (I'm not telling the reason), she has a minor breakdown when she's laughing hysterically. In its shocking way, that scene is really amazing.

So, this is an incredibly hard performance to judge. My opinion might change in the future but now I'm in awe of Anne Bancroft in The Pumpkin Eater. Anne chose all the difficult and risky ways with her character but she succeeded and she was able to put on a shocking, perplexing and terrying character study of a woman who has serious problems in her life.

So it's a 4.5 after all. I kept changing it 1000000 times but I have to be fair.

Sophia Loren in Marriage Italian Style

Sophia Loren received her second Best Actress nomination (and last to date) for playing Donna Filumena, a kept woman in Marriage Italian Style. Sophia really did not have much chance of winning the Oscar, I think. She had already won (and made history as the first actor winning for a foreign language performance), plus this was another role in an Italian movie. Sophia has always been a great star but I don't really think that it helped her chances considerably that time.

Marriage Italian Style is quite a mediocre movie, in my humble opinion. The last time I saw an Italian movie whose title ended with Italian Style (Divorce Italian Style), I was really entertained and I had a wonderful experience. In addition, I saw a fabulous, unforgettable performance by the fantastic Marcello Mastroianni. Here it is really not the case. Mastroianni is almost sleepwalking through this movie and one would expect much more (in general) from a Vittorio de Sica movie. I mean he directed Bicyle Thieves and Two Women. Marriage Italian Style was a real disappointment for me. Probably I expected too much.

Sophia Loren is, however, wonderful as usual. Of course, this is not her best performance (Two Women is unbeatable, I think and A Special Day is also brilliant) but I did not expect that. I wanted to get something really entertaining and moving from her, which I got. Therefore, she became the only thing about this movie that did not disappoint. It's no wonder, though. Sophia's talent is so great and it shines through even the weakest material. Of course, she's neither a very technical, I dare say calculating actress like Meryl Streep nor a highly emotional (and a bit over-the-top) one like Anna Magnani. Sophia falls somewhere between them, more leaning towards Magnani. However, identifying Sophia's talent is so hard. She's someone who's a natural talent and who would give the exact same, fantastic performances without any acting lessons.

The role of Donna Filumena wasn't really much of a strech for her, I think. Sophia has always been the best at playing earthy and a bit repressed Italian women who have occasional outbursts. Somehow, she makes them so attractive and loveable to us. The essence of this character is given in this movie. When Filumena is walking on the streets, the men and boys are looking at her and she moves her bottom in a very "Sophia" way and starts dancing (this is something that Penélope Cruz cannot copy despite trying desperately, she shouldn't). It's such an instantly likeable sequence, it's just impossible to resist her afterwards. I must say, though, that Sophia totally won me over in the beginning where the seventeen-year-old, scared Filumena looks at Don Domenico during the bombing. The look on Sophia's face is totally ingrained in my memory. It's such a small nuance but it was the real highlight of her performance, I think.

Sophia fantastically showed the toughness of Filumena but she let us know a much warmer and loving side of her, which really made her a sympathetic character. Her reminiscing about her children is so moving, I might even say heartwrenching. Her embarassed face is unforgettable in the scene when she looks at her sick son and she cannot do much about him. Her quiet desperation and final relief is just astonishing to look at. Afterwards (as Filumena has three illegitimate children), she visits the other two children and that's another adorable, luminous scene of Sophia. The role of the mother fits Sophia so thrillingly that if the movie had only been about Filumena's relationship with her sons, it would have been a cathartic masterpiece, much like Mamma Roma (with Magnani).

It's not a coincidence that I haven't talked about her scenes with Marcello. To tell the truth, it's him and his storyline that brings Sophia's performance down. Whenever I see the usual "Italian" fight between these two people, I think "I've seen this before, come on, I want something new, I know you could do better". Those scenes were intended to be hilarious but they did not convince me at all. The screenplay did not give many opportunities to them and I felt that it relied too much on the fact that this duo had been very successfuly together previously. The chemistry works here, too but there's no real sparkling there. When Sophia is there alone, she's just astonishing but when she's together with Mastroianni, the whole thing becomes a bit standard. Good, but standard. However, I must instantly add that Sophia looks once again incredibly great and her beauty is radiant.

So, to sum up, this is a great performance by the magnificent Sophia Loren, which may not be her career best but it's still very good work. Although there are amazing scenes in this work, the really common comedy scenes drag Sophia's performance down. She's still wonderful but she could have been once again mindblowingly brilliant. There was potential but the movie couldn't serve her performance well. Still, I'm very positive about her.

What do you think?

Note: First, I accidentally uploaded 4 Meryls but my original intention was 4,5 (this is a very strong 4,5, almost a 5 actually), so this is not a real change.

The Next Year

1964

So the nominees were:

• Julie Andrews in Mary Poppins
• Anne Bancroft in The Pumpkin Eater
• Sophia Loren in Marriage Italian Style
• Debbie Reynolds in The Unsinkable Molly Brown
• Kim Stanley in Seance on a Wet Afternoon

Wow, I know it's surprising that I'm going to do this year now but I just got The Pumpkin Eater and I haven't started reviewing 1991 (I can't resist), so I'm doing this year now and the first review comes next Friday (March 11th). I'm so excited about this year as I don't have a clue on who will get my vote. So interesting and it's rarely talked about besides Andrews.

What do you think? What are your predictions? What's your ranking?

Looking back, final thoughts, observations

About the show: It was so FAST and sometimes I just wasn't interested in it. Sometimes the suspense was not enough for me (though the Best Actress was a real nailbiter for me). I missed the great jokes though I think that both Anne Hathaway and James Franco were quite great hosts, especially Anne who was especially impressive. Thank God, they did not take the 45 second limit very seriously (though in one case they should have taken -45 seconds from that particular winner). It was particulary great to see Billy Crystal (why doesn't he host anymore). Personally (as a huge fan) I would love to see Ellen as a host again. The presenters were good, I especially enjoyed Dame Helen Mirren and Russel Brand. I was a bit sorry about Kathryn Bigelow. She seemed to be very nervous. She's not an actress after all. Steven Spielberg always does a good job at presenting Best Picture. BUT WHY THE HELL AREN'T THEY MORE CREATIVE ABOUT CHOOSING THE BEST PICTURE PRESENTER???!!! Jane Fonda, anyone? Diane and Jack were so great 4 years ago and something like that would be awesome.

About the winners: I was quite satisified by the winners. I don't really mind that The King's Speech won Best Picture, it's such a beautiful movie. However, that directing win was a bit much for me. It might be my snobism but Fincher was way more deserving, I think. The best speech was given by David Seidler.

The lowest point of the whole show (and the history of Oscar) was Melissa Leo's speech. She was so fake, tasteless and pretentious. She's a real asshole and that F-word was as unintentional as her ads. Damn, she was a disgrace. And when she took the cane of Kirk Douglas... Gosh I could have slapped Melissa on her stupid face.

Good news: There was one winner that I really-really wanted to win. I would have been satisfied even if she had been my only pick who won. Yeah, that's Natalie. She brought back the best things about this Best Actress category. Humble, lovely, emotional speech with tears, baby. Plus, she gave an amazing, fantastic performance. So yay for Natalie!

All things considered, this wasn't the worst Oscars ever but not the best one either. Some great moments here and there, three awesome wins and that's it. It was better than last year, I think.

The Time Has Come...

Well, it's not much left until the big awards, so it's time to share my thoughts with you all on the different categories (the major one). Just like last year, I won't make official predictions because every time I write them down somewhere they won't be great. So I keep them to myself, I'm just saying some thoughts on should win/could win in the most important categories.

Best Picture:

should win: Black Swan

thoughts: The King's Speech will quite probably will win this one. It's a great movie in my opinion though it's not something I would give a Best Picture award. I disliked The Social Network for the first time but it was great for the second time. It's not that much better than TKS, though. And it can still win, I think as it fits the latest Oscar winners better than The King's Speech. In my opinion, Toy Story 3 and Black Swan were the best movies.

Best Director:

should win: David Fincher - The Social Network

thoughts: Well, I almost said Aronofsky but Fincher's directing is fantastic. I really hope it wins as Fincher would deserve this award much more than Tom Hooper whose directing is nice but again, not worthy of the Oscar.

Best Actress:

should win: Natalie Portman - Black Swan

thoughts: I really told evetrything possible about this race, just see my reviews. Natalie MUST win in my opinion.

Best Actor:

should win: Colin Firth - The King's Speech

thoughts: I haven't seen Franco and Bardem but from what I have seen, Firth is the best though I must say that he IS overrated. He has this one in the bag no matter what I say.

Best Supporting Actress:

should win: Jacki Weaver - Animal Kingdom or Amy Adams - The Fighter

thoughts: I so hope that neither Melissa nor Hailee will win. They gave most certainly the two least interesting performances of the line-up. However, they still have the best chance of winning. Or not? I just can't see Leo holding an Oscar (or don't want to see). I would be happy if Helena won. She was so charming as The Queen Mother even though I wasn't that impressed by her for the first time. The two ladies who have the least chance of winning are the creme-de-la-creme. Both Jacki and Amy give fantastic supporting performances. I might slightly give the edge to Jacki but I think I'll end up switching my vote between them constantly. Still, somehow, deep inside I'm hoping that they watch the screeners of Animal Kingdom and they are amazed and vote for Jacki or that all the votes which Melissa lost went to Amy. I'll keep my fingers crossed for them.

Best Supporting Actor:

should win: Geoffrey Rush - The King's Speech

thoughts: I stand by this opinion. As an actor, Christian Bale is not even in the same league as Rush and the same goes for the performances. I was so amazed by Bale for the first time but for the second time, it seemed to be so obvious Oscar-baiting and even obvious acting. I really loved Rush's touching, funny performance as Lionel Logue, which was the best part of TKS. John Hawkes is also quite deserving though it won't happen. Ruffalo and Renner really don't matter, they are just fillers. It's sad that two filler performances took the nomination of Andrew Garfield.

Best Original Screenplay:

should win: The King's Speech

thoughts: The King's Speech deserves this one and will probably win.

Best Adapted Screenplay:

should win: The Social Network

thoughts: Despite my hatred for the first time, not I have to admit that Aaron Sorkin's script is the best one in years.

What do you think?

Reader's Choices for the 83rd Annual Academy Awards

You, my dear Readers have voted on your favorites for the Oscars this year. You voted, so it was your decision. In the end, I'm saying that my readers have a great taste when it comes to choosing the winners. :-)

So your winners are:

Best Picture:

1. The King's Speech (11 votes, 28%)

2. Black Swan (9 votes, 23%)

3. The Social Network (7 votes, 18%)

4. Inception (3 votes, 7%)

4. True Grit (3 votes, 7%)

5. The Kids Are All Right (2 votes, 5%)

6. Winter's Bone (2 votes, 5%)

7. Toy Story (1 vote, 2%)

8. 127 Hours (0 votes)

8. The Fighter (0 votes)

Best Actress:

1. Natalie Portman - Black Swan (22 votes, 50%)

2. Annette Bening - The Kids Are All Right (10 votes, 22%)

3. Jennifer Lawrence - Winter's Bone (6 votes, 13%)

4. Nicole Kidman - Rabbit Hole (3 votes, 6%)

4. Michelle Williams - Blue Valentine (3 votes, 6%)

Best Actor:

1. Colin Firth - The King's Speech (20 votes, 54%)

2. Jesse Eisenberg - The Social Network (8 votes, 21%)

3. James Franco - 127 Hours (5 votes, 13%)

4. Javier Bardem (3 votes, 8%)

5. Jeff Bridges - True Grit (1 vote, 2%)

Best Supporting Actress:

1. Jacki Weaver - Animal Kingdom (13 votes, 33%)

2. Amy Adams - The Fighter (10 votes, 25%)

2. Helena Bonham Carter - The King's Speech (10 votes, 25%)

3. Melissa Leo - The Fighter (4 votes, 10%)

4. Hailee Steinfeld - True Grit (2 votes, 5%)

Best Supporting Actor:

1. Geoffrey Rush - The King's Speech (14 votes, 38%)

2. Christian Bale - The Fighter (11 votes, 30%)

3. John Hawkes - Winter's Bone (5 votes, 13%)

4. Mark Ruffalo - The Kids Are All Right (4 votes, 11%)

5. Jeremy Renner - The Town (2 votes, 5%)

Tomorrow or today, I will reveal all my picks in the major categories and my thoughts on each of them.

And then there were 100...

I cannot believe it myself but I have reached the magical 100! It has been such a delight so far and I want to thank you for your attention, your interest and your comments. You all make this reviewing/ranking mania worth doing as there are people who are really interested. And that's great. So thanks and let's just celebrate these 20 beautiful, wonderful ladies giving amazing performances.

The brilliant winners were:

Meryl Streep in Julie & Julia

Fernanda Montenegro in Central Station

Audrey Hepburn in The Nun's Story

Joan Fontaine in Rebecca

Jane Wyman in Johnny Belinda

Gena Rowlands in A Woman Under the Influence

Julianne Moore in Far from Heaven

Ingrid Bergman in Autumn Sonata

Vivien Leigh in Gone with the Wind

Judy Garland in A Star is Born

Michelle Pfeiffer in The Fabulous Baker Boys

Kathy Bates in Misery

Elizabeth Taylor in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

Jane Fonda in They Shoot Horses, Don't They?

Glenda Jackson in A Touch of Class

Sissy Spacek in Coal Miner's Daughter

Bette Davis in The Little Foxes

Natalie Portman in Black Swan

Diane Keaton in Annie Hall

And here's to the other performances! :D

The ranking of the 100 reviewed performances:

1. Diane Keaton in Annie Hall
2. Ingrid Bergman in Autumn Sonata
3. Elizabeth Taylor in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
4. Vivien Leigh in Gone with the Wind
   
5. Audrey Hepburn in The Nun's Story
6. Michelle Pfeiffer in The Fabulous Baker Boys
7. Natalie Portman in Black Swan
8. Sissy Spacek in Coal Miner's Daughter
9. Jane Fonda in They Shoot Horses, Don't They?
10. Judy Garland in A Star is Born
11. Julianne Moore in Far from Heaven
12. Glenda Jackson in A Touch of Class
13. Leslie Caron in The L-Shaped Room
14. Gena Rowlands in A Woman Under the Influence
15. Ellen Burstyn in Resurrection
16. Fernanda Montenegro in Central Station
17. Liza Minnelli in The Sterile Cuckoo
18. Jane Fonda in Julia
19. Ellen Burstyn in The Exorcist
20. Bette Davis in The Little Foxes
21. Diane Lane in Unfaithful
22. Joan Fontaine in Rebecca
23. Cate Blanchett in Elizabeth
24. Ellen Burstyn in Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore
25. Meryl Streep in Julie & Julia
26. Kathy Bates in Misery
27. Katharine Hepburn in Suddenly, Last Summer
28. Maggie Smith in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
29. Patricia Neal in Hud
30. Michelle Williams in Blue Valentine
31. Meryl Streep in Postcards from the Edge
32. Simone Signoret in Room at the Top
33. Jane Wyman in Johnny Belinda
34. Carey Mulligan in An Education
35. Geraldine Page in Interiors
36. Gabourey Sidibe in Precious: Based On the Novel Push by Sapphire
37. Irene Dunne in Love Affair
38. Goldie Hawn in Private Benjamin
39. Jean Simmons in The Happy Ending
40. Pauline Collins in Shirley Valentine
41. Lynn Redgrave in Georgy Girl
42. Olivia de Havilland in Hold Back the Dawn
43. Barbara Stanwyck in Sorry, Wrong Number
44. Barbara Stanwyck in Ball of Fire
45. Mary Tyler Moore in Ordinary People
46. Marsha Mason in The Goodbye Girl
47. Rachel Roberts in This Sporting Life
48. Jill Clayburgh in An Unmarried Woman
49. Nicole Kidman in Rabbit Hole
50. Diahann Carroll in Claudine
51. Jessica Tandy in Driving Miss Daisy
52. Jessica Lange in Music Box
53. Jennifer Lawrence in Winter's Bone
54. Dorothy Dandridge in Carmen Jones
55. Bette Davis in Dark Victory
56. Valerie Perrine in Lenny
57. Anouk Aimée in A Man and A Woman
58. Jane Wyman in Magnificent Obsession
59. Doris Day in Pillow Talk
60. Ida Kaminska in The Shop on the Main Street
61. Greta Garbo in Ninotchka
62. Audrey Hepburn in Sabrina
63. Anne Bancroft in The Turning Point
64. Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman
65. Annette Bening in The Kids Are All Right
66. Faye Dunaway in Chinatown
67. Helen Mirren in The Last Station
68. Ingrid Bergman in Joan of Arc
69. Katharine Hepburn in The Philadelphia Story
70. Greer Garson in Blossoms in the Dust
71. Marsha Mason in Cinderella Liberty
72. Anjelica Huston in The Grifters
73. Joanne Woodward in Summer Wishes, Winter Dreams
74. Isabelle Adjani in Camille Claudel
75. Vanessa Redgrave in Morgan: A Suitable Case for Treatment
76. Greer Garson in Goodbye Mr. Chips
77. Barbra Streisand in The Way We Were
78. Shirley MacLaine in The Turning Point
79. Ginger Rogers in Kitty Foyle: The Natural History of a Woman
80. Nicole Kidman in The Hours
81. Olivia de Havilland in The Snake Pit
82. Natalie Wood in Love with the Proper Stranger
83. Joanne Woodward in Mr. & Mrs. Bridge
84. Jane Fonda in Coming Home
85. Joan Fontaine in Suspicion
86. Geneviève Bujold in Anne of the Thousand Days
87. Grace Kelly in The Country Girl
88. Ellen Burstyn in Same Time, Next Year
89. Shirley MacLaine in Irma La Douce
90. Irene Dunne in I Remember Mama
91. Emily Watson in Hilary and Jackie
92. Elizabeth Taylor in Suddenly, Last Summer
93. Bette Davis in The Letter
94. Martha Scott in Our Town
95. Sandra Bullock in The Blind Side
96. Gwyneth Paltrow in Shakespeare in Love
97. Gena Rowlands in Gloria
98. Meryl Streep in One True Thing
99. Renée Zellweger in Chicago
100. Salma Hayek in Frida

What do you think? I bet some of you were quite shocked to read that I ranked Diane above Ingrid. I might shift that #1 title between them constantly in the future but at the moment I can only think about Diane.

One more thing. I'll do the mysterious year next and 1964 comes right after that as it seems that I can get The Pumpkin Eater, but I need some time. But, I'm going to do 1964 after the next year.

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.