The Next Year

2007

So the nominees were:

• Cate Blanchett in Elizabeth: The Golden Age
• Julie Christie in Away from Her
• Marion Cotillard in La vie en rose
• Laura Linney in The Savages
• Ellen Page in Juno

A great-looking year, which I was lucky to follow at the time. Marion was a surprise winner over Julie Christie, let's see if I she'll be a winner here as well or I pick another fantastic lady. :) 

What do you think? Who's your pick? What's your prediction for my ranking? :)

The Final Conclusion - Best Actress 1951

1951

So the much anticipated ranking is:

5. Eleanor Parker in Detective Story

I just don't want to bash Eleanor's work here. I found her approach to the part totally wrong and I thought that she wasted a lot of important opportunities in her character that would have made a lot of difference in the movie and her performance. However, I was still intrigued by her and her magnetic presence kept me interested in her character whose storyline was the most interesting one in the movie. I'm confused.

4. Katharine Hepburn in The African Queen

Katharine Hepburn gives a wonderful, enjoyable performance that really makes her movie an exciting, interesting and memorable experience. She uses all her charm and talent to create a character, which she makes twice as intriguing as you would expect. She fills the role of the spinster with real spirit, which makes her a welcome presence everytime you see her. And her her chemistry with Humphrey Bogart is indeed perfect.

3. Shelley Winters in A Place in the Sun

Shelley Winters gives a wonderful, heartwrenching performance as Alice in A Place in the Sun. She took a very simple character and made her an intriguing personality, with whom you can easily sympathise. You feel for her from the beginning to the shocking end and the way Shelley develops this character is just extraordinary. Truly memorable, haunting piece of work that really elevates and enriches its movie, one that stays with you long after the credits roll.

2. Jane Wyman in The Blue Veil

Jane Wyman gives a beautiful, touching and heartwarming performance that's really worth waiting for it. I instantly connected to the character and Jane constantly captivated my heart and soul. It really is a piece of work that doesn't seem to be a big achievement and yet it really is something special for me. Although I might be a bit too sentimental about this work of Wyman, I'm not ashamed to say I was deeply moved by Wyman's acting here. 

1. Vivien Leigh in A Streetcar Named Desire

Vivien Leigh's performance as Blanche DuBois is indescribable. No matter how much I'm sweating and trying to point out parts of her brilliance, I constantly fail as you have to see Vivien's acting for yourself to feel her brilliance. Her acting in A Streetcar Named Desire is something that words cannot really describe so if I have to give a brief summary about what a brutally, unbelievably amazing performance hers is, I have to turn to Brando who said: Vivien Leigh was the best Blanche. She was Blanche DuBois.

So I can proudly announce

that the winner is...

Vivien Leigh 

in 

A Streetcar Named Desire

This stranger also loved you, Viv.

Final thoughts: What a brilliant, endlessly intriguing year! I've wanted to do it for so long and being able to finally see all the films... I'm amazed. The winner was no surprise, naturally, if it was, check into the next hospital. Yeah, it's all about Vivien (who became a two-time winner joining Jane, Great Glenn, Liz and Barbara), but the others were excellent as well. I have positive feelings even about Eleanor who's the weakest link here. Anyway, I don't want to say too much, it's been one of my favorite years so far. 

Omissions:

• Elizabeth Taylor in A Place in the Sun

About the next year: We have not one, but TWO winners of the predicting game, so congrats Marc and Nues20! Joe also found it out after the usual deadline (which has always been so), but since he wants 2007 so badly, it'll be AT LEAST the first year I'll do from now since I forgot about the deadline myself. :) So you guys pick a year and those will be the next ones! :) You'll make my life easier because I had no idea what to do next. :) It stars on Monday, I know that for sure. :) 

What do you think? Any thoughts on your mind?

Vivien Leigh in A Streetcar Named Desire

"Whoever you are... I have always depended on the kindness ... of strangers." Blanche DuBois

When I reviewed Jane Fonda's performance in Klute, I was talking about those very rare perfect Oscar wins that come at the right time in an actress' career and for a performance of her lifetime. Well, Vivien Leigh was the lady who had not one, but two such Oscar wins. If we go over the list of double winners, we can see at least one win with which we don't agree. But that's not the case with Vivien Leigh as her two Oscar winning performances are regarded as two of the very best performances winning the Academy Award in any category. Even at the time, it was no question who would take home the coveted award. Despite Vivien's modest words that Katharine Hepburn would win, there was no question about the actual winner. 

And why should be? Just like Gone With the Wind, A Streetcar Named Desire is a true American classic that's 100% worthy of its legendary status. It deservedly took home all those Oscar and would have deserved a couple more, Picture and Director, for instance. It's a very tough choice between Streetcar and A Place in the Sun and the same goes for Actor where Brando and Monty are battling out for my vote. There's no question about the supporting races, though.

Tennessee Williams was simply a Godsend to actresses, having created (some of) the greatest female leading roles of the 20th Century. However, his #1 legendary female part has always been and always will be the one of Blanche DuBois. Although several brilliant actresses have taken on the role, some to great acclaim and success like Jessica Tandy and some of them to failure like Jessica Lange (some argue with that), no one has put on a more iconic and legendary performance as Blanche than Vivien Leigh, the leading lady of the London stage and an Oscar winner for her also legendary turn in Gone With the Wind. After her  Gone With the Wind co-star, Olivia de Havilland refused to replace the less bankable Jessica Tandy on the big screen, it was up to Vivien to take on Tandy's part and the probable resentment of her co-stars. I suppose nobody knew what these event will lead to.

It can always be misleading to viewers who watch actors play parts very close to their own personality because they might even question if there was really an acting achievement behind the character. However, such performance can turn out to be career-best, ground-breaking achievement like the one of Gloria Swanson in Sunset Blvd., Jack Lemmon in Days of Wine and Roses, Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler and Vivien's work in Streetcar. These actors filled their respective roles with their own experiences, pains and sufferings and these all lead to shocking and harrowing results. Vivien, who suffered from manic depression, had to go deep down the recreate the state of horror and loneliness of mental illness. Adding her own experiences lead to (in my opinion) the most real and shocking portrayal of mental illness in the history of cinema, in my opinion. In a movie made in 1951, she lets everybody look into somewhere, which (fortunately) few people get to see first hand.

However, drawing a disturbing picture of mental illness is just one of the many incredible feats of this performance, which combines everything that I love about acting. All these "smaller" achievements are enourmous on their own right and are far ahead of 98% of the Best Actress nominees. Even the way she attaches these parts together is amazing: it's true that she worked from killer material but as Tennesse Williams himself said "She brought everything I intended to the role and even much more than I had dared dream of." Any great actress can give an award-baiting performance in this part so it's about who's able to enrich this character even more, if that's possible. And it certainly was possible for Ms. Leigh.

One of the many incredible things about this performance is how Vivien portrayed Blanche's everlasting desire for magic and denial of reality. In many ways, her character is just like the respective characters of my three other favorite nominated ladies in this category (Jane, Great Glenn, Ingrid): for whatever reason, she's trying to put on a performance. With Great Glenn's Marquise it was all about society's rules and expectations, with Ingrid's Charlotte it was about proving her own kindness and humanity, with Jane's Bree it was about (just like with Blanche) a way of denying reality. Blanche and Bree are almost twin sisters in the sense that they try to cope with their horrendous circumstances with their constant performances. However, while Bree wants to make it in real life with her acts, Blanche is desperate to get away from reality. Vivien so heartbreakingly delivers the line where Blanche says that what she wants is magic, above all (especially real life). And it's so interesting that whenever she's faced with reality, her voice deepens and looks way older and more bitter.

Vivien's acting is extremely theatrical and yet seems to be coming so naturally from her. Moreover, I could feel that Vivien was extremely playful and added way more humor to this character than she's given credit for. Her kick-ass chemistry with Marlon Brando leads to some of the greatest battle of sexes scenes I've ever seen. Actuall, she even made me laugh a couple of times, especially in the beginning. And these moments make the ending even more terrifying and devastating. She covers through every emotion possible in a human being and her brilliance is overwhelming and lot to take at first. She's so damn human and realistic in every possible scene, despite the visible 'overacting'. However, in a way, I felt that Vivien actually gave a very subtle performance despite all the breakdowns and theatricality. She never goes for the 'screaming crazy woman' act that people at the time expected from a mentally ill character (or still do, for that matter).

And yes, there are so many brilliant things about this extremely rich performance that I haven't even mentioned, like Vivien's date with Karl Malden, which I consider the greatest scene of the whole movie. Vivien is simply astonishing when she delivers Blanche's long monologue about the suicide of the man she loved and their whole relationship. In each and every sentence, you can feel the pain and grief of Blanche and Vivien makes it all too clear why Blanche turned out to be the person she really is. That extremely difficult and complex scene is just flawless thanks to Vivien's wonderful ability. In fact, it had such an effect on me that I had couldn't even concentrate on anything else but Vivien's incredibly absorbing and masterful acting.

It's just as absorbing to see her interactions with Kim Hunter and Marlon Brando. Kim Hunter gives fabulous support to her, while with Brando, the whole air sizzles. Vivien so subtly and visibly shows how Blanche is turned on by Stanley's brutal, almost animal-like personality, something that's really contrary to her own expectations. The sexual tension between the two actors is really uncanny, especially for a 1951 movie (hah, that's like a mantra for me now, isn't it?).

And the ending is just as much of a masterclass in acting as her date with Karl Malden. The way Vivien shows that Blanche is still clinging desperately to her lies and delusions is just unbelievably painful to witness. Vivien Leigh reached such a high point with her performance where you just can't say anything about her and you're completely captivated by her. In fact, thanks to her exceptional, wonderful interpretation, you can also go through the stages of the passion of Blanche up until her cathartic, deeply disturbing and heartbreaking last sentence: "Whoever you are... I have always depended on the kindness ... of strangers." Her walk with the doctor becomes as much of a terrifying danse macabre as Gloria Swanson's walking down on the stairs, or Great Glenn's sinister last scene in Dangerous Liaisons. And Vivien reaches this with just one weak smile on her face that's a whole movie itself: the hope, the fear and everything. It remains a disturbing last cry for help from Vivien, maybe just as much from herself as it was from the character.

That's why that Vivien Leigh's performance as Blanche DuBois is indescribable. No matter how much I'm sweating and trying to point out parts of her brilliance, I constantly fail as you have to see Vivien's acting for yourself to feel her brilliance. Her acting in A Streetcar Named Desire is something that words cannot really describe so if I have to give a brief summary about what a brutally, unbelievably amazing performance hers is, I have to turn to Brando who said: Vivien Leigh was the best Blanche. She was Blanche DuBois.

What do you think? 

Jane Wyman in The Blue Veil

Jane Wyman received her third Best Actress nomination for playing Louise Mason, a woman who dedicates her life to raising other people's children after the death of her own. I ask myself this question: after winning the Golden Globe, was Jane a serious threat for the win? Not very likely as Vivien Leigh seemed to be an overwhelming front-runner for the Best Actress prize so anyone else could only be a distant second. Wyman might have been in that position though I'm still not sure about how Shelley Winters and Katharine Hepnburn fared with Academy members. Moreover, Jane had just won an Oscar so there was no rush to reward her again. We'll never know but that Golden Globe win still bothers many people. 

It came as a shock even to myself but I absolutely loved The Blue Veil. It was such a lovely, wonderful movie, with some necessary sentimentality, which by the way wasn't as bothering as it could have been. I was incredibly touched by some of the storylines, even though they were all really predictable. As one review says on imdb, The Blue Veil is a first-rate tear-jerker and I cannot say more than that. You either like it or not, simple as that. I especially loved the storyline of Joan Blondell and Natalie Wood, which was by far the most interesting one (which even overshadowed Jane Wyman). Blondell was 100% deserving of her Oscar nomination and in another year, I would seriously consider giving her my vote. And Natalie Wood was able to act circles around people even when she was 13 (even when she was 9 so I guess that didn't come as a shock).

When Jane Wyman won a Golden Globe for her role on the soap opera Falcon Crest, she was joking on the podium if one could win an award for playing a nice person and that made me wonder how odd it really must have been for her. In the 40s and 50s, she played these angelic, incredibly warm women in tear-jerkers and she received excellent reviews and Oscar nominations for doing so. However, the taste of the audience changed considerably in thirty years. It was no wonder that many of the great actresses of Wyman's era went on to play bitches on primetime or nighttime soaps. Their acting style seemed dated and that hasn't changed a lot. By today's standards, the acting of Wyman and her peers can seem quite ancient and only a few seem as great as they did back then (Barbara Stanwyck comes to my mind first). 

However, when you watch an older movie, you have different expectations and I tried to evaluate Jane Wyman's work compared to her contemporaries. In the end, I felt I didn't even need to as her work in The Blue Veil speaks for itself. It's not the sort of acting masterclass that we look for in A Streetcar Named Desire or All About Eve, it's just a piece of work that still works excellently despite the fact that it was intended for people with very different thinking and values. I suppose that's what helped her win the Golden Globe over Vivien Leigh: this movie is a typical old Hollywood vehicle for a huge star (and stars are really what the Hollywood Foreign Press loves). 

But the thing is that when writing about this performance, I always think that I don't have to listen to what my brain says about Wyman and instead, as cheesy as it is, go with what I felt about her. Margaret Thatcher wouldn't approve of this, I guess but I go with my feelings anyway. First of all, I was attached to this performance even before I saw it as it's one of the most hard-to-find movies in the Best Actress category. That was the case with Country, Anna, The Constant Nymph, but The Blue Veil was always the big one and it seems like such a big achievement just to watch it (many thanks to Cal who posted it on youtube). And for me it was worth the wait. 

There was one thing about Jane Wyman here that really got me from the very first moment. Thanks to the excellent interpretation of Wyman, I could feel the sadness and of her character. Even when she smiled, I could feel how full of sorrow she really is. She's a kind but extremely withdrawn and repressed human being and I was amazed by how well and effortlessly Wyman pointed out how tragedy formed the personality of this woman. There's one heartbreaking fact going with her: the children she raises belong to her and yet she can never really become the mother of them and even when it seems to happen, society's (and biology's) rules contradict her. 

The movie and Wyman show the journey of Louise where the children seem to be very different destinations. Louise loves these children differently and for different reasons and their attachment is different every time. And as a result, Louise becomes a magic nanny very much like Mary Poppins with the exception that she doesn't leave after she fixed everything. Louise doesn't solve problems, she becomes a mother to the children who don't even seem to have one (for whatever reasons). And in my opinion (many would argue with this), Jane even reveals the flaws in this character. She shows that Louise has to resist the temptation of considering herself the real mother of her children up to the point where she does so. The only thing that's missing here for me, is that Jane could have underlined this aspect more and instead she often went for the easier, more effective and tear-jerking solution, even though I can just as well imagine that this is mostly due to the movie and the story. 

Louise's final story with the abandoned child is probably the most important one in the film as it's destined to be the most effective one: Louise is really old and she becomes the real mother of a child finally and she doesn't want to give up this state. And Jane nails all the monologues about her character's love for that child and yet for me the most memorable moments come in the end where (SPOILER) Louise meets all the children she raised. One just cannot resist dropping some tears when watching these scenes, even when it's out of courtesy. And I was especially moved because Jane seemed to achieve all this with minimal acting and she remained as subtle as she was throughout the movie. 

To sum up, Jane Wyman gives a beautiful, touching and heartwarming performance that's really worth waiting for it. I instantly connected to the character and Jane constantly captivated my heart and soul. It really is a piece of work that doesn't seem to be a big achievement and yet it really is something special for me. Although I might be a bit too sentimental about this work of Wyman, I'm not ashamed to say I was deeply moved by Wyman's acting here. 

What do you think? (Vivien's review comes tomorrow or on Friday depending on the amount of comments I get). :) 

Katharine Hepburn in The African Queen

Katharine Hepburn received her fifth Oscar nomination after a nine-year gap for playing Rose Sayer, a missionary's sister who falls for Humphrey Bogart's Charlie Allnut in John Huston's classic adventure flick, The African Queen. I'm still wondering how much chance of winning Kate had that year. She was a huge star, a previous winner like Vivien Leigh, she even won her Oscar eighteen years before so she might have had her supporters. Actually, Vivien herself thought that Kate would win her Oscar (which says either a lack of confidence or respect with some false modesty on Vivien's side, I guess). In my opinion, Kate was eventually third as I believe Shelley Winters had the edge over her because of her movie. 

Although The African Queen is a lovely movie, I really don't think that much of it or don't consider it that much of a classic. It's entertaining, well-directed, the dialogues are witty, everything works excellently, I just felt that it was a little bit pale for me and I would have loved some more tension in it. Anyway, Humphrey Bogart gives a funny and charismatic performance, giving his usual self, this time in a comedy, but his Oscar win is still ridiculous, especially considering the earth-shattering performances by Marlon Brando and Montgormery Clift. His win was one of the first ones of those career wins that I still cannot really warm up to. 

I cannot really say more about Katharine Hepburn that I haven't already said here on this blog. I really love her as an actress and especially as a personality since I believe that she was the greatest character in Hollywood that ever lived. No kidding here, I strongly believe that they don't make'em like that anymore. I really can't say such an exciting personality like she was (I guess only Bette Davis could get close to her, even back then). Even when I had issues with her performances or more precisely, I wasn't that taken by her, I always enjoyed her work, mostly because of her killer personality. 

But you know, what can you say about her famous spinster period when her killer real personality was much more rarely present on the screen? The African Queen marks the beginning of that fruitful and successful period for Kate, but it also marks the beginning of the performances of Kate by which I seldom get blown away. In her early and later parts, Kate's always present with her let's-cut-the-bullshit character that I so admire and here she's kind, shy, something that I'm not too crazy about. That being said, she's still an excellent actress who's a real thrill to look at every time, isn't she? 

In a way, she isn't as I never really bought Kate as a shy spinster who gets turned on in the end and who goes through significant changes in her life. I always thought that Kate's early scenes in these spinster movies were kind of artificial and I was always a tiny bit turned off as a result. The problem could be that I always expect the grand, confident Kate Hepburn turning up and yet I'm constantly let down. However, in The African things turn out differently (fortunately). I didn't notice a fake movement from Kate. In fact, I felt that she wonderfully disappeared into her character and (even a greater achievement) the always present Kate Hepburn, the star disappeared and she's able to impress not using her brilliant star personality.

In movies like The African Queen where it's mostly about the two main actors, the outcome depends on the chemistry. And although Kate outacts Humphrey Bogart in a blink, the sexual tension between them is just brilliant and you can see that the actors and the director approached it with lots of humor. In a way, they reminded me of the legendary Clark Gable-Claudette Colbert couple from It Happened One Night. Many explain their relationship as a metaphor of the USA over the great colonising countries like England and actually, you can easily justify this by examining Kate's work here. You just cannot overlook the way the very polite and proper English lady gradually surrenders to the charming, common American because she depends on him in order to survive. And the greatest achievement about this is that Kate makes her performance really enjoyable and entertaining even without this background. However, you cannot ignore the fact that her performance is more than just loveable romcom acting.

Kate also handles the comedy wonderfully and her sharp delivery is a real treat (as usual). She naturally uses her charisma a lot during the movie, but I could feel that she was perfectly aware of the fact that this character needed something more than that and in the end, Rose turned out to be a really layered and kind of fascinating character. I ultimately felt a strong connection to Rose and I was really taken by her emotions: and Kate impresses without the desperate need to seem amazing (that's a trap that Kate tended to get stuck in).

My only complaint could be that Kate went a little bit over the top with showing Rose's emotions for Charlie and it was a bit unbelievable that a repressed spinster turns out to behave when in love just like a schoolgirl. Although that might even have been just an ironic acting decision, I'm not sure about that. However, I'm certain that I never really loved Katharine more than I did in this film. I have been more impressed by her, but I've never liked her so much, that's for sure. The movie and her duo with Bogart might have had a lot to do with that, but quite simply, despite my previously mentioned complaint, I fell for her here as she's just irresistable and I tend to be more forgiving in these cases.

All in all, in The African Queen, Katharine Hepburn gives a wonderful, enjoyable performance that really makes her movie an exciting, interesting and memorable experience. She uses all her charm and talent to create a character, which she makes twice as intriguing as you would expect. She fills the role of the spinster with real spirit, which makes her a welcome presence everytime you see her. And her her chemistry with Humphrey Bogart is indeed perfect. 

What do you think? Please check out my other blog to watch my new experiment that I hope you will all enjoy. 

Eleanor Parker in Detective Story

Eleanor Parker received her second Oscar nomination for playing Mary McLeod, the mysterious wife of a hard-nosed detective played by Kirk Douglas in William Wyler's 1951 movie, Detective Story. Now I'm 100% positive that Eleanor was fifth in 1951. Although she had just been nominated the previous year, the others had much stronger things going for them: a sweeping movie (Shelley), a Globe win (Wyman), being a huge star (Kate) or giving one of the most legendary performances ever and also being an overwhelming front-runner (Vivien). So poor Eleanor didn't even had a prayer of winning, despite her campaign and successful and acclaimed movie. 

Which was, by the way, an excellent one. I've become really fond of it while I was watching it, even despite my initial indifference. Although it's all very theatrical (after all, it was based on a stage play) and I had a feeling that I was watching a filmed play instead of a movie, I was very often taken by the tension of the story. I think the nominations for Director and Screenplay were deserved. Also, I'm kind of shocked that Douglas didn't receive a Best Actor nomination. I suppose the field was already too crowded and I see that he would have actually beaten out Monty (all the other guys had more support) so I'm not going to complain.   I was, however, a bit shocked that Lee Grant was mentioned. I never really felt that her work was outstanding enough for an Oscar nomination. She had a great presence and offered good support but that's it mainly. Nobody had a chance next to Kim Hunter, anyhow, so whatever. 

How Eleanor Parker didn't turn out to be a huge star is beyond me. She had everything what it takes: beauty, talent and a radiant, irresistable personality that all make her a magnetic presence on the screen. Simple as that, in all the films I've seen from her, I could never take my eyes off her, because even if she was not constantly amazing, her star power made up for the rest. What also impresses me about her is her versatility not only in terms of parts but also in a single performance. She could show all the layers of a character so marvelously, with such ease and subtlety that I still keep wondering why people so often forget about her. I suppose she's the only three-time Best Actress nominee who's that rarely talked about. I myself cannot even connect her three nominations to her, it always feels like I'm watching the performance of a lady who got lucky once at the Oscar (more or less deservedly, depending on the picture). 

That being said, since I'm generally more than fond of Eleanor, I was looking forward to Detective Story with an open mind and an open heart. I just refused to believe all those not-too-kind words written on her in the past and now I feel kind of confused about her. I'm kind of uncertain about my feelings towards her. First of all, I have to set the record straight about the eternal question: leading or supporting? To tell you the truth, I'm once again confused, even more so than I was with Shelley yesterday, even despite the fact that Eleanor's screentime clearly suggests supporting. My leading/supporting test just doesn't seem to work in this  case. For me everyone's leading who's pivotal to the storyline, without whom the movie is unimaginable and who has a consinstent presence on the screen and who has an impact on the film, even while not being there (that's why I consider Viola leading in The Help and Octavia supporting despite the fact that Octavia had more time). 

We all know the saying: it's quality, not quantity. But that's something that doesn't seem to apply to all lead actresses. In Patricia Neal's case where she set the screen on fire with her few minutes, quantity clearly wasn't a case, but it only works if the actress gets the right opportunities from the screenplay. In Eleanor's case, her part is a little bit too limited. Or isn't it? I believe that with slightly stronger lines, Eleanor could have knocked this performance out of the park. 

I don't know if it was Eleanor's casting or her approach to the character that was wrong in the first place. She coasts a lot on her charisma and engaging star power and it actually worked for me for the most of the time. As always, I was taken by her presence and I was kind of impressed by her and I was wondering what the others meant in holes in her performance or becoming too confused by her. While you're watching the movie, in my opinion, it's all OK, you just have to think about her to find those holes in her performance. Now I feel perfectly what's wrong with her here and I figured that she wasn't believable enough for me sometimes. In a way, she was playing a mysterious almost woman who turns out to hide some pretty dirty stuff from her husband and Eleanor didn't make Mary enough of a bad girl if you know what I mean. I believe that going a little bit more over the top would have helped a lot. 

I guess the problem is also Eleanor herself. I was looking at some pictures of Meg Mundy, the actress who originated Mary's part on Broadway and even without hearing her or watching her acting, I see that she was two times better for this part. I can see that she had more of that bad girl look, which Eleanor didn't have (or only later, but being bitchy as the Baronesse in The Sound of Music was quite different what was required from her here). IF Eleanor had made Mary less of a saint and more of a femme fatale, her work would have had the impact that would have made her a 100% leading player in this film. 

And again, this performance is all too confusing, because despite all these arguments, I just cannot feel exclusively negative about her. It's not that she becomes an insignificant, ignorable presence like Sissy Spacek in The River. I was actually looking forward to each and every scene of hers, because she gave the movie a more dramatic edge, which made her a welcome presence in my mind. I actually cared for her character and I was very much intrigued by her storyline, which was, by far, the most interesting one. Moreover, I found her chemistry with Kirk Douglas quite strong and I was actually impressed by some of Eleanor's scenes to an extent (actually, almost all of them). 

All in all, I just don't want to bash Eleanor's work here. I found her approach to the part totally wrong and I thought that she wasted a lot of important opportunities in her character that would have made a lot of difference in the movie and her performance. However, I was still intrigued by her and her magnetic presence kept me interested in her character whose storyline was the most interesting one in the movie. I'm confused.

What do you think?

Shelley Winters in A Place in the Sun

Shelley Winters received her first Oscar nomination for playing Alice Tripp, a simple factory worker girl in the Best Picture nominated adaptation of Theodore Dreisler's novel, A Place in the Sun. Shelley must have wanted to win very much as she wrote in her autobiography that she actually heard Ronald Coleman announcing her as the winner. I suppose the fact that A Place in the Sun was the Best Picture front-runner might have helped her become a distant second after Viven Leigh's celebrated work, but the thing is, nobody had much of a chance of beating Ms. Leigh.

That being said, A Place in the Sun is an amazing movie, simple as that. I'm just as stunned as people at the time that it lost Best Picture to An American in Paris. Streetcar must have been a bit too modern for Hollywood's taste so A Place in the Sun seems to be a sensible and great winner to me. George Stevens won a well-deserved Oscar for his excellent direction, which wonderfully created tension and real drama on the screen. Naturally, he needed a great actor for George Eastman who really knocked it out of the park. And boy, did Montgomery Clift do so! My goodness. Although some consider his nomination a result of the movie's sweep, I feel that not only did he deserve it, he also deserved to win the Oscar. He's nothing short of  amazing. 

However, the rest of A Place in the Sun is pretty great as well: I'm very surprised that Elizabeth Taylor's very much praised and very memorable performance didn't get more attention from the Academy. I guess, in the end they couldn't resist Shelley Winters' more tragic and heart-breaking storyline. It's quite odd that Shelley Winters, a respected and well-known supporting actress managed to receive a leading nod for her borderline supporting performance. It's also surpising to see her being so quiet and subtle on the screen. I got to know her from her roles in A Patch of Blue and The Poseidon Adventure and as a result, she came off as an overwhelming character. So it was especially interesting to me how she would manage with such a simple character. I can say without any hesitation that Shelley perfectly solved her task. 

Even people who admire her work wonder if Shelley's leading nomination is justified since her character is borderline supporting and she probably would have fared better in that category. I suppose her case is very much like Greer Garson's in Goodbye, Mr. Chips: you can have arguments for both sides. Althoguh her impact on the story cannot be denied, she doesn't have much screentime and her character doesn't appear in the second half of the film. But, as you probably know, supporting performances in the lead category do not upset me as much as leading performances in supporting. Moreover, I don't think anyone can come up with a convincing enough argument in these cases.

Alice is just not an impressive girl: she talks little, her beauty is a bit limited, especially compared to the overwhelming beauty, sexiness and intelligence that just shines from Elizabeth Taylor's character, Angela. Alice represents the old life of George Eastman: poverty and simplicity. However, Angela (as her name suggests) is indeed an angelic presence and it's this contrast between these two ladies is what makes George's struggles even more believable and intense. You can spot this in the approaches of the two actresses: Liz is as graceful as a queen, Shelley is simpler, more quiet and much less radiant.

Shelley's work is one of those rare cases when the performance becomes truly engaging and impressive because of how unimpressive and clumsy the character is. For most of the time, we can see Shelley with an almost dumb expression on her face, which she gradually fills with emotion and real depth. Shelley could have stayed on the surface and would have been just as impressive and yet she chose to go deeper into the mind of this poor girl and we can see the understanding she has for Alice, but in the end she still remains a little bit pathetic and a bit annoying.

Both Monty and Shelley make their characters almost miserably and hopelessly naive, whic makes their respective performances even more astounding and effective. It feels like they are both drifting and are terribly helpless and exposed. In a way both of them want to get higher and in both cases it's Alice herself that's the ultimate boundary. Shelley reflects on the hearbreaking fact that Alice cannot be good enough for George and her gradual awakening is one of the saddest parts of the film. As a result, the way Shelley shows how Alice desperately clings to George becomes even more painful.

Shelley's absolutely devastating in the scene where Alice turns to a doctor after she gets 'into trouble'. Her gradual quiet breakdown is absolutely stunning just like last scenes, which are just masterful and incerdibly haunting, especially when she calls George where you can almost touch Alice's desperation and devastation. Shelley completely loses her vanity and pride along with her character and was not afraid of being pitied. 

Shelley also uses her little screentime to her advantage: she almost becomes like a ghost during the movie. In fact, I thought that she was much more haunting this way as her appearances always brought some tension to the idyllic moments of George and Angela.

Probably my only issue with this performance is that it's sometimes overshadowed by the greatness of Monty Clift and her own movie. If I was reviewing her in the supporting category, this wouldn't be an issue at all as she did perfectly what a supporting part required. I tended to overlook her, even despite the fact that I found her terrific all around. Sometimes I couldn't focus on her, because there were things that amazed me even more and that made her performance a little bit paler and not as grand as it could have been. Don't get me wrong, she was amazing, it's just that she could have kicked ass a little bit more.

Still, Shelley Winters gives a wonderful, heartwrenching performance as Alice in A Place in the Sun. She took a very simple character and made her an intriguing personality, with whom you can easily sympathise. You feel for her from the beginning to the shocking end and the way Shelley develops this character is just extraordinary. Truly memorable, haunting piece of work that really elevates and enriches its movie, one that stays with you long after the credits roll. 

What do you think?

The Next Year

1951

So the nominees were:

• Katharine Hepburn in The African Queen
• Vivien Leigh in A Streetcar Named Desire
• Eleanor Parker in Detective Story
• Shelley Winters in A Place in the Sun
• Jane Wyman in The Blue Veil 

A rarely talked about year where the (legendary) winner seems to be a very easy one with everyone else a little bit ignored (party because the movies are pretty hard to find). Let's see if I go for the very popular winner or one of the four other ladies. 

What do you think? Who's your pick? What's your prediction for my ranking? :)

The Final Conclusion - Best Actress 1988

1988

So the much anticipated ranking is:

5. Sigourney Weaver in Gorillas in the Mist
I liked and admired Sigourney Weaver in Gorillas in the Mist. Although I saw the dedication and her commitment to her character, somehow she never really won me over completely, which is extremely unusual for me with a performance by Siggy. She shows the passion and the development of her character wonderfully, she doesn't go too much over the top (except for some scenes). Even despite her thrilling scenes with the gorillas, I couldn't warm up to her.

4. Jodie Foster in The Accused
Jodie Foster gives a very good and intense performance as Sarah Tobias. Although she's much less effective the second time around, her strength is occasionally captivating and she leaves a lasting impression in the end. Jodie minimises the scenery chewing and her acting is never too much in your face. And her courtroom scene is one of the best acted scenes of Jodie's career. Memorable, strong work.

3. Melanie Griffith in Working Girl

I don't care if it's fashionable or not, I love Melanie Griffith in Working Girl. I sympathized with her and felt for her character throughout the movie, no matter if she was hoovering topless or changing her look or interacting with her men. I laughed with her, got sad with her and I just always wanted her to get to the top. I loved Melanie's clear, almost naive emotions, her optimism, her glowing, funny, joyous personality.

2. Meryl Streep in A Cry in the Dark
Meryl Streep gives an excellent performance as Lindy Chamberlain. Although I'm not as enthusiastic about her in this film as so many others, I can perfectly see why they fell in love with this performance. It's compelling, complex, multi-layered and very-very effective. Some may accuse Meryl of being too calculating and planned, but to me this is one of her most natural and emotional performances, she's a real force on the screen and always a thrill to hear and look at.

1. Glenn Close in Dangerous Liaisons
Amazing or fantastic or career-best doesn't even begin to describe how brilliant Great Glenn is as Marquise de Merteuil. Each and every movement and word of hers is so great that I just keep marvelling. Naturally, the Academy refused to acknowledge this earth-shattering performance with an Oscar win and yet that tells something about the Academy itself instead of Great Glenn who's simply electrifying. A true masterclass in acting, which makes me think if I should call Great Glenn Brilliant Glenn or Greatest Glenn from now on.

So I can proudly announce

that the winner is...

Glenn Close 

in 

Dangerous Liaisons

Glorious Great Glenn

Final thoughts: A truly interesting, wonderfully rich year, the best comeback I can imagine. :) It was the last review for Siggy and more sadly, Great Glenn (for the time being, I hope) and I'm so glad that they've both come out triumphant at least once (I'm a bit sad that I didn't leave Aliens last for Siggy). The real surprise was Melanie whom I liked way more than last time. I'm glad about her nod though it might seem weird that she got nominated instead of some very-very acclaimed performances (I guess you're very surprised by how much I liked her). But I don't really mind that she got nominated. Jodie Foster was Oscar's choice and I'm kind of baffled by her win, especially with hindsight. She went on to win another Oscar, while Great Glenn and Siggy remained Oscarless. And then there's Meryl who has a renaissance among bloggers with her Lindy Chamberlain performance. I suppose that review was the most anticipated and exciting. I don't think that anyone was surprised by my thoughts on Great Glenn and her subsequent (to me no-brainer) win. :)))

Omissions (never seen Sarandon and Michelle Pfeiffer but planning to):

• Jamie Lee Curtis in A Fish Called Wanda
• Carmen Maura in Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown

The next year:

• It will be a surprise; I don't know yet. :) It starts on 15th July.  

What do you think? Any thoughts on your mind?

Meryl Streep in A Cry in the Dark

Meryl Streep received her eighth Oscar nomination for playing the infamous Lindy Chamberlain, the Australian woman who claimed that her baby was killed by a dingo in the movie A Cry in the Dark. Although this performance seems to be one of the most celebrated and admired performances and many bloggers pick Meryl for the win nowadays, I don't think it had much of a chance of earn Meryl her third Oscar. Despite winning over critics (and later the jury of the Cannes Film Festival), she wasn't that strong of a contender for the Best Actress prize, I suppose simply because of the fact that her fellow nominees were all Oscarless and she had already won two. But if you really look she gave at the Oscars, she seemed a bit pissed (at least more than usual). Her die-hard fans must be saying that she was pulling for her overdue friend (which I would totally understand). 

I've always found A Cry in the Dark a very compelling and excellently directed picture. I wouldn't put it on my personal Best Picture ballot, but I have always thought highly of it. The director, Frank Schepisi did an excellent job, in my opinion. I especially loved the fact that we could see the reactions of the everyday people who were talking to each other about the case. And the media's part in this case is very well and subtly shown, I never felt that they were screaming directly about the media's fault (I want to say some names who would be but I try to hold myself back...). I also have to mention Sam Neill's extremely strong and effective performance, which had a great deal to do with the movie's success with me. 

However, A Cry in the Dark is clearly about Meryl Streep and her acting abilities. It really was up to her to make this movie great and multi-dimensional. It takes a very special, extremely talented actress to pull that off, but I think we all agree that Meryl is such an actress. It's kind of weird to talk about Meryl Streep in general now that she's a three-time Oscar Winner. First, because we have to get rid of the old habit of writing down "Why can't they just give her that f-ing third?". Second, I'm still quite ecstatic to reminisce about that heart-stopping moment. Besides, what new can you say about Meryl's talent that hasn't been said before? Nothing really. 

The fact is, Meryl often gets parts when peopl say: why her (again)? And then everyone says they couldn't imagine this movie with anyone else. This time I was really wondering how an Australian actress would have done in such a part. However, Meryl made this part her own so much that any thought like that left my mind. She becomes one with her character and we don't see Meryl Streep on the screen anymore, only Lindy Chamberlain, a not too likeable and weird character. 

Lindy Chamberlain is a very tricky character and Meryl made her extremely an complex creature. I lacked the real development in the cases of Jodie, Siggy and Melanie, but boy, was Meryl satisfactory in that way (as well)! I'd say that in this aspect, she even beats Great Glenn's achievement in Dangerous Liaisons. Meryl perfectly showed the changes in her character and she knew exactly what and when to show things to the audience. And strangely enough, I can't say that Meryl is so calculating here. I often point out when she does overcalculate but this time I felt that everything was coming naturally from her, while she was also being extremely aware and careful. 

When Meryl accepted the Australian Film Insitute Best Actress award this year, she joked about how she won two awards for playing two women who were the most hated in their respective countries. And you can actually easily spot the resemblances between these two performances: both of them are very dedicated, determined women who hold onto their beliefs without questioning them. Meryl approached them both with lots of sympathy and yet she unapologetically revealed all the flaws in them and as a result, she created 100% realistic people whose emotions cover a wide range, who act in many different way and who might make wrong decisions sometimes. There's coldness in both ladies and yet somehow you feel sorry for them despite all their mistakes. Above all, Meryl humanises her characters (in Thatcher's and Chambarlain's cases, some might say monsters, not me) and lets us get into these women's heads as much as she did. 

Meryl takes advantage of the situation that the audience knows that Lindy is innocent, while people in the story are uncertain about the even. As a result, Meryl is able to create such tension on the screen, especially in the courtroom scenes. She puts so much emotion into her speeches without trying to make them obvious Oscar clips. And the fact that they turned out to be Oscar clips are more due to Meryl's greatness in them. She doesn't push for your attention and never chooses to chew the scenery, even though the temptation must have been very strong. And no, she never says 'A dingo ate my baby.' :-)  

And yes, the accent: along with Out of Africa's Danish accent, this one seems to be Meryl's most famous. Geraldine Page said years earlier that one can't really believe that Meryl can speak normally. And I actually have to agree. She speaks so naturally and with so much confidence that you really can't decide if she's Australian. 

Meryl also has excellent chemistry with Sam Neill and the two actors support each other very well. It was great that Meryl didn't push to steal all the spotlight and she sometimes stepped back to let Neill have his big scene. They both wonderfully showed how much these couple tries to see God's purposes in everything. They make up such a great couple that it's hard to believe that the real Chamberlains divorced a couple of years later. 

Although Meryl is naturally fantastic here, I didn't really adore her here, at least not as much as I wanted to. This is the kind of performance that people expect you to idolise and you feel weird when you have to say: I loved her but she didn't completely blow me away. I can go on and on about her, say many adjectives that are actually true, but a bit separately and not together, if you know what I mean. It's not that she's not fantastic, it's just that I cannot get as passionate about her as many others. Still, I can't say a bad word about this performance as I really couldn't spot mistakes in it. 

To sum up, Meryl Streep gives an excellent performance as Lindy Chamberlain. Although I'm not as enthusiastic about her in this film as so many others, I can perfectly see why they fell in love with this performance. It's compelling, complex, multi-layered and very-very effective. Some may accuse Meryl of being too calculating and planned, but to me this is one of her most natural and emotional performances, she's a real force on the screen and always a thrill to hear and look at. 

What do you think? The Final Conclusion comes on Friday. :) 

Sigourney Weaver in Gorillas in the Mist: The Story of Dian Fossey

Sigourney Weaver received her second (and to date last) Best Actress nomination for playing Dian Fossey, a murdered scientist who dedicated her life to saving gorillas from extinction. Not only did Siggy join the double nominees club in 1988, but she also became the first actress to lose two Oscars at one show. It must have been very disappointing for poor Siggy but I suppose the worst thing for her must have been the people expressing how sorry they were. Her loss can be understood extremely easily: she split votes with herself since neither category had a very strong front-runner. As a result, voters had no idea where to vote for her and oops... I suppose in the end she was third in Best Actress and second in Best Supporting Actress (why the hell couldn't they give her that one at least, my pick is Joan but I definitely would have voted for Siggy at the time; oh is Joan really my pick? :D). 

Gorillas in the Mist is a nice movie, even though sometimes it just drags along. It is an exhausting piece despite the fact that it's not a real challenge for your intelligence or any of your senses. It's properly written, directed and acting, plus, I really have to underline the fact Maurice Jarre's score that's probably the best thing about the whole movie. Although I'm not sure if I would have voted for it (hello Dangerous Liaisons), it created a wonderful atmosphere to the movie. I was pretty much amazed by it. And as a big fan of The Good Wife, I found it so funny that Siggy went for the same guy that Christine Baranski does there (Bryan Brown). :-)

I have sentimental and cool reasons to love Sigourney Weaver. OK, the sentimental one is that she was my second celeb childhood crush after Julianna Margulies (again, connections with The Good Wife, weird) and for that reason, she always remains special to me. The cool reason came four or five years later, when I turned into an Alien fanatic (OK, now I can admit that not even dearest Jane had a prayer of getting my vote in 1986) and I could just watch anything she's in. Moreover, it doesn't hurt, either, that I was also a Ghostbusters fanatic for a couple of years. And as it was pointed out to me earlier how much she looked like Jane Fonda, that pretty much sealed the deal for me. All in all, I can't really go wrong with a Sigourney Weaver movie and as a result, I'm more lenient and less objective about her than I should probably be.

Despite all these things, I have to say right here and right now that I couldn't really warm up to her performance as Dian Fossey. I'm perfectly aware that her most dedicated fans consider this to be her masterpiece (for me that's easily Aliens), I'm not much of a fan and I consider this to be her least impressive nominated work (so sorry Derek :-( ). That being said, it doesn't mean that I don't like her in this movie because I do in many ways.

I suppose my sort of reluctant feelings are mostly down to the fact that I could never really smypathise with her character. Don't misunderstand me, I find Dian Fossey a brilliant woman who did so much for protecting gorillas and as a result, the diversity of species on our Earth, it's just that the story's portrait of her is rather lacking and pale.

Therefore, it was up to Sigourney to replace the missing parts. Naturally, she does the best she can and her dedication is truly admirable, I just never really warmed up to her performance like I usually do with her. I'm aware of how hard and how long Siggy worked with those gorillas plus she nailed the technical part of this character, in my opinion. That way, she was almost perfect, in my humble opinion.

And the scenes where we can see her communicating with the gorillas are just thrilling. Siggy perfectly showed how well Dian understood these animals and how attached she has become to them. She shows that gorillas were Dian's real family and she acted like a protective mother around them. It's an interesting process to witness.

The character of Dian goes through a huge development and it was up to Siggy to make it as believable and intriguing as possible. The movie tried to reveal a darker side of Dian, but I felt that it was sometimes too forgiving and easy on her. And that unfortunately applies to Siggy as well. She wants to show that Dian Fossey became a fanatic towards the end, but I never thought that she was willing to risk not being considered a hero. I think a more subtle and detailed approach to Dian's flaws would have helped a lot. Because this way, it could be considered a bigger meltdown, which was actually only a little bit over-the-top and I was really affected by it. And yet, with hindsight, it seems a little bit out of place, especially considering Siggy's previous approach, which was more subtle.

Another very interesting part of this performance was Siggy's scenes where Dian finds love on the side of the photographer played by Bryan Brown. The chemistry between the two actors is extremely strong and I was really impressed how tender they scenes became. And Siggy's acting is probably the most balanced in these moments.

I also enjoyed the interactions between Dian and her friend Sembagare, the only person who always understood her and stood right by her side. Their friendship was portrayed so wonderfully by both actors and it was a thrill to watch them being together on the screen, with Dian being the passionate, emotional one and Sembagare being the more reserved and cool-headed one of the two.

As I stated earlier, I want to be lenient with Siggy here. And there are more reasons than the fact that I love her in general: there's really a great deal to love and admire about this performance, I just don't think I can so easily ignore the things that bothered me. I have the exact same reaction that I had to Greer Garson in Blossoms in the Dust. I love her as an actress, I enjoyed her work so why can't I settle for that?

So I can conclude that just like Sally Field in Places in the Heart, I liked and admired Sigourney Weaver in Gorillas in the Mist. Although I saw the dedication and her commitment to her character, somehow she never really won me over completely, which is extremely unusual for me with a performance by Siggy. She shows the passion and the development of her character wonderfully, she doesn't go too much over the top, except for some scenes.

What do you think? (The rating seems low, I know, but I have to be less generous with my Meryls, earlier this would have been an easy 4). 

Melanie Griffith in Working Girl

Melanie Griffith got her only Oscar nomination to date for playing Tess McGill, a secretary who's determined to make it in the business world in a very unorthodox way in Mike Nichols' Best Picture nominated movie, Working Girl. Griffith was considered a front-runner for the prize, though I don't believe that she ever was a serious threat for the win, especially considering her lightweight role and movie. I guess Sigourney might have gotten ahead of her (along with Jodie and Great Glenn), but I really don't know. Her family's Hollywood connections might have helped a bit.

I'm astonished to say this, but I actually loved Working Girl for the second time. I was especially stunned, considering the fact that I didn't use to be a big fan of it. However, now I see what it is: a lovely, extremely entertaining product of pop culture. I'm not sure if it really deserved Best Picture and Director, but I'm just glad it received those nods. Also, I'm extremely disappointed that Siggy lost the Oscar: it was such a great opportunity to reward her. And I'm saying this despite one fact: that my actual vote in Supporting Actress would go to Working Girl, but to a different actress (though I go back and forth between her and Siggy and I love Michelle as well). Yep, I'm on the really uncrowded and unpopular Joan Cusack bandwagon right now: my goodness, that woman just rocks in her tiny part and overshadows the rest of her cast in a blink. I'd love to go on and on how much I loved her but I constantly remind myself that this review should be about Melanie, not Joan. :-) If you're interested, I'll tell you why as soon as I get back. 

Whatever happened to Melanie Griffith? I was just going to say it's time to go to television, Melanie, I can see that she already has a pilot coming up. Let's just hope that it brings her back to conversation since I'm really interested how she's working as a middle-aged actress. I guess an Emmy and another Golden Globe could give some boost to her career. Although I cannot say many other movies of hers beside Working Girl, I'm really rooting for her career. 

Melanie's nomination for Working Girl is one of the most unpopular and hated nominations ever given out. Many fail to see how she was nominated over the likes of Jamie Lee Curtis, Susan Sarandon or Michelle Pfeiffer (for Married to the Mob). True, but is this the reason why people dislike her so actively here? Partly, in my opinion. Personally, I can clearly see why I used to hate her here: when I watched her movie on tv years and years ago, I got used to her dubbed voice, where the actress sounded like a purr of a cat. And I loved that voice, of course. Compared to that, Melanie sounded like a tortured, not a pampered cat. However, this time I knew what to expect and I wasn't annoyed by her at all. In fact, nowadays I prefer this voice to this character, it just fits her more. Tess should be clumsy and unlucky, why should she have an awesome voice?

That being said, I don't think the Hungarian dubbing came to picture to many others who hate Melanie here. I suppose this is a mystery I'm never going to solve. Let me just say: I absolutely love Melanie's Tess McGill. From the first moment to the last, I liked this woman, cared about her, rooted for her. You know, I just wanted what Tess wanted: I wanted her to be succesful. And I refuse to feel guilt about this opinion of mine. In fact, I kind of feel like I'm a member of a very cool and elite club who really get this performance.

I suppose my whole attitude towards Melanie is identical with my feelings for her movie. I don't think it's a masterpiece of any kind, it just relaxes me and makes me feel good, even for that short period of time I'm watching her. I think you just have to know exactly what to expect from her and you can't be disappointed. Don't expect a very emotional, layered portrayal of a woman who's struggling in the business world. There's no real suffering going on there and Melanie doesn't try to dig really deep into her character. While there are some similarities between the two ladies, her transformation is quite far from what we can see from Julie Walters in Educating Rita. Working Girl's and Melanie's main goal was entertaining and no matter what people can talk into this film, it's nothing more than great fun. Neither is Melanie's performance.

Still, I liked the development in Tess' character. As I said, it's not a significant transformation, but I was still very much impressed by the fact that Melanie showed that Tess starts to resemble the likes of Siggy Weaver's character, while also remaining a simple girl from Staten Island as she can never really change. Although Joan Cusack steals the scene where this is stated, Melanie's pretty good on her own right.

She might be weak at delivering some of the lines or doesn't make them as strong as they could have been, but being clumsy might have just fit this character quite well. In fact, being a bit weak made this character even more realistic and brought her even closer to the audience. This way, even the occasional mistakes turn into something fun.

And no, you can't really ignore the fact how much the audience gets close to this woman, simply because she's so cute. That topless hoovering scene is so lovely despite lasting for like 3 seconds. These kinds of ordinary moments make this performance so special to me. It gives joy to an ordinary person because they can think 'Wow, it's like watching myself.' Some might look down on that, but sometimes you just have to loose yourself while watching a movie and leave your prejudices behind, very much like in the case of Julie Andrews in Mary Poppins. Although I wouldn't really put Melanie on the same level, every once in a while, I had the same feeling (minus the bitterness).

I don't care if it's fashionable or not, I love Melanie Griffith in Working Girl. I sympathized with her and felt for her character throughout the movie, no matter if she was hoovering topless or changing her look or interacting with her men. I laughed with her, got sad with her and I just always wanted her to get to the top. I loved Melanie's clear, almost naive emotions, her optimism, her glowing, funny, joyous personality. A thrill for the dreamers and the naives who think they can get that office at the top. If you're willing to leave your cynicism behind, you'll love her. Pure feel-good fun.

What do you think? :) Surprised, huh? :-) 

Jodie Foster in The Accused

Jodie Foster received her second Oscar nomination and first Oscar for playing Sarah Tobias, a rape victim in  the typical 80s movie, The Accused. After the nominations were announced, the Best Actress race seemed to be a tough one, which was among three actresses: Great Glenn, Melanie and Jodie. We have already speculated about why Jodie won and there are many possible explanations, I suppose it was mostly down to the fact that she was a previously Oscar nominated former child star who turned out to be a great actress as an adult as well, plus, that she was playing a very showy, baity part. However, I('d like to) think that her win was seriously threatened by Great Glenn.

The Accused as a movie is so... eighties. My goodness, the music, the story, Kelly McGillis, it's just simply too eighties to be ignored. I guess it would have made an Emmy-winning tv movie in 1993, but as a feature film it's quite shallow, poorly directed and one-dimensional. I suppose it was effective at the time, but nowadays it just seems too dated and corny. It really doesn't tell much about the real horror of rape, it really doesn't emphasise the fact that Jodie's character is a victim (in the right way). All in all, the movie refuses to give up the #1 purpuse of entertaining the audience and that's why we get all those cheesy monologues from McGillis etc.  

However, you can always hope that Jodie Foster, being one of the greatest, most intelligent actresses, gives some life even to a rather shallow plot. As a child actress, Jodie impressed people with her fierce, intelligent, radiant personality and she succesfully saved that to her later roles. Although I'm kind of sad that she seems to be cast in the same part over and over again nowadays, we just cannot deny her versatility and greatness. Obviously, when she was cast as Sarah Tobias, Kelly McGillis was the greater star and yet in the end, Jodie proved that she's the more enduring presence on the screen. 

Sarah Tobias seems to be a typical white trash woman who would have been played by Melissa Leo if she had been more famous back then. Such a part requires something that I really-really dislike: scenery chewing. Thankfully, one of the most subtle actresses, Jodie Foster was there to do that in the least obvious way, but a fact is a fact and scenery chewing remains scenery chewing. Jodie, a favorite of mine, was there to do one of my least favorite things in acting and therefore not having a great chance of winning me over. 

She succeeded partly, though. Although her character doesn't have much of a development, Jodie seems to realise that and instead she tries to show us what's going on in Sarah's head and as a result, she created a (sort of) intimate portrait of a woman who's going through a very traumatic event. Kelly McGillis gets the huge courtroom speeches, but it's Jodie who gets the tears and the more emotional storyline. The audience sympathises with Jodie despite the fact that her character is so trashy. 

Moreover, Jodie's always magnetic presence constantly draws the attention of the viewer and despite the lack of big screentime, she's able to leave a strong impression. I must say, though, she didn't have to do much since the movie constantly provided her with the opportunities to shine, she just had to live with all of them. And for an actress of her caliber, it wasn't the most difficult task. This might be very unpopular thing to say, but I would even dare to say that this was an easy role for Jodie. 

The first time you see this movie, you don't really notice this since you are captivated by the emotions as she's indeed effective. However, at a second viewing, you can be more objective because you know what to expect and the shock on you is not going to be that strong. Interestingly, no big flaws come to surface once you see her again. It's just that you're not that drawn by her and you can see that this character is not much of a deal (which doesn't mean you're not sympathising with her, it's just that you cannot get so passionate about the story).

Also, it's quite fun to see Jodie's interactions with Kelly McGillis. Their chemistry is excellent and I loved how the two of them showed the alliance of two worlds, two lifestyles. Although Jodie acts circles around McGillis, it somehow doesn't ruin balance between the two characters. I especially loved the scene between them where Jodie reads McGillis' horoscope. There's a kind of a tenderness and intimacy to that scene, which makes it particularly impressive. I always felt that the relationship between them is the strongest and most believable part of the movie. I loved how the actresses gradually broke down the barriers between the characters and got closer to each other.

However, the highlight of Jodie Foster's performance is her character's testimony at the courtroom. It was one of the rare deep moments of the film and I remained captivated by Jodie's energy and the emotions she portrayed. For me, her words were much more harrowing than the actual scene of the rape, because it (even if for a short period of time) really showed the disturbing consequences of rape on a person's soul. I was most blown away by one sentence that she says after being almost tortured by a lawyer and she simply replies: 'Yes, that's fair.' It's quite probably my favorite Jodie Foster moment ever as it sums up why she's so great as an actress: she has wonderful emotional intelligence.

All in all, Jodie Foster gives a very good and intense performance as Sarah Tobias. Although she's much less effective the second time around, her strength is occasionally captivating and she leaves a lasting impression in the end. Jodie minimises the scenery chewing and her acting is never too much in your face. And her courtroom scene is one of the best acted scenes of Jodie's career. Memorable, strong work. 

What do you think? The next review comes on Thursday at the same time. I decided to give you more time to comment and I don't want to fall behind them, either while I'm away.