Random Noise

Oscar Time: Best Actress

[Originally posted on MySpace]

Finally, best actress… My picks, in reverse order…

#5: Penelope Cruz – Volver

I can’t summarize the plot of this movie in just a few sentences, there are just too many important pieces and people that you need to know about. For my review, all you need to know is Penelope plays Raimunda, a woman who was raped by her father (when she was younger), and who believes her mother died in a fire. She has a daughter, and when her daughter murders her husband after he tried to rape her, she helps conceal the death and hide the body. In addition, we find out that her mother isn’t really dead after-all, but has been living with and caring for Raimunda’s aunt in secret. Raimunda reunites with her mother and begins to bond with her due to the recent events.

This movie is really interesting to watch, but the complexity of the plot steals much of the spotlight from the acting. It’s not that the plot is overly complicated or tricky to follow, it’s just there are many different connections between Raimunda’s past and present which are revealed slowly, as the story unfolds. Another important part of the story is the culture of La Mancha where everything takes place. There is a deep connection with the dead, and many people believe that restless ghosts visit family members. All of this makes it difficult to see the strengths in Penelope’s performance. She does a good job, but the role doesn’t give her a chance to deliver a performance we’ll remember for years to come.

#4: Meryl Streep – The Devil Wears Prada

Meryl plays Miranda Priestly, editor in chief of Runway magazine – a high fashion magazine based in New York. The story follows Andy (Anne Hathaway), hired as a personal assistant to Miranda. For much of the movie, we’re shown how ruthless, arrogant and cynical Miranda is. She’s completely focused on her magazine and has no time or patience to deal with ‘incompetence’ around her. But as Andy bonds with Miranda, we end up seeing glimpses of her humanity, of her human vulnerability. But it’s only a tease because in her world there’s no time for such distractions.

This is a really good performance. Meryl’s character is completely intertwined with her business. She’s structured her entire world around her magazine. She’s put up a seemingly impenetrable façade around her humanity, around her true feelings and emotions. Maintaining this illustion is what makes her performance so good. By the end of the movie, when we finally see Miranda crack a smile we beam. Why? … because we know how significant such a thing must be for Miranda. When she quickly snaps back to her usual self we feel a sense of secret pride, as if we got to see a small part of her that nobody else did.

#3: Judi Dench – Notes on a Scandal

Judi plays a school teacher. Bitter, old and close to retirement she lives alone with her cat Portia. To pass the time, she writes in her diary – which has grown to span many journals over the years. She becomes friends with a new teacher, Sheba (Cate Blanchett). As time passes, she begins to fall in love with Sheba and when she learns of Sheba’s affair with a student, she uses it against her in a twisted attempt to get her attention.

In this role, Judi makes it seem as if she’s constantly plotting how to get the attention of Sheba. It’s awkward, how she narrates her thoughts and plans to us as she writes in her diary. She’s clearly obsessed with Sheba, completely fixated on this idea that they were meant for each other. And at times when things don’t go her way (like when her cat dies, and she wants Sheba to comfort her, but Sheba has to go to her son’s school play) she totally flips out. She’s crazy and gross at times because Sheba doesn’t realize what she’s doing until she discovers the diaries near the end of the movie… I don’t think I’ll look at lonely old grandmas in the same way ever again…

#2: Helen Mirren – The Queen

Helen plays The Queen of England, Queen Elizabeth II. The movie is the fictional story of what the royal family went through during the time of Tony Blair’s election to Prime Minister, and Princess Diana’s untimely death.

This role must have been very challenging. She plays a Queen stuck in the ways of tradition, but compelled to deal with her disconnect from common people. Tony Blair (Michael Sheen) tries to help her bridge this gap – you see, he was elected by the people as a reformist, someone who could help modernize an antiquated government. In the end, it’s this constant pressuring that made Helen’s performance so great. She has to come to terms with the changing attitudes of her people. And as the film unfolds we see small changes in her. She seems more open, a bit less rigid and more caring… the changes are very slight and it’s the slow evolution that makes Helen so good in this role.

#1: Kate Winslet – Little Children

Kate plays Sarah Price, a mother disconnected from her husband and somewhat distant from her daughter. She regularly goes to the local park, where she meets Brad (Patrick Wilson), and kisses him on a dare. When she discovers her husband jacking off to an Internet porn site, she begins an affair with Brad.

I really liked how we see Kate’s character change when she begins to pursue and have an affair with Brad. Early in the movie she’s quiet, unhappy in her marriage, frustrated that she needs to care for her daughter all the time. But when she connects with Brad we see her spark back to life. She’s becomes more romantic, more passionate, and the chemistry she has with Patrick Wilson is clearly apparent. As more time passes, she begins to feel more alive. She’s happier in life. And when Patrick asks her to run away with him so they can finally be together, she agrees. This transformation is why Kate’s my Oscar pick this year. At first it happens slowly, we know something’s changed when she decides to go after Brad, but by the time they decide to run away, she’s completely different from how she began. This is something I didn’t see in any of the other nominees this year (well, except in The Queen but to a much smaller degree), and makes Kate stand out.

Well, the awards are tonight… we’ll see if the academy agrees with me. =)