Best Actress in a Leading Role 2017: Sally Hawkins in The Shape of Water

Sally Hawkins received her second Oscar nomination for her performance as Elisa Esposito in The Shape of Water.

The Shape of Water is a great love story between a mute, lonely janitor and an amphibious creature who is held in captivity in the research facility she works at. Considering its very odd premise, the movie could have been a complete disaster - not only because the central relationship could have been hard to buy, but also because the screenplay is rather unsubtle in its delivery of its message of social oppression and discrimination. The reason why everything works is Guillermo Del Toro's incredible direction: it's his vision that turns the movie into an incredibly compelling, melancholic and heartbreaking love story and it's his ability to work with actors that elevates the character from being a symbol for the oppressed to being three-dimensional, full-fledged human beings. This is not a criticism towards the screenplay though as the writing, that would have fallen flat in any other movie, is a perfect fit for Del Toro's fairytale-like depiction of the story. The cinematography is quite simply stunning and it fits so perfectly the mood of the movie - at times ethereal and dreamy, at others chillingly nightmarish. Another reason I like the movie so much is that it's a love letter to movies in general, especially 1950s musicals to which Del Toro pays homage without falling into mere quotationism.

Del Toro said about the character of Elisa that he wanted the viewer "to believe that this woman would be sitting next to you on the bus" but for her to also have "a luminosity, a beauty, almost magical, ethereal". Then I'd say he made an absolutely perfect choice by casting Sally Hawkins in the leading role: she's a generally appealing, warm presence to have on-screen and whenever she is given a complex character to work with she is absolutely trascendent. Hawkins' greatness as an actress is her ability to find the beauty in apparently ordinary character and this ability of her has never been used better than in The Shape of Water: the camera loves her face and she conveys so many emotions with just a glance it's astounding. Her acting here is in many ways reminiscent of the great silent performances of 1920s: her sweetness and delicatacy on-screen reminded me of Janet Gaynor's heartwarming, Oscar-winning turn in Sunrise. There is no other way to describe her portrayal but luminous: she lights up the screen whenever she appears and she fills the character with endearing innocence and simplicity without ever turning her into a caricature. Right from the start, she is extremely affecting at portraying Elisa's solitude - she never makes it an overwhelming factor but she brings an underlying loneliness to the character that is absolutely heartbreaking. And moreover she works wonderfully with Octavia Spencer, as Elisa's friend and colleague Zelda, and Richard Jenkins, as Elisa's closeted neighbour and best friend Giles. Her scenes with the latter are especially moving as the two actors create such a touching friendship based on mutual empathy and understanding.

As I mentioned above, the love story between Elisa and the creature (played by Doug Jones) could have easily been unconvincing, especially considering there is obviously no dialogue between the two, but Del Toro and actors manage to pull it off. Hawkins and Jones, who brings heart and feeling to the creature, deliver an amazing acting duet here mostly made of physical gestures and longing glances: their performances are so perfectly in sync and they convey beautifully the sincere, poignant connection between these two lonely, misunderstood souls. Hawkins is incredible at portraying Elisa's fascination, then attraction that finally grows into love for the creature and she plays all the steps of their relationship with emotional honesty and delicacy. The "He sees me for who I am" scene is heartbreakingly acted by Hawkins who expresses so poignantly Elisa's plight and her genuine love for the so called "Asset" - it has to be noted too that she physical acting is pretty amazing as well and she pulls off sign language extremely well. What I particularly love is that Hawkins is not afraid to dive into the erotic aspect of the relationship as well: she convincingly portrays Elisa's physical attraction too and it's her and Jones' commitment that makes the more explicit scenes between the two work.

Another aspect of Sally Hawkins' performance that I love is her anti-chemistry with Michael Shannon, who plays the Colonel Strickland, the one responsible for the creature's capture. Hawkins is great at portraying an inner strength and resilience in her scenes opposite him and her "Fuck you" in sign language stands as one of the most deliciously memorable elements of the movie. Strickland being a constant threat for them, Elisa is forced to realize that if she wants the creature to leave they will have to part. Hawkins is absolutely heartbreaking at portraying her character's pain at having to leave her beloved which leads to my favorite scene in the movie: Elisa's daydream in which she can speak and sings and dance with her lover as if she were in a black and white movie. It's an extremely powerful moment that is acted to perfection by Hawkins, who conveys the longing and love of Elisa until the dream ends and she is forced to face the hard truth - and Hawkins portrays this realization heartbreakingly. As the movie reaches to its climax, Hawkins manages not to be overwhelmed by the extremely fast pace but keeps Elisa front and center of the movie thanks to her compelling, passionate performance.

Sally Hawkins delivers an absolutely unforgettable performance wonderfully enhanced by Guillermo Del Toro's direction. She's luminous and transcendent all the way through, bringing the central character and love story beautifully to life. An amazing performance from a terrific, underrated actress.

5/5

Best Actress in a Leading Role 2017: Saoirse Ronan in Lady Bird

Saoirse Ronan received her third Oscar nomination for her performance as Christine "Lady Bird" McPherson in Lady Bird.

Lady Bird is a wonderful movie about the life of a seventeen-year-old girl in Sacramento during her last year of high school. Greta Gerwig deserves a lot of credit for making Lady Bird such a special experience in spite of its not so original premise. What makes Lady Bird stand out among other coming of age movies is the sincerity of the screenplay: she never falls for the usual tropes of the genre and manages to flesh out her characters with remarkable empathy and delicacy. In fact, what I especially loved about this movie is the realism of its characters and the tenderness with which Gerwig characterizes them: even the least likeable feels real and at least to an extent somewhat relatable and honestly I'd be interested in seeing a spin-off about any of them. That's a testament to the greatness of Gerwig's screenplay who should walk away with the Oscar for her effort in writing. Overall, it's a charming, funny and touching experience for which I have a great fondness.

Saoirse Ronan is one of my favorite contemporary actresses: she has such a fascinating, expressive face and at only 23 years old she has already proved an impressive versatility. Her two previous Oscar nominated performance prove that she's an incredibly skilled performer in dramatic roles and I was eager to see her take a more comedic role (she was fine at deadpan in The Grand Budapest Hotel but she didn't get a whole lot to do): unsurprisingly, she absolutely delivers in thar regard as well. The blend of her dramatic and comedic talents is what makes her performance in Lady Bird a very memorable and captivating piece of work that deservingly lead her to her third nomination. What's so impressive for such a young actress is her incredible confidence on-screen: her performance is incredibly assured and so perfectly attuned to the atmosphere of the movie and Greta Gerwig's style in writing and direction. She has a clear understanding not only of the role but also of the tone of the story itself.

Christine is actually a very challenging character as she could have come across as a bit obnoxious in the hands of a lesser actress - she's often quite arrogant and is not always nice to her parents or her best friend. If Christine ends up being such a loveable character is because Ronan manages to bring such a great deal of charm to her performance and her spontaneous energy makes her character irresistibly endearing. That doesn't mean she glosses over her character's least likeable traits: it means instead that she manages to portray them in a relatable way and I think that pretty much anyone can identify with the character at certain instances over the course of the movie. She captures so well the unpredictability of being seventeen, where at times you feel super confident and at others you're completely vulnerable and full of uncertainties regarding the future. It's easy to identify with Christine as she feels suffocated by the small town she lives in even though she naturally feels attached to it; and it's easy to identify to her ambitions regarding her university and the future in general. The strength of Ronan's performance is in her ability to make you see yourself inside the character. And of course in her ability to sell her lines like a pro: she has an absolutely brilliant comedic timing and she can elicit a laugh with her facial expressions alone - she's truly hilarious in this film and what's especially remarkable is that it feels completely effortless from her.

Lady Bird has one of the strongest ensembles of the year, and Saoirse Ronan does a fantastic job at working with her co-stars and realizing so well the relationships between Christine and each of them. She has an amazing chemistry with Beanie Feldstein (great), who plays her best friend Julie: the two of them are just wonderful in their scenes together creating such a believable and moving friendship. Over the course of the movie, their friendship have its ups and downs and the two actresses nail every emotional beat climaxing with their reconciliation before the prom which is one of the most heartwarming moments of the movie. She is also great in her scenes with her two love interest of the movie: Danny (Lucas Hedges) and Kyle (Timothée Chalamet). In her scenes with the former, Ronan endearingly portrays the emotions and excitement of having their first crush (that scream after their first kiss is absolute perfection) and then she's quietly devastating when she catches Danny making out with another guy. The scene in which the two reconcile and she comforts him over his struggle with his sexuality is one of the movie's many touching moments. In her scenes with the latter, she is great at capturing that feeling of thinking you are important for a person when you're actually not: her heartbreak at realizing that he never had any serious intentions for her is relatable and moving.

Ronan's strongest scenes though are the ones she shares with the two actors playing her parents, Tracy Letts and Laurie Metcalf. Her scenes with Letts, who gives a lovely, underrated performance, are excellently acted on both ends and the two actors share a truly tender, heartwarming chemistry. And her scenes with Metcalf are pure dynamite: the two actresses are incredible at depicting the troubled but loving relationship between the two - they might not always be on the same wavelength and they certainly disagree on many things but that's perhaps what makes their tender moments all the more beautiful. Their heart-to-heart talk at the shop ("What if this is the best version?") is one of the movie's most emotionally resonant, quietly powerful moment. Another one of my favorite scenes  (I know, there are many) is the one in which Christine finds out of the pain she has caused to her parents with some careless phrases and gestures that suggests she feels shameful about her family and social position (which, to an extent, she does): it's a heartbreaking moment perfectly acted by all three actors and Ronan is extremely moving at portraying her character's guilt at realizing that she hurt them. I prefer not to spoil the very last scene of the movie, but I'll just say that Ronan ends her performance on a very beautiful note and nicely brings a closure to Christine's journey towards maturity.

This is an excellent performance from Saoirse Ronan who carries this wonderfully movie with impressive confidence and skill. She delivers a performance that is both extremely funny and emotionally powerful, but most of all it's relatable: it's easy to see yourself in Christine and that's due to both the brilliant writing and Ronan's remarkably realistic performance. Lovely work from a great actress.

5/5

Best Actress in a Leading Role 2017: Margot Robbie in I, Tonya

Margot Robbie received her first Oscar nomination for her performance as Tonya Harding in I, Tonya. 

I, Tonya is an excellent movie about ice skater Tonya Harding and her connection to the attack on her rival Nancy Kerrigan prior to the 1994 Winter Olympics. Kudos to director Craig Gillespie and writer Steven Rogers for finding just the perfect tone to tell its story: the darkly humorous tone established by the direction and the script allows the movie to be both a highly entertaining comedy but also a nuanced, layered analysis on the events it depicts. Its greatest achievement is how it manages to portray its controversial leading character in such a three-dimensional way: the movie doesn't demonize Tonya nor does it mock her nor does it justify her; instead, it makes her a flawed but realistic, sympathetic figure, making the viewer care about her even when her actions are more than questionable. Tatiana S. Riegel's editing is absolutely outstanding, intertwining so beautifully the actual events and the fictional interviews of the central characters, and it's especially thanks to her if the story flows so beautifully. 

Margot Robbie is an actress I've liked in anything I've seen her in: I thought she made the most out of her potentially one-note role in The Wolf of Wall Street and her quirky, funn, even moving performance in Suicide Squad was the only redeeming quality of that mess. Her role in I, Tonya is by far the most challenging she's ever played: she has to play the character at various stages of her life, and do it convincingly, and most importantly she has to deal with a highly controversial, extremely complex character that is meant to evoke conflicting emotions in the viewer. Even though I liked her previous work, I wasn't sure if she was up to the task: but she proved me wrong completely and gives an absolutely powerhouse performance that completely meets the requirements of the screenplay and even exceeds them. 

Her first scenes when Tonya is a teenager could have been a complete disaster considering Robbie was about ten years older the character she was supposed to portray but she is absolutely convincing nonetheless: even though she might look a little too old for the part, the sheer energy and commitment of her performance makes her utterly captivating right from the beginning. And even if she might not look like a teenager, she effectively portrays the awkwardness of that age, especially in her interactions with her mother (Oscar-nominated Allison Janney) and future husband Jeff Gillooly (a terrific Sebastian Stan). In her scenes with the former, Robbie is very affecting at portraying her character's longing for her mother's approval as well as the frustration and pain that comes from being constantly mistreated and abused. In her scenes with the latter, Robbie endearingly portrays her character's attraction to Jeff - Robbie and Stan share an impeccable chemistry and in their early moments together they make the relationship between the two characters heartfelt and sincere, something key to the movie as it gives a little more insight to the reasons why Tonya found it hard to leave him even when the relationship turned toxic and abusive later on. What's particularly effective in the early scenes is the striking contrast between the moments in which she is skating and the ones in which she isn't: out of the skating rink, she appears as a little uncomfortable and not completely at ease with herself; on the rink, instead, she is bursting with confidence on her own ability and especially joy at doing what she loves. Robbie plays this contrast perfectly showing a very clear grasp on the character's psychology.

After Jeff and Tonya marry, their relationship quickly turns sour and Jeff starts to exhibit an abusive, unpredictable behavior. The domestic abuse storyline is especially tricky as, considering that there isn't too much time devoted to it, it could have felt shallowly handled. Thankfully, Stan and Robbie realize this aspect of the character showing the tragedy of that reality without compromising the movie's somewhat humorous tone. Robbie is especially great at showing how Tonya doesn't even recognize the abuse, having been subject of abusive behavior from her mother since she was a child: Robbie is heartbreaking at showing how Tonya simply doesn't know any better. In the following years, Tonya leaves Jeff a few times though she awlays ends up giving in to his desperate pleas to reconcile with him: Robbie is fantastic at showing the desperation that leads her to run away from him but also the remains of the love she used to feel for him that motives her eventual forgiveness. 

Often deemed as "white trash" by the media, Tonya Harding as a character allowed for the worst kind of overacting, but thankfully Robbie managed to excel in that regard as well. She convincingly portrays a lack of refinement and poise in her behavior and makes her foul-mouthed attitude extremely entertaining without ever turning her into a joke (she especially nails the accent which could have been incredibly over-the-top but Robbie naturally integrates it into the character). She portrays impeccably her character's temperamental, often aggressive nature but she never oversimplifies the character and always shows the reason behind her behavior: for example, her "suck my dick" scene where she openly confronts the jury at a competition is certainly entertaining but also tragic to a certain extent as Robbie conveys so well Tonya's frustration at being constantly looked down at because of her uncouth manners and her self-made clothing. Even in her funniest scenes there's an undercurrent sadness in her performance that makes it so unforgettably haunting. And she's absolutely electrifying in the skating scenes: though of course it's not her we see her skating, her facial acting is simply astounding as she conveys Tonya's passion and determination brilliantly. She's absolutely compelling every step of the way. Even in Tonya's most joyful moments though, Robbie is amazing at showing her vulnerability and the effects of her mistreatment over her whole life. In her later scenes with Janney, Robbie is terrific as she seems to revert to the fragile teenager she used to be and she's deeply moving as she shows Tonya's attempt to finally find a connection of some sorts with her mother - never succeeding.

There's a section of the movie that focuses on what was behind Nancy Kerrigan's attack in which Tonya is a bit sidelined but thanks to sheer strength of Margot Robbie's performance she never feels overshadowed nor her impact feels in any way diminished. As the FBI starts the investigation, Robbie does an absolutely terrific job at portraying Tonya's growing distress and paranoia but there are two moments that I found particularly powerful. The first one is the scene in which a little girl asks for Tonya's autograph: Robbie is fantastic at showing how much this little gesture actually means to Tonya, who for once is being looked up to instead of being looked down at. The second one is the scene in which her mother visits her pretending to be supportive only for Tonya to find out she was only hoping to record a confession regarding her involvement in the attack: Robbie is very moving at showing her joy as she thinks her mother is finally showing some genuine warmth and then her disappointment as she finds out her true intentions. Her greatest moments are towards the end though: the whole scene at the Olympics, from the scene in which she applies make-up and tries to smile while a single tear rolls down her face to her performance on the rink to her breakdown in front of the judges, is emotionally exhausting and that's thanks to Margot Robbie's simply phenomenal work. She's completely unhinged yet never over-the-tops: it's almost too painful to watch her yet she's so compelling and magnetic you can't look away. The scene at the end in which she is banned from every skating association for the rest of her life is perhaps the crowning moment of her performance: as flawed a person Tonya might be, that moment is absolutely devastating and Robbie' delivery of her tearful, hopeless plea is simply incredible. The moment wouldn't have worked if Robbie hadn't done such a fantastic job at showing how skating was basically Tonya's whole life: it's thanks to her layered work in the rest of the movie that this scene feels so shattering.

Throughout the whole movie, there are many scenes in which Tonya breaks the fourth wall commenting on her life decisions and the actual events of the movie are intertwinted with fictional interviews with Tonya in the present days. Breaking the fourth wall can be a tricky thing as it can occasionally come off as slightly annoying but here it does not thanks to Robbie's pitch-perfect, extremely funny delivery of her lines. And she is fantastic in the interview scenes, going from absolutely hilarious ("What kind of freaking person bashes in their friend's knee?") to absolutely devastating as she remembers both her personal successes as well as the many humiliations she endured.

Overall, this is an amazing achievement from Margot Robbie who takes an almost impossibly challenging character and knocks it out of the park. She is consistently compelling and magnetic throughout, giving a performance that is at times explosively funny and at others downright devastating. She never sugarcoates the character nor glosses over her flaws, but she manages to make her a sympathetic, understandable character. It's an outstanding performance and, to quote her final line in the film, "that's the fucking truth". 

5/5

Best Actress in a Leading Role 2017

And the nominees are...

Sally Hawkins - The Shape of Water

Frances McDormand - Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Margot Robbie - I, Tonya

Saoirse Ronan - Lady Bird

Meryl Streep - The Post

What are your predictions for my ranking? How would you personally rank the nominees?

P.S. I'll get back to 1940 after I'll finish the four acting of this year.

Best Actress in a Supporting Role 1940: Judith Anderson in Rebecca

Judith Anderson received her first Oscar nomination for her performance as Mrs. Danvers in Rebecca.

Rebecca is an amazing movie about a young bride who is haunted by the memories of her husband's former, deceased wife. It has always been one of my favorite Hitchcock movies and my admiration for it only grows with every rewatch. Hitchcock's direction is downright incredible as it has such a clear grasp on the shifting tone of the movie: he manages to make the story's progression to a fairytale-like dream (the courtship between the two characters) to a nightmare (the final act) in a way that is absolutely convincing and compelling all the way through. In doing so he is aided by a leading performance for the ages and pitch-perfect work from everyone involved in the technical department. The cinematography, with its incredible use of lighting, is especially magnificent, capturing the conflictual emotions of the characters in intimate, extreme close-ups as well as the terrifying beauty of the manor of Manderlay. 

When I first watched Rebecca I was probably around fourteen years old: I didn't know too much about the film except for the fact that it was the only Hitchcock film ever to win the Oscar for Best Picture and the fact that it featured what was, by all accounts, a brilliant supporting performance from Judith Anderson. While I was in awe of the film, I was surprised to find that I was not especially impressed by Anderson's turn. Looking back, I can understand why I didn't: back then, great was equal to flashy for me while Anderson's performance is surprisingly restrained. Revisiting the movie years later, I finally get the universal love and praise this performance receives: it's one of those cases in which a performance works so perfectly in tune with the tone and the direction of its movie and in which all those elements mutually enhance and elevate each other. And Anderson deserves a great deal of credit for the subtlety and intelligence of her performance which could have easily been campy and overwrought considering the nature of the character. Instead, she makes Mrs. Danvers, Manderlay's unwelcoming housekeeper, one of the most unforgettable villains ever delivering a performance that is both genuinely terrifying but also expertly controlled and psychologically rich.

Alfred Hitchcock's direction and George Barnes' cinematography are both key to the impact left by the character of Mrs. Danvers: she's often in the shadow, she's rarely seen walking and when she does she usually comes from a dark corner of the room. Because of this, the movie immediately establishes Mrs. Danvers as an enigmatic, discomforting presence and it's incredible how Hitchcock and Barnes manage to suggest that simply on an atmospheric level: Anderson has the tricky task to live up to the presentation of the character and she solves it skillfully. Watching the movie I found myself comparing her to her fellow nominee Barbara O'Neil (in All This, and Heaven Too): in her quieter scenes with Bette Davis, O'Neil actually adopts a similar approach to Anderson but the results are the exact opposite. Whereas O'Neil's stillness ended up being robotic and lifeless, Anderson manages to be rigid yet not dull in the slightest. She turns Mrs. Danvers in the personification of efficiency: in her early scenes she purposefully appears as basically inhuman, whose existence revolves around her profession and nothing else. Still, right from the beginning, Anderson suggests that there is something eerie going on with Mrs. Danvers and the fact that the viewer can't exactly point what it is makes her an intentionally frustrating, uncomfortable and later downright frightening presence whenever she appears.

As the movie deals with the second Mrs. De Winter's efforts to fit in at Manderlay, there are many scenes featuring Anderson and Joan Fontaine: the two actresses engage in a mesmerizing acting duet that makes their scenes together so captivating and compelling to watch - there is very little said explicitly, it's all in the subtext of their performances, which makes their exchanges together both reserved and explosive. They have a terrific anti-chemistry with Fontaine being extremely touching at portraying her character's attempts to gain Mrs. Danvers' respect and Anderson being so effectively and subtly cruel as she constantly undermines Mrs. De Winter's authority and self-confidence, unfavourably comparing her to Rebecca (the former wife) and doing her best to make her feel out-of-the-place and unworthy. Anderson is fantastic at portraying Mrs. Danvers' subtle game of manipulation while being an incredibly mysterious and fascinating presence as her motives still appear to be somewhat unknown. The turning point of her performance is the scene in which Mrs. Danvers finds the second Mrs. De Winter inside Rebecca's room and as Mrs. Danvers shows it to her Anderson uncovers her character's adoration, or rather obsession, towards the deceased woman: it's a challenging scene that could have been played in many different ways and Anderson simply nails it. What I especially love is the fact that she still keeps that physical stillness and idea of efficiency that had characterized the character previously and that she never goes for an over-the-top approach: she conveys everything through the modulation of her voice, soft and reminescent of Rebecca yet sharp and hateful towards the new wife all at once. She never turns Mrs. Danvers into a cheap villain and instead finds the humanity in the deranged woman she is playing: there's genuine pain in Anderson's performance and that touch of vulnerability and grief is what makes her insanity all the more terrifying, because it feels real. And she's unforgettable in a later scene in which Mrs. Danvers tries to convince the second Mrs. De Winter that she'll never replace Rebecca in her husband's heart and urges her to jump from the balcony - it's the moment in which the character reveals itself in all its cruelty and Anderson's performance is brilliant, vicious, unhinged and chilling to the bone.

Mrs. Danvers is not at the center of the attention for most of the movie's third act, which focuses on the investigation on Rebecca's death after a few more details are unveiled, but she makes the most of her screen-time. What's especially remarkable in her last scenes is how strikingly they contrast to the rest of her performance - in the scenes that take place outside of Manderlay, Anderson is terrific at portraying a far meeker, more nervous and uncomfortable Mrs. Danvers: she's not in the position of privilege that it is granted to her at the manor and she is aware of it. And as it turns out that Rebecca had more than one secret, Anderson does a brilliant job at portraying her character's devastation as Mrs. Danvers is forced to realize that everything she believed in was a lie. Her final descent into madness is not only terrifying but also perfectly well-earned as Anderson had previously built up to that moment impeccably.

This is a rightfully iconic performance from Judith Anderson who takes a very challenging role and plays it to perfection. She's an incredibly effective villain, making Mrs. Danvers a genuinely and subtly threatening presence whenever she appears, but the hints of humanity of her performance are what makes her all the more haunting. An unforgettable performance of an unforgettable character. 

5/5