the great big academy awards project: BEST LEAD ACTRESS in the 2010s
After years of waiting, it’s finally time to add another entry to the long-gestating Best Actress project on this here blog. If you’ve stumbled upon this by happenstance, welcome to this blast from the past! If you’ve been waiting eagerly for this and are a devoted reader of this blog, then you’re probably a blood relative. Regardless, we recently wrapped up another decade of Academy Award honorees, and after plugging a few holes in my viewing history from the decade that was, it’s time for another super-post on the nominated ladies—this time, of the 2010s. Let’s dive in, shall we?
2010
The Winner: Natalie Portman (Black Swan)
State of the Category: Kicking off the decade in frankly a truly stupendous fashion, we have the rare lineup with five unabashedly outstanding performances, representing most, if not all, of the top five leading-lady turns of the preceding 365 days. In the hunt for that long-last win after 20 years of waiting, Annette Bening’s outing as one half of a rather complex couple had the natural charm and authentic depth we’ve come to expect from the undervalued actress. Her Nic is deceptively transcending an already strong piece of work from the ensemble around her by elevating what could’ve been a simple-on-paper, prickly straight-man part. And speaking of under-playing to much success, you’d be remiss in forgetting the magnetism Nicole Kidman brought to Rabbit Hole, rife with subject matter that could very easily have turned melodrama in the wrong hands. Her grief-stricken mother has layers and nuances we’ve never seen before in this stock role that Oscar often gravitates toward. Seeming almost impossible that it was this long ago that every American household didn’t know the name “Jennifer Lawrence,” her breakout indie turn in Winter’s Bone preceded her international fame and, if you’re in the right mood for it, might just be her most natural, deeply felt performance. While we’ve come to love her movie-star charisma in films like American Hustle, her Ree Dolly managed to make this future mega-watt celebrity relatable, grounding and wise beyond her years. (There’s a reason Hollywood came calling just a year later.) There’s nothing like a genre-bending gut-punch of a performance to leave a lasting impression, and Black Swan was surely that in 2010. With Portman in the prime of her Oscar heyday, her troubled ballerina was the perfect amounts of unhinged, demure and uncomfortably rattled for one wild ride of a movie. The physicality of her performance can’t be overlooked. Rounding out this stellar lineup was arguably the best of indie darling Michelle Williams’ performances. Her Cindy in Blue Valentine is at times heartbreaking and at times frustrating, but never not watchable. Electric chemistry with her co-star and a fearless level of willingness to go there makes this a win in any year.
Report Card
Annette Bening (The Kids Are All Right) – A
Nicole Kidman (Rabbit Hole) – A-
Jennifer Lawrence (Winter’s Bone) – A-
Natalie Portman (Black Swan) – A
Michelle Williams (Blue Valentine) – A-
My Choice: Annette Bening
2011
The Winner: Meryl Streep (The Iron Lady)
State of the Category: While we won’t get quite so rapturous with the second lineup of this decade, there are still some little wins in the “yes” column for most all of these performances. Let’s start off with Glenn Close’s triumphant return to the Oscar fold in Albert Nobbs. While the film tends to get lost in one’s memory quickly, Close’s commitment to character is admirable. And though a somewhat limp screenplay does her no favors, she unfortunately fades in the background any time she shares the screen with co-star Janet McTeer. Viola Davis cemented her status as superstar in the one-two punch of The Help and How to Get Away With Murder. And though she’s since disavowed her participation in this movie, it’s undeniable that her Aibileen has all the hallmarks of her best work—controlled, restrained emotional arcs and eons of history behind every glance. She’s a marvel in this despite the sometimes problematic subject matter. Rooney Mara’s turn in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo had a bit of a battle to wage from the start—a superior adaptation released in the very recent present certainly didn’t help matters, but her somewhat one-dimensional take on literary heroine Lisbeth Salander made for an icy end result… and we’re not talking about the Swedish weather, mind you. A marvel at imitation (and we mean that in the best, most flattering sense), Meryl swung for the fences with her Margaret Thatcher. Buried a bit under the makeup and period costuming, it’s not among my favorite Streep portrayals, but it’s an admirable and respectable third win after losing for superior performances in the past. It’s tough to get past the soft touch the screenplay has with its subject when placing it against the reality of Thatcher’s reign, but that’s no fault of our leading lady. Rounding out our top five is another nod for Ms. Williams. And while her Marilyn pales in comparison to her prior nominated roles, it was a refreshing turn of events that she evaded biopic mimicry and gave her own take on the tragic film star. Unfortunately the film itself didn’t do her any favors and had little newness to bring to the often-told tale.
Report Card
Glenn Close (Albert Nobbs) – B-
Viola Davis (The Help) – A-
Rooney Mara (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) – C
Meryl Streep (The Iron Lady) – B
Michelle Williams (My Week with Marilyn) – B
My Choice: Viola Davis
2012
The Winner: Jennifer Lawrence (Silver Linings Playbook)
State of the Category: There’s more than simply a broad age range in 2012—the Best Actress lineup in this particular year also offered a pretty astounding variety of filmmaking styles, genres and moods. Kicking things off is Jessica Chastain heading up Kathryn Bigelow’s anticipated follow-up to The Hurt Locker. And while the film itself exceeds its predecessor, it should be noted that Chastain’s performance as an amalgam of real-life people manages to give us her everywoman charm without making her Maya feel staid or ordinary. She’s cool and collected for the duration and a vital anchor to an almost impossible story. Lawrence is at the height of her charm in Silver Linings Playbook. She manages to take the sometimes unformed ideas of David O. Russell’s screenwriting and make her Tiffany mature and complicated beyond her years. While riddled with imperfections, some delightful and some less forgivable, the turn is wildly entertaining and certainly memorable. Tackling the harrowing subject of memory loss is something that needs to be done with an immense amount of grace and care. And Emmanuelle Riva manages to make her aging Anne feel honest and genuine throughout. Though the character arcs didn’t quite offer up the depth and richness we perhaps needed to fully invest in the central couple’s relationship, it’s an honorable performance nonetheless. Say what you will about child performances—but whether they’re the result of a talented director or an innately gifted youngster, you can’t get much more brilliant than Quvenzhané Wallis’s Hushpuppy. She’s at times heartbreakingly ill-equipped for the adult situations she’s faced with, and at other times she’s thrust into the position of heroine and pillar of strength. A truly remarkable nominee. Closing out the fivesome is Naomi Watts in her far-less-regrettable nominated performance (we’re talking to you, 21 Grams…) in The Impossible. While Watts is astoundingly committed in this at times gruesome, exhausting role, the true star here is the stunning filmmaking that made for a visceral big-screen experience. She’s at her best when displaying winning chemistry with onscreen son Tom Holland, who largely steals the show.
Report Card
Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty) – B+
Jennifer Lawrence (Silver Linings Playbook) – B+
Emmanuelle Riva (Amour) – B
Quvenzhané Wallis (Beasts of the Southern Wild) – A
Naomi Watts (The Impossible) – B
My Choice: Quvenzhané Wallis
2013
The Winner: Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine)
State of the Category: If you’re looking for a pristine lineup of true acting legends in this decade, then look no further than 2013. Though we’re not getting all their best performances of the decade in some cases, it’s a star-studded quintet nonetheless. Starting things off is the somewhat controversial performance of Oscar darling Amy Adams in American Hustle. I must say that while the critical confusion over how to take her badly accented (on purpose) Sydney made this nomination a question mark before the announcement, I was charmed by her comedic approach to a sometimes too self-serious picture. A true balancing act of genres is outstandingly depicted in Cate Blanchett’s Blue Jasmine. She owns every minute of the film, delivering scene after scene of classic ACTING while never making it feel overwrought. Charming, frustrating, captivating and always excellent. The centrifugal force behind one of the greatest sci-fi films of all time, Sandra Bullock’s undervalued talents were more than up to the task in Gravity. Her wayward astronaut is gut-wrenching, confident-but-authentic and a magnificent audience surrogate in this otherworldly moviegoing experience. Proving that Judi Dench is incapable of delivering a poor performance, she’s an undeniable highlight in an otherwise by-the-numbers Philomena. Though it’s a bit of “Judi playing Judi” in many stretches of the movie, she’s never not thoroughly watchable in an otherwise slight film. Rounding out the five is Meryl Streep firing on all her theatrically trained cylinders. Her cantankerous matriarch is the perfect counterbalance to co-lead Julia Roberts, though by my estimation her co-star out-performs her a surprising portion of the epic family drama. Both turns are marred, however, by a largely hit-or-miss ensemble cast.
Report Card
Amy Adams (American Hustle) – B+
Cate Blanchett (Blue Valentine) – A
Sandra Bullock (Gravity) – A
Judi Dench (Philomena) – B
Meryl Streep (August: Osage County) – A-
My Choice: Sandra Bullock
2014
The Winner: Julianne Moore (Still Alice)
State of the Category: Further proving that Oscar at last had consistent interest in complex leading female narratives, 2014 offered a depth of options, whether you love them or hate them or somewhere in the middle. Starting off with a surprise but gratifying mention of Marion Cotillard in Two Days, One Night. The novel narrative approach to Sandra’s arc is fascinating and keeps you on your toes, and Cotillard is ever-palatable, though the repetitive nature of the writing gives her little to do beyond a few choice moments. Felicity Jones lands the most traditional of the five nominated roles here, as the long-suffering wife, but she shows glimmers of her capabilities marvelously displayed in her breakout 2011 film Like Crazy. And while she’s not mining a lot of new territory here, she’s an ideal audience surrogate in a somewhat dense biopic. Again journeying back to the subject of memory loss, Julianne Moore was able to finally grab the golden boy after years of complex actressing. And though it’s not her most magnetic or impressive performance, her Alice is deeply thought in ways the on-paper film isn’t asking of her. It’s deceptively magnetic. Speaking of deception, Rosamund Pike turns in a performance for the ages in the wonderfully disjointed and delightfully flawed Gone Girl. Her Amazing Amy is fierce, measured and titanically game-changing throughout a challenge of a film that ages beautifully. Call Reese Witherspoon a rom-com queen at your peril (though the title should be nothing to sneer at, mind you). She took what could have been a 90s Lifetime approach to a woman with vices and made her Cheryl Strayed frustrating, but root-for-able, in Wild. So knowable and such an effective placeholder for every audience member’s own personal struggles, she’s perhaps never been better in what has been a triumphant acting career.
Report Card
Marion Cotillard (Two Days, One Night) – B+
Felicity Jones (The Theory of Everything) – B
Julianne Moore (Still Alice) – A-
Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl) – A
Reese Witherspoon (Wild) – A
My Choice: Rosamund Pike
2015
The Winner: Brie Larson (Room)
State of the Category: Perhaps I was speaking too soon in declaring 2010 the peak in lead actressing with Oscar this decade, as an array of stupendous selections are imminent, folks… Kicking things off in typically glorious fashion is Cate Blanchett delivering possibly her best performance in Carol. She’s glamorous, unknowable and flawed in the most precise and exacting ways. It’s a feast for the eyes and ears from start to finish. Brie Larson eschews glamour for raw emotional commitment and gives her “Ma” in Room the perfect amounts of heartbreaking brokenness and winsome mothering to keep the proceedings from veering into afterschool special territory. Throw in incredible chemistry with co-star Jacob Tremblay and a marked awareness of what’s at stake in the subject matter, and a star is truly born. Though it’s possibly the slightest of her nominated roles, Jennifer Lawrence is nevertheless always worthy of your attention in Joy. The film itself lacks some of the ensemble flavor of previous outings, and Lawrence is saddled with much of the labors, but despite seeming a bit too young to carry off the part, she’s still always entertaining. Charlotte Rampling pulls no punches in a determinedly restrained performance in 45 Years. You truly feel her even-keeled world very slowly unraveling before your eyes without an ounce of unearned prescience. Rounding out the fivesome is Saoirse Ronan in Brooklyn, a loving ode to classic cinema that pairs so genuinely with modern sensibilities. Her command of the tale while working alongside older, more experienced performers proves she’s a thespian with the mettle to handle any sort of genre and both pro- and antagonists in equal measure.
Report Card
Cate Blanchett (Carol) – A
Brie Larson (Room) – A
Jennifer Lawrence (Joy) – B
Charlotte Rampling (45 Years) – A
Saoirse Ronan (Brooklyn) – A-
My Choice: Brie Larson
2016
The Winner: Emma Stone (La La Land)
State of the Category: You can say one thing for certain about the 2016 lineup—it certainly has levels. Some nominees swing for the fences to mixed results, while others dial it back to the point of underplaying their hands. Starting things off is Isabelle Huppert’s icy and psychologically askew video game developer in Elle. While unwrapping the deep wounds of her family’s past offers an opportunity to make her emotionally stunted character a certainly unique entry point for this type of thriller, the film ends up being a bit too predictable in the back half as it presents itself as a mystery. It saddles the performance with more heavy lifting than it can withstand. You’d be remiss in finding a more worthy true story to commit to film than the one at the center of Loving. And though Ruth Negga delivers a quiet confidence you don’t typically see from the actress who is traditionally in villain roles, there’s not quite enough “there” there for most of the picture, and the emotional center gets lost in an underwritten character. Then there’s quite possibly one of the strongest and most versatile biopic performances committed to film in the past 20 years. Natalie Portman’s Jackie is the right amount of looking and sounding the part without surrendering complexity, depth and newness to a widely known story. She’s all glamour and poise on the surface and reluctant weakness at the center. A true stand-out in this decade’s offerings. While La La Land itself certainly has its faults—i.e., a too-often reliance on films of yesteryear, singer-actors that certainly favor the latter and an unwieldy sound mix—Emma Stone elevates the material enough to merit a kudo or two. While she’s used her specific talents to much greater effect in films like Easy A and Birdman, her Mia is just flawed enough to evade being too manic-pixie-dreamgirl for the audience’s palate. But not often enough to make it a home run. Finally, we have somewhat of a gimme nomination in Meryl Streep’s Florence Foster Jenkins. And though this notice will certainly be one of the least remembered of her dozens from which to choose, she’s typically charming, effective and above the fray in the films flaws. But it’s certainly not an unexpected performance so much as a pleasant one.
Report Card
Isabelle Huppert (Elle) – B+
Ruth Negga (Loving) – B-
Natalie Portman (Jackie) – A
Emma Stone (La La Land) – B
Meryl Streep (Florence Foster Jenkins) – B
My Choice: Natalie Portman
2017
The Winner: Frances McDormand (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri)
State of the Category: Eschewing genre bias has been one trend of the 2010s that has been the most gratifying—and though the performances selected aren’t always the gold-standard of said filmmaking styles, it’s nice to see it nonetheless. Hence our first performer’s entry being a happy quirk of the decade, landing a period sci-fi romance in our leading actress category. Sally Hawkins was thoroughly robbed of a nomination for 2008’s Happy-Go-Lucky, so my bias is showing in being particularly happy to see her land here, despite the at times uneven and underplayed performance in The Shape of Water. The stylistic picture holds your attention to be certain, but Hawkins is a stalwart and steady straight man throughout. Frances McDormand uses every one of her unique real-life persona’s charms in Three Billboards. And though the film is unlikely to age particularly well as the years pass, she’s never not a powerful, exacting presence. This was a part she was born to play, and she doesn’t disappoint. Say what you will about the incredibly messy plotting and post-production on a movie like I, Tonya, but Margot Robbie find the humanity in this reviled figure while still keeping her flaws center stage. Best in show despite her co-star’s win for this film, Robbie continues to be an undervalued ensemble member in every picture she graces. Saoirse Ronan busts out of the period drama mold to prove once and for all she can do it all, her on-paper age be damned. Her Lady Bird is multi-generationally relatable, specific from start to finish and boasting whiz-bang chemistry with every single ensemble member. A comedic tour de force. Wrapping up the category is Meryl Streep once again proving Oscar’s obsession with her. In this case, I was pleasantly surprised (though perhaps my journalism major nerdiness is showing)—The Post is a satisfying, if a bit resolute, thriller, and Streep finds herself challenged with the type of controlled, real-world character we loved from her in the 1980s. Not her greatest by any means, but a fascinating character study scene to scene.
Report Card
Sally Hawkins (The Shape of Water) – B
Frances McDormand (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri) – A-
Margot Robbie (I, Tonya) – B+
Saoirse Ronan (Lady Bird) – A
Meryl Streep (The Post) – B
My Choice: Saoirse Ronan
2018
The Winner: Olivia Colman (The Favourite)
State of the Category: The race with perhaps the most convoluted narrative in recent memory (until perhaps tonight’s battle royale), a coronation of an oft-overlooked legend, of a pop diva making good or a curveball… it was all a question mark heading into Oscar night, but let’s tackle the performances at the heart of the race. Starting with Yalitza Aparicio’s Cleo in the stunning technical achievement, Roma. While an impressive opportunity to make your film debut with such a genius as Alfonso Cuaron, her central figure serves as more of a vessel than a fully formed character—potentially partially at fault are the words on the page, but her inexperience in front of camera showed itself perhaps a bit too often. Glenn Close transcended what should have been a fairly by-the-numbers relationship drama, to borrow a phrase, “with one look.” She’s the type of chameleonic performer who can make high melodrama and controlled restraint and poise look good nine times out of 10, and The Wife was no exception. Set aside the slightness of the screenwriting, and you’ll see why this was Close’s closest brush with the golden boy in decades. Olivia Colman is a performer with a seemingly endless fearlessness. Her turn in The Favourite puts that perfectly on display. Much like her turn in Tyrannosaur years prior, she’s unafraid to show the humanity of a troubled, problematic or flighty character. Such humor, such depth, such promise of more to come. Whether you love or hate her music, Lady Gaga gave it the old college try and achieved what I would consider a surprisingly well-mined performance in A Star is Born. Though the comparisons to prior iterations are inevitable and unwinnable, her Ally is perhaps more realistic and fully formed than most viewers expected from an untested actress—and, no surprise, the singing chops are astronomical. The final of our five for this year is Melissa McCarthy proving that her sky-rocket to stardom in Bridesmaids was no accident. Her Lee Israel is opposite Megan in every way. She’s damaged, insular and heartbreaking. It’s a complete 180 from what you expect from McCarthy and the exact sort of comic-turned-dramatic surprise performance you crave.
Report Card
Yalitza Aparicio (Roma) – B-
Glenn Close (The Wife) – A-
Olivia Colman (The Favourite) – A
Lady Gaga (A Star is Born) – B
Melissa McCarthy (Can You Ever Forgive Me?) – A
My Choice: Olivia Colman
2019
The Winner: Renee Zellweger (Judy)
State of the Category: If you’ve made it this far, I commend you for your patience—and for your dedication as a member of my immediate family. We’ll round out the decade with one of the shakier lineups, despite featuring an array of elsewhere devilishly talented ladies. Starting off with Cynthia Erivo, a world-class theatrical singer and actress and a proven film commodity (see Bad Times at the El Royale for ample proof), her Harriet is root-for-able and certainly a box-checking take on quite possibly the American hero. But it’s unfortunately relegated to mostly surface in a screenplay that insists on being far too expansive. The character has no room to layer itself, though Erivo is its best attribute, bar none. Scarlett Johansson at last nabbed her Oscar attention in 2019—and Marriage Story feels a fitting selection as her most impressive portrayal since her breakout in 2003’s Lost in Translation. Her Nicole is emotionally faceted in a way it doesn’t need to be with a screenplay this crackling. And the theatricality of her fantastic monologuing is a perfect match to her character’s performative nature. Saoirse Ronan dips back into the period drama arena with Little Women—and though she’s expectedly perfectly placed in the world of Jo March, it’s the rare occasion where she’s outperformed by several of her supporting co-stars. A winning and unique adaptation to be sure—but Ronan’s slightest nominated performance with Oscar. On the flip side is Charlize Theron, taking what can at times be an audaciously sleazy screenplay (but perhaps appropriate for the subject matter) and elevating it with an uncompromising and uncomfortably relatable turn as Megyn Kelly. Incredible makeup work aside, Theron makes her Kelly the right amount of detestable without sacrificing her humanity. She’s no heroine, but she’s not an outright villain. Lastly we have one more of a trio of real-life subjects in Renee Zellweger’s Judy. And though she’s to be commended for setting aside the mimicry crutch and simply making her Garland her own, the obvious tonal choices and reliance on costume and hairstyling to embody the character keeps it from being an outright win. The film doesn’t care too much about giving the character depth beyond the headlines, and Zellweger doesn’t quite put in enough work to make it feel essential.
Report Card
Cynthia Erivo (Harriet) – B
Scarlett Johansson (Marriage Story) – A
Saoirse Ronan (Little Women) – B+
Charlize Theron (Bombshell) – B+
Renee Zellweger (Judy) – C
My Choice: Scarlett Johansson
Decade Honors/Dishonors
Best Performance: Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl)
Best Nominated Film: Beasts of the Southern Wild
Worst Performance: Rooney Mara (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo)
Worst Nominated Film: Albert Nobbs
Closest Race: 2015
Best Year: 2010
Worst Year: 2011
But what about you? What are your thoughts on the ladies of the 2010s?
Journalistic Skepticism 