And in honor of this joyous time of year, leading up to the telecast on March 2nd, I will be positing a series of rankings of the nominees for Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress, Lead Actor, Lead Actress, and Best Picture. I will also share my prediction of who will win and who I felt was the biggest snub in each category
As always, feel free to agree, disagree and/or rank your own nominees in the Comment Box below
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(5) Meryl Streep (August: Osage County)
What!?!? Meryl Streep is ranked last on my list???? I must be CRAAAAZY! It’s a pretty well-known fact that Meryl can eat a sandwich on screen for 2 hours and she will still get the highest of accolades. And don’t get me wrong, she was great as always, but her role (and the movie itself) works better on a stage and not in an up close and personal medium. If this nomination were for a Tony Award, I’d have her ranked #1.
(4) Amy Adams (American Hustle)
Did you know that this is her 5th Oscar nomination? She is one of those sneakily talented actresses. Adams is definitely due for a statue; unfortunately that win will have to wait. She blended seamlessly into the strong ensemble, realistic (even with that fake British accent) and had some moments where she shined over her A-list costars. Too bad there isn’t a “Best 70’s clothing Wearer”, because she would win in an electric landslide. (Yeah, I went there, so what!)
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(3) Judi Dench (Philomena)
I don’t think I’ve ever seen Judi Dench NOT knock it out of the park. Funny, adorable, and sometimes tragic, she was pitch perfect as Philomena. Steve Coogan shares this nomination with her because their undeniable chemistry is what makes her performance and the movie pop.
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(2) Sandra Bullock (Gravity)
Some might argue that the cinematography and special effects were the true star of this movie. And they would be right. However, it’s Bullock who keeps this movie grounded. Going almost solo, this film succeeds and fails with her. You can have all the cool technical tricks in the world, but if you don’t care about Bullock’s character, you’re not going to follow her journey. Best performance of her career.
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(1) Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine)
Winning every major award, Blanchett is almost a shoe-in for a win. And she undoubtedly deserves it, as the woman gives a master class in acting. It’s an amazing mood ring of a performance, as she conducts the emotional train ride from Woody Allen’s mind. Honestly, I think I may have sweat more watching her in this movie than I did during my last 5k. I’m confident that I’m in the majority by saying; she is the most deserving performer of the season.
https://youtu.be/FER3C394aI8
WHO WILL WIN:
Cate Blanchett
WHO SHOULD WIN:
Cate Blanchett
BIGGEST SNUB:
Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Enough Said)
Wow, I can’t believe that she hasn’t been in a live-action movie since 1997’s Deconstructing Harry. Not to say she hasn’t been steadily working on TV but it’s a reminder that her talents are not limited to killing it on sitcoms. She was comedic, dramatic at times but also embodied her character so natural and effortlessly, the audience felt as if they were watching a person, as opposed to a character She also shares such sweet chemistry with James Gandolffini, which just adds to the already incredible performance. She should’ve been nominated. Enough said.
LINKS
Matt’s Movie Rank Tank – ‘Special Oscar Edition-Part 1: Best Supporting Actor by Matt Baughman.
Matt’s Movie Rank Tank – ‘Special Oscar Edition-Part 2: Best Supporting Actress by Matt Baughman.
Matt’s Movie Rank Tank – ‘Special Oscar Edition-Part 3: Best Actor by Matt Baughman.
Watch the Academy Awards on ABC on Sunday, March 2, 2014 at 8 PM.
The Oscars website.
