And now to Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress. The movies I’ve actually seen in this category are woefully few, so I’ll have to guess based on what I’ve heard.
Performance by an actress in a leading role
- Cate Blanchett in “Elizabeth: The Golden Age”
- Can’t see Cate Blanchett winning for playing the same role for a second time in a not quite as good movie.
* Julie Christie in “Away from Her”
- Word is this category is between Christie and Cotillard. My hunch is that Christie will win - the Oscars love that old fashioned glamor - and I think the chance to reward her, for what is by almost every account a beautiful small movie about an older couple dealing with the effects of Alzheimer’s, is too good an opportunity to pass up.
- Marion Cotillard in “La Vie en Rose”
- Cotillard is the dark horse here, and a win is possible for her portrayal of Edith Piaf, but I wonder if enough of the voters saw this movie?
- Laura Linney in “The Savages”
- I just want Laura Linney to play someone fulfilled and happy
- Ellen Page in “Juno”
- I have mixed views on this nomination - Ellen Page did a great job, particularly because for the entire movie I didn’t really think about the fact that no 16 year-old could possibly be that cool. So she took what could have been an entirely unbelievable script and turned it into something real. For that it’s nice she got a nomination, but that’s likely get she’ll have this time.
Performance by an actress in a supporting role
* Cate Blanchett in “I’m Not There”
- I’ll admit, I have no clue for this category. From what I’ve read it cames down to Cate Blanchett and Tilda Swinton, with a few mentions for Amy Ryan. I’m going with Cate, since getting nominated twice in one year for playing Queen Elizabeth and Bob Dylan must be worth something.
- Ruby Dee in “American Gangster”
- Saoirse Ronan in “Atonement”
- Amy Ryan in “Gone Baby Gone”
- Tilda Swinton in “Michael Clayton”
