None of the five nominees in this category come from Best Picture nominees, which speaks to the fact that women STILL don’t parts in the quantity or quality that men do. Even so, all five of the women gave good to great performances, and I’ve got three of their choices amongst my own. Penélope Cruz gave a heartbreaking performance in her latest collaboration with Pedro Almodovar, the exquisite Parallel Mothers. Kristen Stewart was a revelation as Princess Diana in Spencer. She’s been doing quality work in the years since Twilight and I’m glad to see her get some recognition. For the third time in the last four years, Olivia Colman finds her name on the nominee list, for her nuanced turn in Maggie Gyllenhaal’s The Lost Daughter. Jessica Chastain and Nicole Kidman are both tremendous actors and their performances in The Eyes of Tammy Faye and Being the Ricardos were representative of the good work they consistently do. The films were good but not great, typical biopic things we’ve seen many times before. I would’ve rather seen Renate Reinsve or Tessa Thompson make it here instead.
My ranked order of the nominees:
- Penélope Cruz, Parallel Mothers
- Kristen Stewart, Spencer
- Olivia Colman, The Lost Daughter
- Jessica Chastain, The Eyes of Tammy Faye
- Nicole Kidman, Being the Ricardos
If I had a ballot, these are the five I would have voted for: Olivia Colman; Penélope Cruz; Renate Reinsve, The Worst Person in the World; Kristen Stewart; and Tessa Thompson (Passing)
This year’s Best Actor slate features five previous nominees – the fourth time for Javier Bardem, the second for Benedict Cumberbatch and Andrew Garfield, the third for Will Smith, and the ninth for Denzel Washington. Four of the five match my personal selections. The only one that doesn’t is Javier Bardem, who is a phenomenal actor, but I would’ve rather seen him nominated for Spain’s entry in the International Film race, The Good Boss.
My ranked order of the nominees:
- Will Smith, King Richard
- Andrew Garfield, tick, tick…BOOM!
- Benedict Cumberbatch, The Power of the Dog
- Denzel Washington, The Tragedy of Macbeth
- Javier Bardem, Being the Ricardos
The other four here do amazing work. Will Smith has been the favorite for most of the campaign season, and it makes sense. It’s his best performance, a fully realized portrait of a unique man with two generational talents living under his roof. Andrew Garfield carries tick, tick…BOOM! with an effortless charisma that perfectly fits the character. Along with his amazing work in Spider-Man: No Way Home, and a supporting role in twice-nominated The Eyes of Tammy Faye, it’s a good year for Garfield. Benedict Cumberbatch was memorably menacing as the damaged cowboy playing brutal mind games with everyone in his life. Finally, Denzel Washington breathed new life into Macbeth, cementing his legendary status with yet another iconic performance.
If I had a ballot, these are the five I would have voted for: Benedict Cumberbatch; Andrew Garfield; Hidetoshi Nishijima (Drive My Car); Will Smith; and Denzel Washington
Z At the Movies 