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My Review of the 93rd Academy Awards

Well, I am surely not the only person to use this pun to describe last night’s Academy Awards, but for a ceremony that primarily took place at Los Angeles Union Station, it certainly went off the rails at the end. This ceremony was never going to be perfect or look the way we’ve grown accustomed to as an audience in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, but I could never have imagined just how crazy this year’s Oscars, which was for the most part fairly uneventful throughout, would end up. The show still had some great moments, hilarious parts, and inspirational speeches, albeit along with some very miscalculated bits—here’s my review of the 93rd Academy Awards.

It’s probably necessary to get to the show’s twist ending first. At every Oscars since 1948 (with the 1971 ceremony being the lone deviation), the Best Picture award has been announced last. Clearly, if you dig into Oscars history, you’ll find that most early ceremonies didn’t utilize this setup, but nearly every film fan, for the most part, has grown up watching the biggest award in world cinema deservedly announced last. This year, things got weird when Rita Moreno stepped onto the stage and started reading off nominees for Best Picture—I was quite confused, wondering if I had somehow blacked out for the two lead acting categories, rewinding my TV a bit to make sure. The nominees also looked a bit stunned by the reorganization of the show’s homestretch. At that point, it felt like the Oscars producers (which this year included previous Best Director winner Steven Soderbergh) mixed things up to deliberately set up a massive emotional climax for the night—Chadwick Boseman becoming the third actor to win a posthumous acting award for his performance in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. My goodness, was that a mistake. The Academy famously doesn’t know the results of any category until the envelopes are opened during the live broadcast, as its longtime accounting firm, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, tabulates the ballots and keeps the results entirely confidential—that couldn’t have been clearer in light of how this show ended up.

After Renée Zellweger presented the Best Actress award to Nomadland’s Frances McDormand (a win which made her only the second woman to win three career Best Actress Oscars, behind only Katharine Hepburn who won four) last year’s Best Actor winner Joaquin Phoenix strutted out and, in trademark fashion, stumbled through an intro about acting. Eventually, after reading the nominees, Phoenix opened the envelope and the rest is history. Instead of Boseman winning the Oscar, the award went to legendary actor Anthony Hopkins for his performance in The Father, who, at the age of 83, became the oldest actor to win an Oscar. However, Anthony Hopkins didn’t show up this year, either in Los Angeles or at any satellite location (including London). Via Phoenix, the Academy accepted the award on Hopkins’s behalf, and then the camera cut back to in-house DJ Questlove, who thanked everyone for watching and ended the show. It was mind-boggling—truly the epitome of the term anticlimactic.

This year, I personally (and I recognize that it’s all subjective) had Riz Ahmed, Anthony Hopkins, and Steven Yeun ahead of Chadwick Boseman on my Best Actor rankings. Ahmed gave such a powerful performance in my favorite movie of the year (Sound of Metal), Hopkins delivered arguably the best performance of his career in The Father, behind only his Oscar-winning role in Silence of the Lambs, and Yeun was beautifully poignant in the wonderful Minari—although Boseman was certainly stunning in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, I personally felt other performers in far-better movies were more deserving of being declared the year’s best actor. With that said, I was certainly on board and excited for Boseman to win this year—in his final film performance, while in the final stages of his cancer, he gave an impassioned portrayal of Levee Green, and the Oscar here would have felt like a fitting tribute to an incredibly talented actor who impacted the world in so many incredible ways through films like Black Panther and whose life was tragically cut short by cancer. The betting odds heavily favored Boseman at -1667 and other than the BAFTA (which went to Hopkins), Boseman swept the other major pre-Oscars awards. The world certainly expected to see Boseman winning this award.

If you ventured to Twitter after the show, it was full of Oscars slander for Boseman’s surprise loss. And understandably so, as literally everything pointed to Boseman’s posthumous win. The Academy built the entire close of the show around the possibility for a heartwarming emotional high point based on an expected Boseman victory, and instead, we ended the show on an award without its winner anywhere to be found to deliver an acceptance speech. Steven Soderbergh and the producers gambled big on that setup…and ultimately, they lost big.

Aside from the Oscars’ twist ending, there were a number of other noteworthy moments from this year’s ceremony. First, last night was a major step in the right direction for the Academy as it works to overcome the infamous #OscarsSoWhite controversy a few years ago and be more inclusive. This year’s class of nominees was the most diverse in Oscars history, and a number of historic moments followed. Nomadland’s Chloé Zhao became only the second woman (and first woman of color) to win the coveted Best Director award. Both the Supporting Actor and Supporting Actress winners (Daniel Kaluuya and Youn Yuh-jung, respectively) were people of color. Emerald Fennell won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay (the first woman to do so since Diablo Cody won for Juno in 2008). And for Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Mia Neal and Jamika Wilson became the first black women to ever win for Makeup and Hairstyling. It was a great night for inclusion and diversity.

Additionally, per usual, there were some great speeches, ranging from inspirational to hilarious. In particular, I enjoyed watching Daniel Kaluuya, who won Best Supporting Actor for my favorite acting performance of the year in Judas and the Black Messiah, deliver a wonderful tribute to Fred Hampton and the Black Panther Party. (He also referenced his parents having sex, which turned out to be particularly hysterical as the camera then cut to a live shot of his mother, who was watching from the British Film Institute in London.) I was also nearly brought to tears listening to Thomas Vinterberg, who won Best International Film for his brilliant Another Round, dedicate the Oscar to his late daughter, Ida, who was supposed to appear in the film but died in a tragic traffic accident just days into production. On the lighter side, it was a joy to watch Youn Yuh-jung give her acceptance speech after winning Best Supporting Actress for her scene-stealing performance in Minari. Youn was just as adorably funny in real life as she was in Minari, especially as she gushed over her presenter, Brad Pitt.

Lastly, I couldn’t do a proper review of the show last night without mentioning the funniest moment of the evening. During the middle of the show, there was a musical bit where actor/comedian Lil Rel Howery picked actors in the audience to listen to past movie songs (played by Questlove) and guess whether those songs won an Oscar for Best Original Song, were just nominated in the category, or none of the above. Truthfully, I didn’t enjoy this bit almost in its entirety—it was a bit choppy and didn’t land the way the producers probably thought it would. However, this “game” provided us with the night’s most gif-worthy moment—acting legend Glenn Close dancing to “Da Butt,” the song featured in Spike Lee’s 1988 film School Daze. I sure didn’t see that one coming, but it was very, very funny!

 

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The 93rd Oscars – Best Supporting Actress

In today’s post, I will review the Best Supporting Actress category for this year’s Oscars. Let’s go!

The Nominees

Maria Bakalova (Borat Subsequent Moviefilm)

Following his 2006 critically acclaimed political mockumentary Borat, Sacha Baron Cohen reunited with his famous Kazakh character for an equally admired sequel, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan. The sequel centers on Borat Sagdiyev’s return to the United States for the purpose of offering up his daughter Tutar (played by Maria Bakalova) to then-Vice President Mike Pence as a bribe. This movie is everything I could have expected for a new installment about the crazed happenings of Borat, but what did surprise me was just how amazing Bakalova is as Tutar—she truly is the film’s breakout star. A young Bulgarian actress with few credits to her name and no previous exposure to American audiences, Bakalova skillfully matches Baron Cohen’s wit and humor in every single scene. She deftly (and hilariously) navigates some absurdly funny scenes, such as the “bloody” debutante ball and the pregnancy clinic debacle, but the hype surrounding her encounter with Rudy Giuliani is well worth it—she handled a tricky and potentially dangerous situation like a pro. Bakalova is definitely a star in the making.

Glenn Close (Hillbilly Elegy)

Ron Howard’s Netflix drama Hillbilly Elegy, which is based on the memoir of the same name by J.D. Vance, follows a Yale law school student who must return to his hometown in rural Ohio to care for his mother (Amy Adams), who is battling a drug addiction—the film also prominently features flashbacks to the lead character’s childhood, which includes the narrative about his relationship with his grandmother (“Mamaw”), played by Glenn Close. This movie isn’t good. In fact, it’s consistently cringey throughout. The only bright spots at all are the acting performances by Amy Adams and Glenn Close. They were great, as usual, and Close is excellent in portraying the tough, resolute Mamaw. Despite Close’s incredibly physical transformation for the role, I didn’t feel the Academy should dignify the one decent aspect of an otherwise terrible film—therefore, I was a bit surprised to see Close snag nominations at the Critics’ Choice Movie Awards, Golden Globe Awards, and Screen Actors Guild Awards, in addition to the Oscars. Then again, I unfortunately feel like the Academy is desperate to keep giving Close opportunities to win an Oscar (I am truthfully stunned she has gone winless in her previous seven nominations). Regardless of their intentions, it’s difficult for me to get excited about Close’s nomination.

Olivia Colman (The Father)

In Florian Zeller’s film The Father, Sir Anthony Hopkins plays the titular father (whose name is actually Anthony), an elderly man progressively struggling with dementia. Although Hopkins is undoubtedly the most impressive part of the film, Olivia Colman (who portrays his daughter Anne) is striking in her own right. It is clear the role of Anthony is the movie’s most heartbreaking, but truthfully, I felt a greater sense of empathy and pain for Anne, as she is the character with which the audience can most relate. Anne, a devoted daughter who takes her father into her home, ensures care is provided for Anthony in order to make him as comfortable as possible. She adores her father. And yet, she is on the receiving end of Anthony’s mood swings, harsh outbursts, and stinging comments. It’s crushing to see Anne struggling emotionally with the state of her father’s health, but Colman is truly remarkable. Above all, this performance demonstrates the impeccable range Colman has—from her comedic turns in Fleabag and The Favourite (the latter of which earned her an Oscar two years ago) to her immensely dramatic roles in The Crown and The Father, Olivia Colman is unmistakably one of the most talented performers in the business.

Amanda Seyfried (Mank)

Mank tells the story of legendary Hollywood screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz (Gary Oldman) and the origin of his role in helping write the script for Orson Welles’s masterpiece, Citizen Kane. In the film, a black-and-white love letter to Hollywood’s “Golden Age,” Amanda Seyfried plays actress Marion Davies, William Randolph Hearst’s mistress and allegedly the real-life inspiration for the Citizen Kane character Susan Alexander Kane. In Mank, Fincher offers a more holistic perspective on Davies’s life compared to her Citizen Kane counterpart, and although the film underwhelmed from my perspective, Seyfried is indubitably exquisite in her portrayal. Seyfried nails Davies’s Brooklyn accent and period-specific mannerisms, and above all, she steals the show in each scene shared with Oldman’s Mank. Thus far in her career, Seyfried is more known for her roles in comedic and romantic films, like Mean Girls, the Mamma Mia! series, Dear John, and Ted 2. However, in 2012, Seyfried proved her dramatic worth via a wonderful performance in Les Misérables. And now, Seyfried has upped the ante, reaching the crowning achievement in her career up to this point with a stellar performance in Mank. Here’s to hoping we see Seyfried take on more superb dramatic roles.

Youn Yuh-jung (Minari)

A semi-autobiographical film by writer/director Lee Isaac Chung, Minari follows South Korean immigrants Jacob Yi (Steven Yeun) and his wife Monica Yi (Han Ye-ri) as they move their family from California to rural Arkansas to fulfill Jacob’s dream of starting a Korean produce farm. At one point in the film, Monica’s mother Soon-ja (played by Youn Yuh-jung) comes to stay with the family in order to take care of the children while Jacob and Monica work. I have two important thoughts, which are relevant for this review: (1) Minari is one of the best films this year, period, and (2) Youn Yuh-jung is my single favorite part. Chung’s film spends a great deal of time exploring the development of the relationship between Soon-ja and David (played by Alan Kim), Jacob and Monica’s youngest child. David initially doesn’t enjoy his grandmother living with them (especially because he’s forced to share a room with her), but the relationship blossoms into a sweet bond. Youn, an acclaimed South Korean film star, portrays Soon-ja dazzlingly. Soon-ja is foul-mouthed, blunt, and downright funny, and Youn fits the role like a glove, delivering many of Minari’s most memorable moments. In one scene, David wets the bed, and Soon-ja asks if his penis is broken, to which David snaps back, “It’s not a ‘penis.’ It’s called a ‘ding dong.’” Later in a church scene when a boy asks David if he can spend the night, Soon-ja (commenting on Monica’s decision to say “no”) quips, “Ding dong broken.” This is the epitome of Soon-ja, and Youn is excellent in her performance.

Snubs and Other Performances

In addition to this year’s nominees, there were a handful of other noteworthy performances that easily could have earned a nomination, especially in place of Glenn Close. First, Dominique Fishback was stellar in her real-life portrayal of Fred Hampton’s girlfriend Deborah Johnson in Judas and the Black Messiah—she is pitch perfect, especially during her character’s more emotional scenes. (Fishback received a BAFTA nomination for her performance.) Additionally, Priyanka Chopra Jonas was remarkable as Pinky in The White Tiger—the Ramin Bahrani-directed film, set in India, was a surprise hit this year (and one of my personal favorites), and Chopra Jonas’s performance was wonderful.

For me, though, the biggest snub in this category was Hollywood legend Ellen Burstyn for her moving performance in Netflix’s Pieces of a Woman. The film, directed by Hungarian filmmaker Kornél Mundruczó, focuses on Vanessa Kirby’s character Martha Weiss, whose baby dies shortly after a home birth. A six-time Oscar nominee (and Oscar winner for Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore), Burstyn plays Martha’s wealthy, domineering mother Elizabeth Weiss, a headstrong Holocaust survivor maintaining a tense relationship with Martha. Burstyn is nothing short of incredible in Pieces of a Woman. The highlight of the film is a clash between Martha and Elizabeth at a dinner table, and although it is the defining moment which helped earn Kirby her first Oscar nomination, Burstyn matches her blow for blow. It is an absolute shame Burstyn missed out on an Academy Award nomination for her performance.

Conclusion

Who Could Win: Maria Bakalova

Maria Bakalova started the major film awards season off with a bang, taking home a win at the Critics’ Choice Movie Awards. Since then, however, the Borat Subsequent Moviefilm star has played second fiddle to Youn Yuh-Jung. Currently Bakalova is the lead underdog in this category, receiving +300 odds. While I cannot completely rule out a surprise win for Bakalova this year, I don’t feel confident. Regardless, if betting lines are to be believed, she certainly stands the best chance to upset the frontrunner.

Who Should Win: Youn Yuh-jung

Minari is one of the best movies of the year, and Youn Yuh-jung’s performance is arguably its strongest. Youn’s portrayal of Soon-ja is equal parts comedic and touching, and the 73-year-old veteran actress is simply brilliant. Out of all the nominees this year, it’s crystal clear Youn’s performance most deserves the Academy’s top honor.

Who Will Win: Youn Yuh-jung

Following two huge wins within the past two weeks at the Screen Actors Guild Awards and the British Academy Film Awards, Youn Yuh-jung has secured her place as the frontrunner in the Best Supporting Actress category. Currently, she’s drawing -500 odds. Bakalova is still a trendy choice, but I’m growing more and more confident this year’s Oscar is going to Youn.

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My Review of the 91st Academy Awards Ceremony

Well, that’s a wrap on the 91st edition of the Academy Awards. Like all years, the Oscars had some great moments, some not-so-great moments, and some hilarious quotes! Here are my reactions to some of the major highlights from the 2019 Academy Awards ceremony:

Best Moment: “Shallow” performance by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper

This performance was a knockout! Like most fans of A Star Is Born, I have listened to “Shallow” from the film’s soundtrack on repeat since I first saw the movie. The performance by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper was probably the moment I was most looking forward to last night, and it absolutely, unequivocally did not disappoint. I will admit, after watching that recent impromptu performance of “Shallow” together at a Lady Gaga concert in Vegas, I was a little worried about Cooper’s singing abilities come Oscar night – that ended up being a total non-issue, as Cooper’s performance of his portion of the song was pitch-perfect. Obviously Gaga knocked the song out of the park, and it was such a cool moment to see these two (who had some of the best on-screen chemistry in any movie last year) light it up on Hollywood’s biggest night.

Worst Moment: Green Book wins Best Picture

Talk about a letdown to end an otherwise enjoyable night celebrating cinema. Don’t get me wrong – I enjoyed Green Book. It was a good movie. A good movie. But the best movie of the year? Not a chance. Not a damn chance. The above tweet from The A.V. Club so perfectly sums up a Green Book win for Best Picture. This year, there were some wonderful movies nominated in the Best Picture category, and I would not have been unhappy whatsoever to see a win for The Favourite, A Star Is Born, Black Panther, Roma, or BlacKkKlansman – in fact, any one of those five films would be a deserving victor. You could sense it on the broadcast that the Dolby Theatre found the win underwhelming, too, as everything seemed deflated during the acceptance speech.

Most Surprising Moment: The hostless concept wasn’t that bad 

Following the Kevin Hart controversy, viewers were understandably interested in how the Academy would execute its first hostless ceremony in exactly 30 years. Although the last Oscars without a host didn’t go down in the annals of history in a positive manner, I was pleasantly surprised with how good last night’s show was despite lacking a customary ringleader. First, instead of a monologue, the Oscars kicked off with an amazing musical performance of “We Will Rock You” and “We Are the Champions” by Queen and Adam Lambert – in a year where Bohemian Rhapsody won the most Oscars, it was a fitting start to the show. Then, we got a short definitely-not-a-monologue by definitely-not-hosts Maya Rudolph, Tina Fey, and Amy Poehler – although brief, it still provided a good taste of jokes that we are used to at the Oscars. All in all, I was surprised with how enjoyable the show was without a host.

Most Awkward Moment: Vice Acceptance speech for Best Makeup and Hairstyling

Every year at the Oscars, we get some incredibly eloquent and thought-provoking acceptance speeches that are emotionally affecting and inspirational – the one for Vice’s Best Makeup and Hairstyling win by Greg Cannom, Kate Biscoe, and Patricia Dehaney was not one of those speeches. It was downright painful. The three winners constantly talked over each other while reading off a piece of paper containing names of those they wanted to thank – Greg Cannom even quipped at one point when he was told by one of his co-winners to read a particular line from the “thank you” paper, “No, I already did.” It was bumbling and awkward, and many on Twitter dubbed it the worst acceptance speech of all time. Twitter ain’t wrong.

Biggest Upset: Olivia Colman wins Best Actress 

When Olivia Colman’s name was called for Best Actress, I think I might have literally fist-pumped on my couch while exclaiming, “YES! SHE DID IT!” It was such a major moment because (1) I loved Colman’s performance in The Favourite and desperately wanted her to win, and (2) Glenn Close was a MAJOR frontrunner to take home the award. I had pretty much accepted that Close would win this award after taking home nearly all of the Best Actress trophies at the major pre-Oscars award shows. (And I wasn’t even mad about it, because I loved her in The Wife.) But if ever there was an upset at this year’s Oscars, I am incredibly thankful that it was in Colman’s favor.

Best Joke: (Tie) Peeing at the Grammys and Fyre Festival

In the aforementioned brief comedy opener by Maya Rudolph, Tina Fey, and Amy Poehler, the three women alternated sharing some quick jokes about the ceremony and the nominated movies/performances. There weren’t really any that didn’t hit, but there were a couple that definitely stood out as my favorites. First, Maya Rudolph looked at Bradley Cooper and said, “Don’t worry, Bradley, after four kids, I too have peed myself at the Grammys,” harkening back to Jackson Maine’s unfortunate moment on stage in A Star Is Born. Then, Tina Fey proclaimed to the crowd, “Everyone, look under your seats, you’re all getting one of those cheese sandwiches from the Fyre Festival!”

Line of the Night: From Rayka Zehtabchi during the acceptance speech for Best Documentary – Short Subject

Last night, the Oscar for Best Documentary – Short Subject went to “Period. End of Sentence.” The film is a very serious look at revolutionary efforts by women in India to not only improve feminine hygiene, but also to empower women. I have not yet seen this short film, but from all accounts, it is tremendous and meaningful. When its creators got on stage last night to give their acceptance speech, director Rayka Zehtabchi announced, “I’m not crying because I’m on my period. I can’t believe a film about menstruation just won an Oscar!” Zehtabchi’s response to winning an Oscar about a taboo subject was brilliant, funny, and full of emotion – definitely the line of the night.

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Best Actress in a Leading Role (2018)

The following is my Oscars ballot for this category, Best Actress in a Leading Role:

WINNER: Olivia Colman (The Favourite)

The Favourite is a film set in England in the early 18th century that follows the struggle between Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough (Rachel Weisz) and Abigail Masham (Emma Stone) as they jockey for the attention and adoration of Queen Anne (Olivia Colman). I previously mentioned in my Best Supporting Actress post that The Favourite is an amazing film that thrives in totality due to the award-worthy performances by each of its three central actresses – Colman, Weisz, and Stone – and Colman likely has the best chance of the three to upset the frontrunner in their respective Oscar categories. Colman bested Glenn Close for the BAFTA, and she has also won awards for Best Actress in a Comedy at both the Golden Globes and Screen Actors Guild Awards (although Close has won the same award in the Dramatic category at both of those latter two award shows). In The Favourite, the character of Queen Anne is both tragic and hilarious at the same time – her health is in a very volatile state, she flips back and forth between needy and irritable, and she maintains 17 pet rabbits that sorrowfully represent each of her unsuccessful pregnancies. Despite the challenge of such an unstable character, Colman executes the performance masterfully. She nails the portrayal of Queen Anne’s surreal outlandishness and sublimely commands her position as the object of both Sarah’s and Abigail’s affection. Olivia Colman delivered one of my favorite acting performances of the entire year, and I am cautiously hopeful that she can eke out a surprise Oscar win this Sunday.

2. Glenn Close (The Wife)

In The Wife, Glenn Close plays Joan Castleman, the wife of a famous novelist, Joseph Castleman (Jonathan Pryce). The film begins with the news that Joseph’s prominent writing career has earned him the Nobel Prize in Literature, and the Castlemans get the distinct honor of traveling to Sweden for the ceremony. By all accounts, Joan appears to have long ago given up her own writing career to play the role of dutiful wife, a position in the marriage that is patently secondary to that of her husband. However, as the film progresses, it becomes abundantly clear that the power in this relationship (and the true nature of Joseph’s acclaimed career) may not be all that meets the eye. The 71-year-old Close has led a long and illustrious acting career, but her performance as Joan may just be one of her very greatest. At the start of the film, Joan’s nature seems very meek and straightforward, but it is only as the story continues to slowly unfold that we discover that she really wields an immense amount of significance in the overall success of Joseph’s writing career. Close’s portrayal of Joan is poised and dexterous, and Close carefully progresses toward the unveiling of Joan’s emotional tipping point with an unbelievably striking subtlety that is award-worthy in and of itself. Prior to this nomination, Close had been nominated six times for acting Oscars with a whopping zero wins. However, that is all (most likely) about to change – Close is the clear frontrunner for the Academy Award and has already locked in key wins at the Screen Actors Guild Awards, Critics’ Choice Movie Awards, and the Golden Globes. Although I loved Colman’s performance better, it will not make me upset at all to see Close finally take home the Oscar gold this Sunday.

3. Lady Gaga (A Star Is Born)

In A Star Is Born, Lady Gaga portrays Ally, an aspiring singer/songwriter whose dreams of making it big in the industry start to bloom after she meets and falls in love with Jackson Maine (Bradley Cooper), a famous country musician. Ever since she broke onto the music scene in 2008 with back-to-back chart-topping singles “Just Dance” and “Poker Face,” Lady Gaga (born Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta) has evolved into one of the biggest and most recognizable pop stars on the planet. Recently, she started expanding her career into acting (I have heard she is very solid in American Horror Story), which never seemed like much of a stretch to me because the essence of Gaga’s strength as a musician is her proficiency as a performer. And in A Star Is Born, she has seamlessly transitioned into one of the most impressive up-and-coming actors in all of cinema – this was definitely a career-altering role. Ally is a character with a lot of vulnerabilities who, over the course of the film, achieves a greater sense of confidence in herself, and Gaga effortlessly portrays Ally’s emotional complexities to perfection. If it were not for Olivia Colman and Glenn Close delivering two career-defining performances, Gaga might have seen herself taking home the Oscar.

4. Yalitza Aparicio (Roma)

Set in the early 1970s in the Colonia Roma district of Mexico City, Roma stars Yalitza Aparicio as Cleodegaria “Cleo” Gutiérrez, a domestic worker who lives with and works for a prominent family. Aparicio’s journey to the Oscars is unbelievable – prior to auditioning for the role of Cleo, she had planned to become a preschool teacher in Mexico. In fact, before Roma, Aparicio had never acted professionally in her life. (This harkens back memories of Barkhad Abdi, who, for his debut film role in Captain Phillips, earned a BAFTA win and an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor.) The fact that Aparicio was not previously an actress makes her performance in Roma that much more outstanding and noteworthy. Throughout the film, Cleo experiences a variety of events that lead to a broad range of emotions and feelings – she oscillates between happiness, sadness, loss, helplessness, and hopefulness. Aparicio’s nuanced performance was incredibly authentic and beautiful.

5. Melissa McCarthy (Can You Ever Forgive Me?)

Can You Ever Forgive Me? is a biopic starring Melissa McCarthy as the real-life, down-on-her-luck biographer Lee Israel, and it follows her attempt to revitalize her writing career by forging letters by famous celebrities and selling them for vast amounts of money. Off the top of my head, I am not confident I can think of a single time I have watched Melissa McCarthy in a sincerely dramatic role – obviously her bread and butter has always been comedies. However, if this film is any indication, McCarthy should really consider taking on more serious roles – she is absolutely spectacular here. Lee Israel is depicted as a callously cynical and insufferable woman, and McCarthy perfectly portrays these characteristics with the clever wit that she has lent to previous comedic performances. But in Israel’s darkest moments (such as when she discovers that her cat has died or as the walls come crashing down around her fraudulent scheme), McCarthy shines on an emotionally empathetic level. This was a really enjoyable film, and it was great to see McCarthy stake her claim in a new genre.