The Academy Awards are merely weeks away. We’ve more than recovered from those Oscar snubs to focus on those nominees who could be potentially looking at a history-making moment with a little golden bald guy.
The Movie Mensch’s Oscar Watch will take a look and predict each of the major categories with enough time to fill out your own ballots for the February 28 event that is affectionately called “the biggest night in Hollywood.”
We start our first prediction article by looking at the leading ladies. Here are the nominees for Best Actress in a Motion Picture and why four will not win and why one will.
Cate Blanchett, Carol
There was no question that Cate Blanchett was going to be nominated for Best Actress for her work for Carol. From the early buzz on the film to once it arrived on screens, that was a given. The Oscar winner for The Aviator was commanding, tragic and romantically riveting in the role as a woman who finds love with another woman in 1950s America, a time not necessarily known for people being free to express themselves.
Blanchett and co-star Rooney Mara (who is a Best Supporting Actress nominee, who should be a Best Actress nominee) have palpable chemistry that makes Carol one of the more sweepingly romantic films we’ve seen in a long time. For a few weeks after Carol hit theaters, it appeared that the momentum for Best Actress had tilted just a bit towards Blanchett. But, then everybody came back to their senses and realized who the rightful winner is. Don’t worry, Cate will be back — perhaps even next year.
Jennifer Lawrence, Joy
Lawrence, a perineal nominee who isn’t even 30-years-old yet, scored what some felt was a surprise nomination for her role as the real-life single mom who bucked the odds and invented a mop that would change the world. That would be the first of her inventions that would help make home shopping networks stocks soar. Lawrence is sensational in the role, and as we stated in our Joy review, she makes the movie. It is a bit of a less-than-even film from David O. Russell and it is Lawrence that makes it completely enjoyable.
Will she win? Should she win? In short, no. This year it is Lawrence who gets to win the honor in this category of, “it’s just an honor to be nominated.”
Charlotte Rampling, 45 Years
Rampling was another who was thought to be able to squeeze the firm hold on Oscar that the eventual winner in this category had on the award. If nothing else, Rampling would be given the Best Actress Oscar for her body of work, which is impressive and iconic.
Yet, not even a “career” Oscar will stand in the way of the talent that will win this year. Rampling’s turn in 45 Years is a stunner and well worth the nod, but sadly for the legendary actress, she will not walk home victorious this time out.
Saoirse Ronan, Brooklyn
The Movie Mensch thinks that Brooklyn should have been a Best Picture nominee. But alas, that didn’t happen so we have to be content that its lead actress, Saoirse Ronan, scored a nomination for Best Actress for her role as an Irish immigrant who moves to the titular city and tries to make a life for herself in 1950s America.
Ronan is a powerhouse, who has impressed her since we saw her light up in the screen in Atonement. Don’t worry, Saoirse, you’ll be back. And not just as a nominee, the Irish-American actress will surely be a future winner… and perhaps even a multiple winner.
And the Oscar goes to…
Brie Larson, Room
What Larson did in Room is nothing short of a miracle. It is a heartbreaking and inspiring turn as a mother who will do anything she can to ensure that her son grows up as normal as possible. That’s quite a task when she and her boy live in a single room and have been in captivity for the entire five years of the young boy’s life.
When she realizes that her son is the key to their escape, she has to undo everything she taught him about their Room being the entire world, and educate him about the world beyond the walls that they must find a way to get out into. Larson is mesmerizing and will haunt you for months and months after the credits roll on the powerful film. There are few Oscar winners come Academy Awards night who are more deserving of their golden statue than Larson. She will win… it’s a lock!