OVP: Best Actress (2007)
The Nominees Were...
Cate Blanchett, Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Julie Christie, Away from Her
Marion Cotillard, La Vie en Rose
Laura Linney, The Savages
Ellen Page, Juno
Julie Christie, Away from Her
Marion Cotillard, La Vie en Rose
Laura Linney, The Savages
Ellen Page, Juno
My Thoughts: It's strange to think that one of my favorite categories at the Oscars, the Best Actress field, was so atypically weak in one of Oscar's best years (by far the finest of the ones we've profiled so far), but it's hard not to look at the above photos and realize that 2007 wasn't a high water-mark for this category when remembering these performances as a collective. Surely these are all good actresses, with all but one of them nominated for another film in addition to 2007, but it's hard to look at anyone here as doing the best work of their career save Page, who hasn't really done anything since that can compare. Either way, I profile through the good and the bad, and there is admittedly some good to be had here, particularly when it comes to Julie Christie's brief comeback vehicle in Away from Her.
Comeback is probably the wrong term for Christie, however, as this was hardly a marked return and in a way many thought she'd simply retire from acting after this (considering the dearth of good movie roles she had in the following years, perhaps that would have been for the best). Christie's Fiona is a thing of beauty, as is her performance. I love the way she still uses certain attributes that are innate to her (her beauty, her charm, her confidence) far after her memories have started to fade. The performance is at once very cerebral and physical, and she uses her movie star quality to quickly connect to the audience, Lara disappearing before our eyes. I love the chemistry she has with Pinsent, and how she still comes of age even as her life is slipping away. It's a breathtaking, raw performance and one of her best, a great testament to how certain actors never lose their gifts.
Her main competitor for the Oscar at the time seemed to be Marion Cotillard, who was the ingenue in the field and ended up being a major, major talent in the years that followed, taking on the baton that Juliette Binoche had left in terms of "French actress that American audiences are enamored with." Cotillard is one of my favorite performers of the past decade, but I'll be the first person to admit that I didn't really get this, and I think it's the least of her celebrated roles. She physically takes on Edith Piaf, but it borders into the hammy, and I don't really think I know Piaf the consummate professional, as Cotillard plays her more as a freak-of-nature style singer, someone who can belt to the rafters but is otherwise a figure of constant tragedy. She isn't helped by the movie being standard-fare "famous musician biopic," but this is just a large performance, not a particularly good one. Add in that the best part of her performance, the singing, is done by Piaf and not by her and I will admit this leaves me lacking.
Another world-class actress giving a performance that screams to the heavens is Cate Blanchett. Our double nominee (she was just in our Supporting Actress lineup), this is hardly the master class of acting that I'm Not There shows itself to be, instead Blanchett becomes a massive tower of camp at her best, and hammily sunk by a self-important script at worst. Her best actual acting is the film's light comedy bits, particularly those involving her being courted by foreign princes, and I will admit it's fun to watch her scenery-chewing when she gives speeches like "I too can command the winds sir!", but this is not great acting or a performance that should be celebrated outside of an episode of Drag Race. Even Blanchett herself appeared somewhat embarrassed by the nomination when the clip played at the Oscars that year. Let's chalk it up to Cate love and remember she genuinely earned most of her other nominations.
Laura Linney had previously lost to Blanchett in 2004 for Kinsey, and she went home empty-handed yet again for The Savages. This film was just so-so but I remember being truly struck by Linney's Wendy at the time, the way that she plays her as someone who has a completely different internal vision of herself than what she projects to the world and what she actually was. It's a difficult part to play, and she inhabits years of disappointment with her life onscreen with refreshing honesty-Wendy is a character you root for, but one that you're uncomfortable with their decisions, and Linney knows that. Linney hasn't really done anything onscreen that remotely approaches this work (keeping her best stuff for television), but this is a reminder of what a dynamic powerhouse of an actor she can be when given the chance.
Finally we have Ellen Page, playing the iconic Juno in the self-titled film. Page does such a sure job taking on Diablo Cody's very specific script that I worried for a while after this performance that she'd be typecast (this was not the case, in fact she's never played a part similar), as it's a very confident, extroverted performance that wears well on re-viewing. I did feel at times that Page gets lost in the words, not entirely understanding where Juno herself is coming from in a scene or whether she's just playing off of the script, but her best scenes, particularly that great final monologue about Jennifer Garner's character and her sublime interactions with Allison Janney and JK Simmons, are what make this movie work so well and make her performance so special. She may never do anything quite this sensational again, but it's a cool nomination.
Comeback is probably the wrong term for Christie, however, as this was hardly a marked return and in a way many thought she'd simply retire from acting after this (considering the dearth of good movie roles she had in the following years, perhaps that would have been for the best). Christie's Fiona is a thing of beauty, as is her performance. I love the way she still uses certain attributes that are innate to her (her beauty, her charm, her confidence) far after her memories have started to fade. The performance is at once very cerebral and physical, and she uses her movie star quality to quickly connect to the audience, Lara disappearing before our eyes. I love the chemistry she has with Pinsent, and how she still comes of age even as her life is slipping away. It's a breathtaking, raw performance and one of her best, a great testament to how certain actors never lose their gifts.
Her main competitor for the Oscar at the time seemed to be Marion Cotillard, who was the ingenue in the field and ended up being a major, major talent in the years that followed, taking on the baton that Juliette Binoche had left in terms of "French actress that American audiences are enamored with." Cotillard is one of my favorite performers of the past decade, but I'll be the first person to admit that I didn't really get this, and I think it's the least of her celebrated roles. She physically takes on Edith Piaf, but it borders into the hammy, and I don't really think I know Piaf the consummate professional, as Cotillard plays her more as a freak-of-nature style singer, someone who can belt to the rafters but is otherwise a figure of constant tragedy. She isn't helped by the movie being standard-fare "famous musician biopic," but this is just a large performance, not a particularly good one. Add in that the best part of her performance, the singing, is done by Piaf and not by her and I will admit this leaves me lacking.
Another world-class actress giving a performance that screams to the heavens is Cate Blanchett. Our double nominee (she was just in our Supporting Actress lineup), this is hardly the master class of acting that I'm Not There shows itself to be, instead Blanchett becomes a massive tower of camp at her best, and hammily sunk by a self-important script at worst. Her best actual acting is the film's light comedy bits, particularly those involving her being courted by foreign princes, and I will admit it's fun to watch her scenery-chewing when she gives speeches like "I too can command the winds sir!", but this is not great acting or a performance that should be celebrated outside of an episode of Drag Race. Even Blanchett herself appeared somewhat embarrassed by the nomination when the clip played at the Oscars that year. Let's chalk it up to Cate love and remember she genuinely earned most of her other nominations.
Laura Linney had previously lost to Blanchett in 2004 for Kinsey, and she went home empty-handed yet again for The Savages. This film was just so-so but I remember being truly struck by Linney's Wendy at the time, the way that she plays her as someone who has a completely different internal vision of herself than what she projects to the world and what she actually was. It's a difficult part to play, and she inhabits years of disappointment with her life onscreen with refreshing honesty-Wendy is a character you root for, but one that you're uncomfortable with their decisions, and Linney knows that. Linney hasn't really done anything onscreen that remotely approaches this work (keeping her best stuff for television), but this is a reminder of what a dynamic powerhouse of an actor she can be when given the chance.
Finally we have Ellen Page, playing the iconic Juno in the self-titled film. Page does such a sure job taking on Diablo Cody's very specific script that I worried for a while after this performance that she'd be typecast (this was not the case, in fact she's never played a part similar), as it's a very confident, extroverted performance that wears well on re-viewing. I did feel at times that Page gets lost in the words, not entirely understanding where Juno herself is coming from in a scene or whether she's just playing off of the script, but her best scenes, particularly that great final monologue about Jennifer Garner's character and her sublime interactions with Allison Janney and JK Simmons, are what make this movie work so well and make her performance so special. She may never do anything quite this sensational again, but it's a cool nomination.
Other Precursor Contenders: The Golden Globes of course split their nominations between Drama and Comedy/Musical, but even though that happened weirdly Laura Linney was nowhere to be seen (they clearly had caught the picture as Philip Seymour Hoffman had been cited for the film in Best Actor). Christie emerged victorious in Drama over Blanchett, Keira Knightley (Atonement), Angelina Jolie (A Mighty Heart), and Jodie Foster (The Brave One), while Cotillard was the champion in Comedy/Musical (emphasis on the musical in her case, as La Vie en Rose struggles for even a single laugh), besting Page, Amy Adams (Enchanted), Helena Bonham Carter (Sweeny Todd), and Nikki Blonsky (Hairspray). BAFTA also threw out Linney, keeping in Knightley (Cotillard won), while the SAG Awards favored Jolie over Linney (Christie won). All-in-all, I remember at the time that Jolie was the shocking exclusion for A Mighty Heart, but don't forget how rare it is for women to miss for Best Picture nominees-Knightley was probably closer than we initially considered.
Actors I Would Have Nominated: I definitely would have included Knightley if I were making this list. Her performance in Atonement is classic full-bodied, breathy Keira as we know and love her, and I'm just a huge fan in general, but I'd argue this is her best performance to date (she was the threat for my own personal win that year, coming in second). I also think it's bizarre considering the Academy's love for Amy Adams that they skipped over one of her more iconic roles, as Princess Giselle is a delightful skewering of Disney all-the-while keeping her character likable and real in her own reality. It's not the sort of thing that ever gets nominated, save for Mary Poppins, but it should have been. Finally, we have Tang Wei, who gave a sultry, sexy, and marvelous performance in Lust, Caution, and then was banned from acting for a few years by the Chinese government. The performance itself was worthy enough, that she was later banned from acting was a heinous act of censorship, and it'd have been nice if AMPAS had killed two birds with one stone by nominating her, as she was worthy AND it would have struck a blow to governments banning art.
Oscar’s Choice: 2007 was a genuinely close race. Cotillard and Christie dominated the precursors, but I do recall Page getting a last-minute push from the press to take the trophy. Cotillard won, in what was yet another "deglam" victory in 2007, but I think the other two were nipping at her heels.
My Choice: A pretty easy victory for Julie Christie, the only performance I truly loved of this bunch. I'll follow her up with Linney, Page, Blanchett, and Cotillard in back.
Those are my thoughts, but now I want to hear yours! Are you with me in the Team Christie camp or are your Edith Piaf records doing a scratch right about now? Anyone think that Ellen Page will ever get another nomination, or is she in the one-and-done club forever? And was it Knightley or Jolie that was in sixth place? Sound off in the comments!
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