Here are the five nominees: (Winner in Bold)
Jodie Foster (The Accused)
Biggest Snub:
Jamie Lee Curtis – A Fish Called Wanda
My Overall Thoughts:
This is a year with 5 very powerful nominees and any of them could have conceivably won because they all do such amazing jobs with these charcaters.
My Rankings:
Actress
5. Meryl Streep
4. Sigourney Weaver
3. Melanie Griffith
2. Glenn Close
1. Jodie Foster
Movies
5. Gorillas in the Mist – Interesting idea that just doesn’t work as well as it could. Weaver is amazing in the lead and was quite deserving of an Oscar nomination for Best Actress for this role because we can really feel her passion for her work. The story isn’t gripping enough and as fascinating as some of the scenes were humans interact with gorillas, something just seems a bit off the entire time. Fosse’s work was definitely groundbreaking and managed to cause much controversy yet in this biopic of her life, they don’t manage to keep the story flowing.
4. A Cry in the Dark – Not an easy film to watch as a parent and the fact that it is based on truth makes it even more difficult. Streep and Niell are both great as the parents and they give off the kind of impression that we are meant to get based on the real life personas of their characters. Not something I would rush to see again, but I’m glad I finally saw it.
3. The Accused – Great courtroom drama that gives us a clear visualization of what really happened. Foster and McGillis are both excellent.
2. Dangerous Liaisons – Such a great film because the two main characters are so good at being able to do excessive scheming and manipulating to get what they want all for the fun of it. The cast is superb and Malkovich, Close and Pfieffer all shine here. I would love to have seen Rickman’s performance of the main role (see Trivia below) just to get a comparison. The story seems a bit timeless yet is perfectly placed in the days after the French Revolution. The story works really well and there is always a bit of mystery and danger in the games they play since they are quite often close to getting caught. Unfortunately parts of the story move along a bit too slowly which slightly takes away from making this film excellent.
1. Working Girl – Very good movie about climbing the corporate ladder but trying to keep your integrity intact. All three leads are great despite all of them not normally fitting in with these kind of roles. Has some great scenes that are extremely funny because it shows how 80’s this all was. Excellent music by Carly Simon that was able to even win the Oscar for Best Song.
Do I agree with the Oscar winner? – Yes! In a very competitive year for this category, JF gives a very powerful performance and slightly beat off the competition.
Let me know what you think about these films and my rankings!
MovieRob 