We have a few months to go before next year’s Academy Awards, and it’s clear that there is a lot of competition. There are a number of talented women who are strong contenders for Academy Awards. Two stand-out performances were those of Natalie Portman in Jackie and Emma Stone in La La Land, but there were a number of other women who made a huge impact on the silver screen this year. Here are a few actresses who deserve some serious recognition for their roles:
- Sally Hawkins in Maudie
In this biopic of Canadian folk artist Maudie Dowley Lewis, Sally Hawkins delivers a stellar performance. This performance may even top her Golden-Globe winning role in Mike Leigh’s film Happy-Go-Lucky. Aisling Walsh’s Maudie premiered at the Telluride film festival and immediately caused quite a buzz. While the film didn’t generate much more buzz in Toronto, Sally Hawkins’ performance is undeniably excellent. She conveys the effects of Maudie Dowley Lewis’ juvenile rheumatoid arthritis with extreme accuracy but doesn’t led the affliction overpower the role.
2) Sônia Braga in Aquarius
A Brazilian actress has not been nominated for a best actress Oscar since Fernanda Montenegro was nominated for her role in the 1998 film Central Station. Many are hoping that Sônia Braga is the next Brazilian actress to be nominated. In Kleber Mendonça Filho’s film Aquarius, Braga plays a widowed and retired music critic named Clara who is being driven out of her home. English-speaking audiences best know Sônia Braga for her Golden-Globe nominated role in Kiss of the Spider Woman. She has worked steadily since that role but has truly outdone herself in Aquarius.
3) Rebecca Hall in Christine
Rebecca Hall has had a steady acting career for 20 years, wowing audiences with her roles in The Prestige, The Town and Vicky Cristina Barcelona. While all of these roles were excellent, Hall’s role in Christine is the most complex and demanding role she’s ever had to take on. Antonia Campos’ dark character study focuses on Christine Chubbuck, a news anchor who committed suicide on live TV in the 70s. Hall takes on the role in full force, boldly digging into Chubbuck’s insecurities and portraying an empathetic portrait of her
4) Allison Janney in Tallulah
Allison Janney excels at pretty much everything she does, but surprisingly, most of her roles have been on the small screen. In fact, she has now received four Emmys for the West Wing. Bit she hasn’t been largely recognized in a film until now. Tallulah is an indie film that was largely overlooked, but one standout role was that of Janney. She plays an academic mother who is forced to befriend a stranger who claims to be the pregnant girlfriend of her estranged son. Even if the movie didn’t receive much praise, Allison Janney deserves quite a bit of it.
As numerous women are getting demanding roles and playing them to a tee, we hope to see these four women and many more receive nominations in 2017.
