Top Ten List: Best Films of the Decade

10. No Country for Old Men (2007) - The Coen Brothers masterpiece! The beautiful, violent Western drama is more like a piece of art than a movie. It's slow-moving and character driven with an ending that had everyone talking for weeks. There's humor aplenty but the film is also tough and gritty. The three male leads - Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin and Javier Bardem - are all amazing with Bardem creating one of the best villains ever put on the screen.

09. Lost in Translation (2003) - Who knew Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson would have such great chemistry? Sofia Coppola's best film is a slow burning tale about two strangers who form a friendship due to being stuck in a city where they are so out of their element. Would these two form such a friendship in any other situation? Probably not. But thank Lord they do. From it's unassuming start to its ambiguous yet meaningful ending, Lost in Translation is a wonderful modern day masterpiece.

08. Moulin Rouge! (2001) - Those colors! Those songs! The dancing! Baz Luhrmann has created a truly stimulating piece of cinema. Talk about a movie coming alive. It's one of the more original and groundbreaking films in recent memory. Nicole Kidman is a revelation. Moulin Rouge is the kind of movie that pushes the confines of convention and leaves you speechless.

07. There Will Be Blood (2007) - In my opinion, 2007 was the best year of the decade for films. Maybe it was just Daniel Day-Lewis' balls to the wall, fearless, intense performance. Or the way Paul Dano held his own against Lewis. Or the direction which was so breathtakingingly beauitful. Or the last scene which was probably the most intense scene of that year. Whatever it is, and it's probably a mixture of all of those things, There Will Be Blood was one of the most beautiful and straight up brilliant movies of the year... and decade.

06. Milk (2008) - There may have been a more touching, gripping, emotional, politically timely, perfect film released in 2008... but I haven't seen it. Milk is everything a movie should be. Directed by the fantastic Gus Van Sant and with perfect performances from Sean Penn, Josh Brolin, James Franco and Emile Hirsch, Milk is fast paced and well written. This movie should be a rally cry, a call to people to come together and stand up for gay rights, civil rights, human rights.

05. Brokeback Mountain (2005) - Brokeback Mountain is really as remarkable, moving and powerful as you can imagine. There was so much anticipation, so much back lash, so many jokes and so many people hating it without even giving it a chance. Still, this is a powerful love story. You don't so much see two men falling in love as you see two human beings, afraid of their growing feeligns toward each other. Ang Lee's direction is amazing. Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Williams and, especially, Heath Ledger's performances are just plain perfect. A really great, well done film with staying power.

04. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) - There are very few creative people left in the world but screenwriter Charlie Kaufman is one of them. Eternal Sunshine is fresh and original and unbelievably romantic. Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet play Joel and Clementine so perfectly. Eternal Sunshine is really the antithesis of typical romantic Hollywood cliched movies. It's refreshingly original and unique and intelligent.

03. The Departed (2006) - To this day, I still have issues with the heavy-handed final shot but besides that, The Departed is damn near perfect. The film is both terribly violent and terribly funny. The performances are all top-notch with Leonardo DiCaprio stealing the show with his tough vulnerability. Did Scorsese deserve to win the Oscar for this? Maybe not. But it was decades in the making and The Departed has become another classic from the great director.

02. Into the Wild (2007) - Into the Wild is an inspiration. It is the rarest of films - the kind that burrows into your soul and lives with you forever. The film is almost beyond words for me. There is almost too much beauty, too much tragedy, too much unexplainable perfection to try to capture in a paragraph or two of clumsy words. The performances - especially by lead Emile Hirsch - are powerful, astonishing and encompassing. Sean Penn did a hell of a job directing this film.

01. Almost Famous (2000) - What is it that I love about Almost Famous? To begin with - everything. It's the script, the direction, the performances (one of the most impressive ensembles in recent memory), the music. All of these things add up to a perfect movie. It's the perfect movie for anyone who loves film, music or writing. It's the perfect movie for anyone who has ever idolized a rock star. It's the perfect movie for anyone who has ever loved someone who doesn't love them back. It's the perfect movie for anyone who has ever gone through an awkward adolescent stage. So... it's the perfect movie.

Top Ten List: Best Actors of the Decade

10. Michael Shannon in Bug (2007) - Shannon's work as a possibly mentally ill ex-soldier is so intense that it just sticks so firmly in my mind. This performance could be outlandish but he makes it real. His performance is fearless and his chemistry with Ashley Judd is out of this world.

09. Emile Hirsch in Into the Wild (2007) - Hirsch is funny, charming and a little cocky in this film as he builds his supertramp character who doesn't think he needs human contact for happiness. Still, it's his moments with other characters that are truly divine. Plus, his final few moments on screen are guaranteed to break your heart.

08. Bill Murray in Lost in Translation (2003) - This is Murray at his best. This is a completely different side to him which is impressive in itself. He captures this role with such precision that you believe it was tailer made just for him. His chemistry with Scarlett Johansson is surprisingly realistic and complex. And he has a good singing voice!

07. Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler (2008) - Everyone says he made a hell of a comeback, but for people who are real Rourke fans, they know he never really went anywhere (see also: Spun). The film is about a wrestler struggling with the fact that his career is just about done. He has burned every bridge in his personal life, his looks are fading, he's damaged himself pysically and emotionally for years and years. Rourke probably didn't have to look far for inspiration and it shows with this knock-out performance.

06. Heath Ledger in Brokeback Mountain (2005) - The Dark Knight was a showier role, sure, but at the end of the day, I truly believe Ledger will be remembered for his role as a cowboy in love in Brokeback Mountain. His performance was so simple and so understated that it just seemed so much more realistic. His Joker may be a hell of a lot more fun but it's so much harder to do a quiet, understated performance like he did in Brokeback Mountain.

05. Tom Wilkinson in In the Bedroom (2001) - The movie excellent but mostly it just reminds me of the astounding talents of Tom Wilkinson. He is so perfect as a grieving father and when he sets out to exact his revenge, he acts with intelligence and compassion.

04. Sean Penn in Mystic River (2003) - Penn never misses a beat as a man dealing with the worst possible thing a parent can face - the death of a child. Penn is left playing a complicated character - a grieving father but also a cold-blooded ex-con. He manages to make his performance so intense, so passionate, so realistic and so damn good.

03. Leonardo DiCaprio in The Departed (2006) - DiCaprio is an actor who keeps getting better. In The Departed, he manages to wear his emotions on his sleeve, playing such a vulnerable, terrified, yet tough character. The crazy paradoxes to his character are impressive and DiCaprio simply nails it. He embodies this modern day tragic hero with such grace and ease.

02. Daniel Day-Lewis in There Will Be Blood (2007) - Make no mistake, There Will Be Blood is a movie made for Day-Lewis to do whatever the hell he wants. This is HIS show. His performance is such a powerhouse that it puts most other actors to shame. Then there's that final scene when director Paul Thomas Anderson really lets Day-Lewis off his leash, so to speak. Because, let's face it, he was a sweet little kitten up until that point.

01. Sean Penn in Milk (2008) - Sean Penn is known for his moody, intense work (see number 4) so it's refreshing to see him play someone like Harvey Milk, so carefree and emotionally open. He embodies Harvey Milk and literally becomes him. Penn even inhabits and exudes a sweetness (yes, sweetness... yes, Sean Penn). He plays Harvey to perfection and definitely deserved that second Oscar.

Top Ten List: Best Actress of the Decade

10. Hillary Swank in Million Dollar Baby (2004) - My position on Swank is probably known by now. I'm not her biggest fan. However, good acting is good acting and you can't deny she's incredible in this film. I can't say its her best work (I still love her Boys Don't Cry performance) but she has moved past acting with this role. She simply exists in her character and it's great to watch.

09. Ellen Page in Hard Candy (2005) - Two years before Juno, there was Hard Candy. Page was something like 17 or 18 when she filmed this movie and she manages to give a master's class in acting, delivering a performance so layered and subtle that actors twice or three times her age had to be crazy jealous of her undeniable talent.

08. Julie Christie in Away From Her (2007) - It was the Oscars in 2008 and Julie Christie was flat out robbed by Marion Cotillard in a performance that I can barely even remember. Christie, however, has stuck in my mind, managing to be, dare I say, unforgettable as an Alzheimer patient. Beautiful and tragic, Christie is divine.

07. Michelle Williams in Wendy and Lucy (2008) - Quite possibly the most underrated performance of the year (or maybe even the decade), Williams commands the screen in this slow, bittersweet indie film about the friendship between a woman and her dog on a cross country road trip. Williams is so perfect as a lonely woman who has managed to fall between the cracks; a good person who society has managed to forget about.

06. Naomi Watts in 21 Grams (2003) - Watts has always been a good actress, but she's simply great here. Not only is she remarkably belieavable as a suffering widow but she brings so much gut wrenching emotion to her performance. The movie is presented so strongly out of context and that decision simply makes the performances that much more powerful, especially by Watts who shines as part of a truly impressive ensemble.

05. Ellen Burstyn in Requiem for a Dream (2000) - Quite possibly the most depressing movie I have ever seen and part of that is thanks to Burstyn's killer performance. There's no sugar coating this tale of addicts with Burstyn starring as a sweet Jewish wido who almost unknowingly becomes addicted to prescription diet pills that help her lose weight but plunge her into a terrifying world of paranoia and hallucinations.

04. Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada (2006) - I was going to pick her Doubt performance but let's face it. Meryl can do that kind of thing in her sleep. What impressed me so much about The Devil Wears Prada is Meryl's ability to prove she really can do anything at all, including taking a co-starring role, turning it into a terrifying amalgamation of Cruella DeVille and Anna Wintour and proving that she can be one of the most bankable movie stars in the world. And this is why Meryl Streep is queen. That's all.

03. Helen Mirren in The Queen (2006) - Mirren doesn't merely play Queen Elizabeth II, she becomes Queen Elizabeth II. Her performance is simply superb. Thanks to Mirren, the Queen comes off as complicated and reserved, cold and yet jarringly open. Mirren manages to take this Queen who seems so closed up and larger than life and make her human. The performance is as fascinating as it is entertaining.

02. Nicole Kidman in Moulin Rouge! (2001) - There are times when Kidman comes off as a reserved, closed up actress. But in Moulin Rouge! she is sexy, warm, stunning, loveable, and even a little goofy. Kidman has never been better than playing the born entertainer Satine. From those intricate, lavish and slightly twisted musical numbers to her electrifying chemistry with Ewan McGregor, Kidman is simply - Spectacular, Spectacular!

01. Kate Winslet in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) - Eternal Sunshine is easily the most original love story of the decade and Winslet, who is brilliant in EVERYTHING, doesn't disappoint with her performance here. She plays a woman who craves attention as much as she craves intimacy. She is a little mean but totally loveable. She is a jumble of paradoxes and it's easy to see why anyone would fall madly in love with her. She even manages to be funnier than Jim Carrey. I would only want to erase her and this performance from my memory so I can experience it again for the first time. Simply brilliant.

Golden Globe Nominations

Golden Globe nominations were announced this morning. Here is the list of nominees:

Best Picture, Drama
Avatar
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Precious
Up in the Air
Thoughts - The Hurt Locker and Inglourious Basterds are two of my favorites. Avatar reminds me too much of Ferngully but I'm trying to stay open minded about it. Precious is going to be a critics darling this year. I really need to see Up in the Air.

Best Actress, Drama
Emily Blunt - The Young Victoria
Sandra Bullock - The Blind Side
Helen Mirren - The Last Station
Carey Mulligan - An Education
Gabourey Sidibe - Precious
Thoughts - I can see this being a knock-down drag-out fight between Mirren and Mulligan.

Best Actor, Drama
Jeff Bridges - Crazy Heart
George Clooney - Up in the Air
Colin Firth - A Single Man
Morgan Freeman - Invictus
Tobey Maguire - Brothers
Thoughts - I really need to see Up in the Air. I'm glad Maguire found a way in there because I thought he did an excellent job in Brothers. But where oh where is Jeremy Renner?!

Best Picture, Comedy or Musical
(500) Days of Summer
The Hangover
It's Complicated
Julie & Julia
Nine
Thoughts - (500) Days of Summer is another of my personal favorites. Also, I'm very pleasantly surprised to see The Hangover in this bunch.

Best Actress, Comedy or Musical
Sandra Bullock - The Proposal
Marion Cotillard - Nine
Julia Roberts - Duplicity
Meryl Streep - It's Complicated
Meryl Streep - Julie & Julia
Thoughts - Meryl nominated against herself! The way it should be. Also pleasantly surprised to see Bullock and Roberts in there.

Best Actor, Comedy or Musical
Matt Damon - The Informant!
Daniel Day-Lewis - Nine
Robert Downey Jr. - Sherlock Holmes
Joseph Gordon-Levitt - (500) Days of Summer
Michael Stuhlberg - A Serious Man
Thoughts - I have loved Joseph Gordon-Levitt for so long that is sooooo nice to FINALLY see him getting props for how AMAZING he is.

Best Supporting Actress
Penelope Cruz - Nine
Vera Farmiga - Up in the Air
Anna Kendrick - Up in the Air
Mo' Nique - Precious
Julianne Moore - A Single Man
Thoughts - I REALLY need to see Up in the Air. Also, you should know my position on Mo' Nique by now.

Best Supporting Actor
Matt Damon - Invictus
Woody Harrelson - The Messenger
Christopher Plummer - The Last Station
Stanley Tucci - The Lovely Bones
Christoph Waltz - Inglourious Basterds
Thoughts - Christoph Waltz is nothing short of amazing. At first glance, I thought Woody was getting nominated for Zombieland and thought, "He wasn't supporting in that movie!"

Best Director
Kathryn Bigelow - The Hurt Locker
James Cameron - Avatar
Clint Eastwood - Invictus
Jason Reitman - Up in the Air
Quentin Tarantino - Inglourious Basterds
Thoughts - I really hope Bigelow wins this and not just because she's the only lady in the group. The Hurt Locker is amazing and so is she.

Best TV Series, Drama
Big Love
Dexter
House
Mad Men
True Blood
Thoughts - At least someone shows True Blood love. I'm talking to you, Emmys.

Best Actress, Drama
Glenn Close - Damages
January Jones - Mad Men
Julianna Margulies - The Good Wife
Anna Paquin - True Blood
Kyra Sedgwick - The Closer
Thoughts - I stopped reading at Glenn Close because that's all you realy need to know.

Best Actor, Drama
Simon Baker - The Mentalist
Michael C. Hall - Dexter
Jon Hamm - Mad Men
Hugh Laurie - House
Bill Paxton - Big Love
Thoughts - I don't watch any of these...

Best TV Series, Comedy or Musical
30 Rock
Entourage
Glee
Modern Family
The Office
Thoughts - GLEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Best Actress, Comedy or Musical
Toni Collette - United States of Tara
Courteney Cox - Cougar Town
Edie Falco - Nurse Jackie
Tina Fey - 30 Rock
Lea Michele - Glee
Thoughts - Rachel from GLEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Best Actor, Comedy or Musical
Alec Baldwin - 30 Rock
Steve Carell - The Office
David Duchovny - Californication
Thomas Jane - Hung
Matthew Morrison - Glee
Thoughts - Mr. Shue from GLEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Best Supporting Actress
Jane Adams - Hung
Rose Byrne - Damages
Jane Lynch - Glee
Janet McTeer - Into the Storm
Chloe Sevigny - Big Love
Thoughts - Sue Sylvester from GLEE!!!!!!!!!!

Best Supporting Actor
Michael Emerson - Lost
Neil Patrick Harris - How I Met Your Mother
William Hurt - Damages
John Lithgow - Dexter
Jeremy Piven - Entourage
Thoughts - I've never seen Dexter but I think John Lithgow would make the greatest serial killer ever so he should win and so should the person who decided to cast him!

Tomorrow (or Thursday) Top 10 Actresses of the Decade!

Top Ten Best Supporting Actors of the Decade

10. Christoph Waltz in Inglourious Basterds (2009) - The most exciting supporting actor turn of the year comes from Waltz as a member of the Nazi party who is as charming as he is evil. His turn manages to be funny and terrifying all at once. There's a particular scene between him and Melanie Laurent which is the epitome of intense. She knows what he is capable of yet plays along with nicities and the audience waits for him to turn on her. Brilliant portrayal.

09. Mark Wahlberg in The Departed (2006) - Not only does Wahlberg get to deilver all the best lines, he somehow manages to steal every scene he's in, whether its with DiCaprio, Damon, Baldwin or Martin Sheen. His portrait of a by the books Boston cop leaves the audience anticipating his every scene.

08. Paul Newman in Road to Perdition (2002) - Playing an old Irish mob boss, Newman gives one of his best character performances in decades. He was well into his 70s when he made this film and still managed to show up young guns like Jude Law and Tom Hanks. He gives the most subtle, moving performance in the film. He really was a master.

07. William Hurt in A History of Violence (2005) - He's on screen for all of 15 minutes. Maybe less. But his performance is completely effective and powerful. He shows up near the end and manages to make a good film even stronger with his unexpected and pivotal performance which shows what a powerhouse actor he truly is.

06. Jack Nicholson in The Departed (2006) - Maybe I'm just biased because of my love for Jack. Or maybe it's just because Jack can do this kind of bad boy bad ass role in his sleep but Nicholson shines when working with Scorsese. Playing a Boston mafia kingpin, he's clearly reveling in every single, nearly over the top moment of every scene of which he is a part.

05. Clive Owen in Closer (2004) - As Larry, the hotheaded doctor in love with Julia Roberts' Anna, Owen gives her best performance to date. His character is completely and 100% unlikeable, a sleazy, too-clever, manipulater, yet Owen manages to make him almost charming. He's brash and disagreeable, dangerous and alluring. It's impossible not to take your eyes off him.

04. Jackie Earle Haley in Little Children (2006) - Talk about a comeback! Haley made a name for himself as a child actor in Bad News Bears. Then he all but disappeared only to return again in Little Children playing the worst kind of monster of all - a child molester (and who says he isn't the perfect casting choice for Freddy in the Nightmare on Elm Street remake). His performance is unflinching, unforgiving and just plain brutal.

03. Benicio Del Toro in Traffic (2000) - In a ridiculously amazing cast, it seems hard to think that one little known Latino actor could stand out but Benicio Del Toro managed to shine above big name cast mates like Michael Douglas, Don Cheadle and Catherine Zeta Jones. It's no accident that the movie begins and ends with shots of him. He plays a Mexican cop caught in the middle of a corrupt sysetm and his character is subtle and endlessly compelling.

02. Javier Bardem in No Country For Old Men (2007) - A few years ago, Bardem was winning every award in existence for his portrayal of a silent and very deadly hit man (with a very bad haircut) in No Country for Old Men. And he deserved every single one of those awards plus, probably, more. His Anton Chigurh is absolutely ruthless. He is enigmatic and menacing and becomes this frightening portrait of evil down to his very bones. A brilliant and chilling performance.

01. Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight (2008) - Every great hero needs an equally great villain. In the original Batman films, there were a few good villains, a few decent villains and quite a few terrible ones. The one thing Batman Begins lacked was a really, really good villain. Well, thanks to Heath Ledger's punk rock, anarchist, no-holds-barred performance as The Joker, The Dark Knight had a GREAT villain. Perhaps the greatest villain in the franchise history. He took the Joker well past the silly, funny Joker Nicholson played and went to a much, much darker place. A place so dark, I don't know how the film got away with a PG-13 rating. Ledger may have left us too soon but his performances, this one especially, will live on forever.

Top Ten List: Best Supporting Actress of the Decade

Disclaimer: I've agonized for weeks about these lists. I know I forgot an actor or a movie. But I'm done thinking about it so that's that.

Best Supporting Actress of the Decade

10. Holly Hunter in Thirteen (2003) - Hunter is always superb but she's never been better than the caring mother of a wild teenager in Thirteen. She loves her daugther but doesn't recognize she's spiraling out of control. Her performance is sweet and tender but also painful to watch. It's a powerhouse performance which easily shows up an impressive turn by Evan Rachel Wood as said daughter.

09. Michelle Williams in Brokeback Mountain (2005) - Williams was the one ray of hope on Dawson's Creek. You always just knew she didn't really belong on such a cheesy (at least in its later years) show. She was always destined for greatness and her performance in Brokeback Mountain proves it. Maybe it was her electrifying chemistry with then boyfriend Heath Ledger. Maybe it was just the perfect role for her. But her performance as Alma, the long suffering, vulnerable housewife who discovers something she can't quite understand.

08. Natalie Portman in Closer (2004) - Portman plays the paradoxes of Alice so easily. Alice appears to be wide eyed and innocent... but she is a stripper. Alice is seemingly the most emotionally honest character in the film... yet she turns out to be the biggest liar of all. She's never been better and her best scenes are those where she goes head to head with Clive Owen. The one scene that always sticks out is that brilliantly directed and acted scene at the strip club where Portman and Owen are just the essence of acting perfection.

07. Penelope Cruz in Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008) - Prior to this film, I wasn't such a big fan of Cruz's. Her acting always lacked a lot for me. I had heard she was a much better actress in her native tongue though I never liked her enough to even seek out a Spanish film of hers. Woody Allen's Vicky Cristina Barcelona changed all that. Cruz is a firecracker, exploding on to the screen and taking no prisoners. She has steamy chemistry with Javier Bardem (...and Scarlett Johansson). She's sassy and spunky and hilarious and terrifying and just riveting to watch.

06. Amy Adams in Junebug (2005) - When you think "Amy Adams," you think adorable. And that's because she is - especially in Junebug - but she's so much more than that as well. Her performance as Ashley is so layered and textured. She's charming and witty, heartwarming and optimistic. Best of all, she's sincere and you can feel her honesty in every scene. It's why her performance isn't so much a scene-stealer as a scene-enhancer. She just makes this movie so much better than it would have been without her.

05. Mo' Nique in Precious (2009) - I am all about Mo' Nique this year. The comedian has been written off as not being able to act. Well, guess what? She can and she's a powerhouse. As the cruel, emotionally and physically abusing mother of an overweight illiterate teen, she owns this movie. Even without that final scene - where she breaks down in a social worker's office - her performance was amazing enough. But add that one scene where you actually begin to understand this monster and you've got a performance more than worthy of praise for years to come.

04. Frances McDormand in Almost Famous (2000) - As an over-protective and borderline over-bearing mother, McDormand brings laughs... and a whole lotta heart to her role in Cameron Crowe's rock star film. She means well and only wants to protect her shy and awkward son William as he embarks as a journalist on tour with a band. Her scenes where she connects with the bands lead guitarist are some of her best. As is her line reading of, "Rock stars have kidnapped my son!"

03. Kate Hudson in Almost Famous (2000) - Almost Famous is the single reason I haven't given up on Hudson yet. She's been biding her time with romantic comedies but I know she's got it in her to deliver at least one more knockout performance like she did in Almost Famous. As the perennial groupie Penny Lane, Hudson is the essence of free spirited sweetness. She's got tension filled chemistry with Billy Crudup and a sweet sort of childlike chemistry with Patrick Fugit. When she finally overdoses at the end, it's almost a pleasure to watch the way she crumbles and falls apart. And kudos for that "What kind of beer?" line reading. Beauty and optimism through tears. Hudson has never been - maybe will never be - better.

02. Marcia Gay Harden in Mystic River (2003) - When you're in a movie with a ton of big name actors and on particular guy (Sean Penn) who is giving the performance of his career (up until that point, anyway), it's kind of hard to get noticed. Not if you're my dear, sweet, amazing Marcia. In the film she plays the wife of Tim Robbins character. She's sweet-natured and trusting. She's simply outstanding as the loving wife who has to struggle with the biggest moral dilemma faced by any of the characters. She's brilliant and amazing and that's just one of the reasons why she's my very favorite actress ever! (FYI - Her performance in The Dead Girl just missed out on the top ten list!).

01. Cate Blanchett in I'm Not There (2007) - The short version: She plays Bob Dylan!!! The long version: Not many female actresses would have the balls to play Bob Dylan. Not many could pull it off. Okay, I can't think of anyone else who could have pulled it off. Only Blanchett in all of her nose-twitching, eye-rubbing brilliance. She's subdued and mellow but quick to lash out with sharp wit. Her section of the bizarre but wonderful film is the most straight forward and so she has to be the most like the actual Bob Dylan. She doesn't just mimic him, she becomes him (and looks shockingly like him) in a strange way that's so effective since the character is being played by a woman. Blanchett is simply amazing as she continues to build a resume of quirky, powerhouse performances that not many other actresses could even come close to.