Top Ten Best Performances of 2020

10. Julia Garner as Jane in The Assistant - The Assistant is not an exciting movie.  In fact, not much explicably happens as we follow Garner's put upon assistant throughout a day in her life working for a Harvey Weinstein-esque producer in New York City.  Still, her performance is so taut and controlled, it steadies the movie into becoming compulsively watchable, especially when it's unsettling nature creeps up on you. 

09. Mia Goth as Harriet Smith in Emma. - I've seen Mia Goth in a few different projects now, and she always seems to play someone who is a little strange or a little weird.  I honestly wasn't expecting this kind of performance from her - so pure and innocent, and full of joy.  She inhabits the naivety, childlike wonder and hopeless romanticism of Harriet so perfectly. 

08. Ben Affleck as Jack in The Way Back - As an alcoholic construction worker reeling from a phenomenal personal loss, Affleck is utter, heartbreaking perfection as the messed up Jack.  It's a performance that is so engrossing and so simply outstanding, that it often elevates the story, which is sort of formulaic, but with Affleck at the center, is never boring. 

07. Eliza Scanlen as Milla in Babyteeth - As far as I'm concerned, Scanlen is going to be a huge star.  How someone can go from playing evil Amma in Sharp Objects to sweet Beth in Little Women is beyond me, but now add in this layered and powerful performance as a dying teenager falling in love for the first time, and you are left with someone whose future is very bright.  I read a review where they referred to the movie as "delicate, but never precious" and I think that is an apt description of Scanlen's powerful performance as well.  

06. Anya Taylor-Joy as Emma in Emma. - Taylor-Joy has always seemed like she is of another time or place, so transferring her back to the time of Jane Austen seems like a perfect decision... and it is.  Though we've seen it before, this version of Emma seems absolutely modern, and Taylor-Joy is perfect as the haughty, tunnel vision matchmaker.  She is funny and clever and you just can't take your eyes off of her. 

05. Hayley Bennett as Hunter in Swallow - In a movie that feels like a spiritual successor to Rosemary's Baby, Bennett slays as Hunter, a newly married woman who starts eating inedible things.  Swallow may not sound like a good movie, but it happens to be an unsettling slow burn of a film, with Bennett further making a case for herself as one of the most exciting working actresses today.  

04. Elisabeth Moss as Cecelia in The Invisible Man - **Sigh**  Maybe one day Elisabeth Moss will find a movie that is as good as she is.  Because right now, her talent far outweighs any movie project she has ever been involved with.  She has a knack for choosing great TV roles on great TV shows (Mad Men, Top of the Lake, Handmaid's Tale), but the movies she has been in are below par.  However, she is always great in them, and that is the case here as well.  I found The Invisible Man to be merely average, but Moss is stunning, as usual.  If you want evidence, you only need to watch the first 10 minutes where she wordlessly escapes from an abusive relationship in the dead of night.  She is terrified but determined and resilient.  It's utter perfection.  

03. George MacKay as Ned Kelly in True History of the Kelly Gang - Remember when Marcia Gay Harden invented acting in The Mist?  Watching MacKay carry this movie on his back and act circles around everyone and be simultaneously sensitive and violent, brooding and emotive is sort of like that.  

02. Sidney Flanigan as Autumn in Never Rarely Sometimes Always - This is a movie and a performance that I keep coming back to.  I just can't get either out of my head.  As a 17 year old from rural Pennsylvania with an unwanted pregnancy, this slow and subtle movie follows Flanigan as she travels to New York City to get an abortion.  Her performance is so powerful, made even more so by how small it is.  There are no big emotional outbursts, no yelling, no screaming, no "meaty" actor scenes.  In fact, the most powerful scene is when Autumn has to answer a questionnaire administered by a clerk at the clinic.  The camera never leaves her face as she is asked progressively more excruciatingly intimate questions that she has to answer with either "never," "rarely," "sometimes," or "always."  It's one of the quietest scenes of the year, and one of the most unforgettable. 

01. Aubrey Plaza, Christopher Abbott and Sarah Gadon as Alison, Gabe and Blair in Black Bear - All the passive aggression and aggressive aggression, the bizarre love triangle argumentative spirit, the subtle sexiness, the manipulation and, just, general mind fuckery.  This trio gets all the mind blown, fire emojis.  

Best Supporting Actor and Actress 2019

Supporting Actor

05. Tracy Letts in Ford v Ferrari - It should come as no surprise that I think Tracy Letts is a national treasure, not only as a playwright, but also as an actor. After his layered, heart-warming performance as Lady Bird's dad two years ago, he should (FINALLY) be on everyone's radar. Ford v Ferrari tries to get by on the movie star charisma of Christian Bale and Matt Damon, and it mostly does, but Letts - as Henry Ford II - steals every scene that he is in. His crowning moment is the range of emotion he portrays in a single scene - being driven in a race car for the first time. It's a masterclass in acting and a pleasure to watch.

04. Timothee Chalamet in Little Women - Thank goodness we were blessed with a Little Women retelling when Timothee Chalamet is the perfect age to portray romantic leading man Laurie, because he is effortlessly perfect for the role of lovesick boy and charming, drunken, womanizing (as much as you can be those things in a family movie) young romantic suitor. With his delicate beauty, and endless talent, he mesmerizes as Laurie, and makes it look easy. The entire movie is cast so well, but Chalamet is utterly perfect for this role. He has one great, big scene, that is impressive, but it's the little moments - the under the breath comments, the flirtations - that really make this character.

03. Jonathan Majors in The Last Black Man in San Francisco - As a sensitive artist, Majors breaks out in a big way in The Last Black Man in San Francisco, one of the most underrated, must-see movies of the year. He's quiet and watchful for the majority of the movie, but has a truly impressive, big scene near the end, which will change the way you look at him and the movie. Keep your eye on him, because he's going to be huge.

02. Song kang-ho in Parasite - The entire ensemble of Korean thriller Parasite is truly impressive, but it's Song kang-ho who steals the movie in a big way. As a down on his luck father, fighting to make a buck to help his family, he saunters on to every frame like he's Korea's answer to Daniel Day-Lewis. By the time you get to THAT TURNING POINT and that AMAZING ENDING, you won't be able to stop thinking about him or his performance.

01. Brad Pitt in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood - Let's call 2019, the year I finally started loving Brad Pitt. And Once Upon a Time in Hollywood - and his killer tough, cool guy performance - is one of the many reasons. Is anyone more effortlessly cool than Brad Pitt in this movie? He's a stunt man and personal driver to a movie star who gets mixed up with the Manson family, all while kicking ass. And did I mention the "fixing the roof shirtless scene"? Because, Jesus, he's beautiful.


Supporting Actress

05. Juliette Binoche in High Life - I'm not sure I can recommend High Life as a movie. Sure, it's got a really great twist ending, but it's also slow and long and not exactly fun to watch. But if you are looking for the ballsiest, gutsiest, most daring, out there performance of the year - look no further than Juliette Binoche, who absolutely kills it as a controversial scientist. She is remarkable to watch.

04. Jennifer Lopez in Hustlers - I wanted to watch Hustlers mostly to see if Lopez is as good as everyone on Twitter says she is... and she is. From doing sexy strip dances to Fiona Apple songs, to playing mama bear to a bunch of wayward strippers, to seducing and destroying the lives of men - she drips and oozes with unabashed movie star magnetism and sex appeal. I firmly believe no one else in all of Hollywood could have played Ramona, the stripper with NO heart of gold, better than Lopez.

03. Elisabeth Moss in Us - The first time we see Elisabeth Moss in Us, she is little more than a cliche - spoiled rich wife and mother who has a subtle disdain for her husband and spoiled brat twins. The next time we see Elisabeth Moss in Us, she is an absolute force to reckon with. I think Moss is one of the most gifted and exciting actresses to watch right now. From stealing the entirety of Mad Men away from Jon Hamm, to her next level work on Handmaid's Tale, she has been the queen of television of the 2000's. Hopefully, soon she will be a movie star, too.

02. Florence Pugh in Little Women - Justice for Amy! In every other adaptation of Little Women, Amy has been portrayed as a one dimensional brat, spoiled and unlikable. But with this retelling, we finally get a layered portrait of Amy - a complicated girl living in a complicated time, struggling with sibling rivalry and trying to marry rich to save her poor family. Pugh makes Amy tough, and yes, a little snotty, but she brings such a vivacity to her performance, that you see the tender and loving side too. Being a woman - and a sister - is complicated, not just black or white - likable or unlikable - and Pugh knocks it out of the park.

01. Laura Dern in Marriage Story - Laura Dern took a little time away from being the only good thing about season two of Big Little Lies to give a bat out of hell performance in Marriage Story. As a savage, killer divorce attorney she manages to be kind and killer, polite and deadly, sweet and savage all while wearing killer heels. If she didn't have your vote for Best Supporting Actress before the trial scene, that will seal the deal. Dern is a national treasure and kills it in every moment of this movie.

Best Supporting Actress 2018

05. Michelle Williams in I Feel Pretty - Michelle Williams is one of the most talented actresses working today. If there was any justice, she would already have an Oscar. It's a good thing she'll have plenty of future chances, because she's surely not going to win it for this movie. I Feel Pretty is by no means a good movie. It's mediocre at best, but Williams work is still impossibly delightful. With the breathy voice and the airhead Barbie looks, Williams steals every scene she is in and makes this mediocre movie something you can actually sit through. Shining so brightly in such a dull movie is just further proof of how very talented she is.

04. Thomasin McKenzie in Leave No Trace - Director Debra Granik has an eye for talent. She gave Jennifer Lawrence her breakthrough role with Winter's Bone, and now it looks like she'll do the same with McKenzie. As the daughter of a survivalist with PTSD, McKenzie shines as a young woman who spent her life living in the wilderness trying to adapt to a normal life. She has very little dialogue throughout the movie, but you still feel every emotion she wants you to. Chemistry with movie dad Ben Foster surely helps, but this is a raw and authentic performance from a talent so young, that it makes you excited for what she will do next (hopefully she won't follow the same route as Lawrence and become a caricature of herself).

03. Claire Foy in First Man - First Man is basically a boys club. The entire cast is almost entirely male. Maybe that makes Foy even better, because she stands out in every single scene she is involved in. She's a supportive wife and mother, struggling with a husband who would rather go to the moon than stay on earth with his family. She is loving and tender, sassy and tough. She is a force to be reckoned with, and that scene where she goes to NASA headquarters to demand answers is a gem.

02. Ashlie Atkinson in Blackkklansman - There are quite a few stand out performances in Blackkklansman. Adam Driver and John David Washington are rightly getting awards season attention. But no one is talking about Atkinson, who plays the wife of a white supremacist / KKK member. She is at once a friendly and welcoming hostess, and a hateful, self-righteous bigot. It's a performance so layered, it feels so intimately authentic, that it will leave you feeling chilled to the bone. Her Connie is just as likely to bake you a pie with a smile on her face than she is to put a pipe bomb in your mail box. She's riveting to watch.

01. Elizabeth Debicki in Widows - Debicki is a revelation. In a star-studded cast that stars a who's who of the most talented character actors and movie stars, Debicki steals every single second of screen time she has. As an abused widow whose gone from her mom's house to her husband's house, she starts the movie as a lost and terrified little girl who doesn't know how to do anything on her own. Throughout the movie, we watch as she grows before our eyes, with the movies best (maybe only?) character arc. She learns to wield her sex appeal to get things done. She learns to read people's wants, needs and desires to get them to do what she needs them to. And she finally stands up for herself, and refuses to be anyone's punching bag. In the hands of a lesser actor, this role would have diminished to the background in such a talented cast. Instead, she becomes the best part of the movie.

Best Supporting Actress 2017

05. Beanie Feldstein in Lady Bird - The only love story that is part of Lady Bird is the love between best friends Lady Bird and Julie, played by Feldstein. In fact, the best moment in the movie is when Lady Bird gets out of the car of a jerk boy on prom night and goes to prom with her bestie instead. And thanks to Feldstein's charming portrayal, she's a best friend we all wish we could have. She casually steals every scene she is in and has such great chemistry with star Saoirse Ronan, that it truly is a pleasure to discover her.

04. Zoe Kazan in The Big Sick - I know what you are thinking - Zoe Kazan spends half of the movie in a coma in a hospital bed. That's true, but if Kazan's performance wasn't so neurotically charming from the first moment we see her, then the movie wouldn't work at all. Her performance is pivotal and it's ultimately so quirky and smart that she makes Emily so easy to fall in love with as an audience.

03. Holly Hunter in The Big Sick - She spends most of the movie bickering with on-screen husband Ray Romano (I mean, get these two a sitcom or something, because their chemistry together is fantastic), or subtly throwing shade at her daughter's maybe-boyfriend. But her performance is ultimately endearing and hilarious (especially when she lashes out at a heckler at a comedy show). The character itself is pretty great, but only someone as talented as Hunter could give such a fully realized and beautifully layered performance.

02. Tatiana Maslany in Stronger - Before I saw Stronger, I didn't understand how Jake Gyllenhaal was being so overlooked by awards groups. Now that I've seen the movie I can't understand how Maslany is either. She gives a tough and tender performance, elevating the role of "caretaker girlfriend" to something riveting that you can't stop watching. Her exploration of a love motivated by guilt is really as impressive as the depths Gyllenhaal goes to as well. She gives a raw performance as a flawed character and it's astounding to watch her in every scene.

01. Laurie Metcalf in Lady Bird - The largely underrated actress finally gets a role she can really sink her teeth into as the exasperated and overworked mom of the title character. This is a warts and all look at the complicated love between a mother and a daughter. And yes, she gets her showy Oscar clip, and yes, she gets to yell and shout and cry and all of those emotional moments. But what is so truly remarkable about her performance is how real it feels. This is not sugar coated. This feels like a real mother-daughter relationship. It's not like watching a movie, it's like watching your life.

Best Supporting Actress 2016

05. Rachel Weisz in The Light Between Oceans - As a grieving mother, she is the heart and soul of this movie, which maybe feels a bit melodramatic at times, but her performance is never anything less than perfection.

04. Rachel Weisz in The Lobster - Starring as the love interest in a romantic dark comedy may not sound like it is ripe for solid acting performances, but when the movie is as bizarre and wonderful as The Lobster, and the performance is a textured and complicated as Weisz', then you've got yourself an exception to the rule.

03. Jena Malone in The Neon Demon - One of the weirder movies of the year... Without giving anything away, I will say that Malone has a certain scene that took a ton of balls, and she nailed it. I have always been impressed with actors who are gutsy and fearless, and so that is why Malone earns a spot on my list. But trust me when I say the Oscars wouldn't touch this performance with a ten foot pole.

02. Michelle Williams in Manchester By The Sea - One of the things I love so much about Manchester By The Sea (and there are many things I love) is how restrained it is. They easily could have given Williams a huge sobbing emotional breakdown scene, but they didn't. And the fact that she is still on this list is a testament to how great she truly is.

01. Viola Davis in Fences - There is a certain scene in this movie, and it's about 5 minutes long, that is, I think, the best 5 minutes of acting in the entire year. And those 5 minutes belong entirely to Viola Davis. She is extraordinary, and as good as her scene partner Denzel Washington is, Viola Davis makes you forget all about his existence. She is strong and she is fierce, and the Oscars might as well already engrave her name on the Best Supporting Actress statue because she more than deserves it.

Best Supporting Actress 2015

05. Elizabeth Banks in Love and Mercy - As the girlfriend and eventual wife of Brian Wilson, Banks took what could have been a cliche, throwaway role and transformed it into a singular and compelling character who shows the power of love pulling us out of our darkest moments.

04. Kate Winslet in Steve Jobs - In a movie about men, written by men, made by men, Winslet is extraordinary as the lone woman, the sweet but ballsy, sympathetic but tough assistant to Jobs who was never afraid to speak her mind.

03. Kristen Stewart in The Clouds of Sils Maria - Another role that could have been a throwaway cliche - the long suffering assistant to a fading movie star - Stewart is a revelation in the role. If you, like me, wasn't entirely convinced she had any acting chops, watch this movie. It may be boring, but she never is.

02. Alicia Vikander in Ex Machina - I had seen Vikander just once before this, in a small role in Anna Karenina, but that didnt prepare me for the kind of impact she would have with this movie, as a sexy and manipulative A.I., who will do anything to be free.

01. Jennifer Jason Leigh in The Hateful Eight - Quentin Tarantino movies are notoriously talky films. So, what to make of the fact that the best performance in his newest effort is by an actress who spends three quarters of the film mostly quiet? Leigh does more with her eyes and physicality than most other actresses could do with all that and the fancy words, too.

Best Supporting Actress 2014

05. Carrie Coon in Gone Girl - For being a moral compass, the only reliable character, and a complete scene stealer. For her spitfire delivery while being honest, hilarious and wise. For expertly spewing brutal truths about her sister-in-law.

04. Laura Dern in Wild - For her aching empathy and sweet, tender performance. For being the ghost in the memories of her daughter. For that scene of her singing in the kitchen.

03. Emma Stone in Birdman - For her verbal acrobatics. For switching emotions like switching gears in a car. For those big, beautiful eyes and look of amazement in the final scene.

02. Patricia Arquette in Boyhood - For being the steady, quiet, all-encompassing heart at the center of the story. For showing the fortitude and strength of single mothers.  For nailing the line, "I'm a poor white with a big house."

01. Rene Russo in Nightcrawler - For portraying a woman of a certain age who is striving and clawing and determined to stay relevant and vital. For her steely exterior and her fierce control. For her questionable ethics. For being seductive and enticing and fearful and fearless. For that frightening romantic dinner scene.

Best Supporting Actress 2013

Every year, I make lists of who I think is the Best Lead Actor and Actress and Supporting Actor and Actress, as well as Best Films. This year, I almost skipped Best Supporting Actress. While my Best Supporting Actor list is overflowing, I was pretty unimpressed with my choices for Supporting Actress. A lot of the actresses getting Oscar buzz have failed to really shine to me. Sure, Oprah was fine in The Butler, but best supporting actress? No. We all know how I feel about Jennifer Lawrence in American Hustle by now (and it ain't good, ya'll). And I remember really liking Melonie Diaz in Fruitvale Station and Sally Hawkins in Blue Jasmine, but for the life of me, I have no idea why now. So, this is not the best list I have ever come up with in this category. But it's the best I could do in a pretty disappointing year for supporting women.

05. Scarlett Johansson in Don Jon - I have yet to see her voice only work in Her (this weekend!!) which everyone is praising, but if she is as good as she was in Don Jon, then this has been a very good year for Johansson. I've always liked Scarlett, although I never thought she quite lived up to the potential she showed in early films like Ghost World and Lost in Translation. The closest she's come to being great is when she briefly became Woody Allen's muse. But, I was thoroughly impressed with her work as a sexy, bratty Jersey Girl in Don Jon (one of the only things I was impressed with regarding that movie!). Scarlett manages to be sexy and hilarious, using her killer curves and nailing the Jersey Girl vibe without letting her character become a rip off of Snooki. This is the perfect role for her. It allows her to be a sex symbol AND a character actress, all at once.

04. Margot Robbie in The Wolf of Wall Street - It's been a good year for pretty blonde girls playing sexy, loud Jersey girls. In Robbie's case, it's a Queens girl, but, like Scarlett, she manages to be sexy while also bringing depth to the only female character that is really distinguishable in a movie about men. She doesn't quite get to Lorraine Bracco from Goodfellas territory, but she also doesn't let this character become a Real Housewife of New Jersey, which it easily could have become. She's got one scene, especially, where she truly let's fly, and it's pretty great. This is truly a star making role for Robbie. Also, bonus points for nailing the accent. Margot Robbie is an Aussie. I never would have guessed.

03. Sarah Paulson in 12 Years a Slave - Paulson isn't getting nearly as much attention as her co-stars, but her performance is every bit as good. As the wife to a mercurial slave plantation owner, Paulson is a quiet, strained, manipulative, tense woman. She keeps her emotions in check, unless its regarding Patsey, the slave who seems to be the apple of her husband's eye. That's when Paulson really lets her anger flare up and it's great to watch a woman who is so controlled hold all of that in check until it slowly boils over. Paulson should be getting much more attention for her sly, subtle performance.

02. Lupita Nyong'o in 12 Years a Slave - Nyong'o plays Patsey, a slave who should be honored to be in the position she's in. As far as slaves go, Patsey is the absolute favorite of her slave owner. In fact, he may actually be in love with her. But while Patsey puts on a brave face, she secretly begs Solomon to end her life. This may be Nyong'o's first professional role, but she's bound to have a long career ahead of her. Her performance is stunning, beautiful and utterly heart breaking.

01. Emma Watson in The Bling Ring - I know what you are probably thinking, that this is a ridiculous choice for Best Supporting Actress of the year. But I stand by my decision, and here's why. Emma Watson absolutely nails it. In a year of so many supporting female performances that didn't impress, or were completely forgettable, Watson's portrayal of a vapid, ditzy, spoiled rich brat is still so vivid in my mind. I never saw any Harry Potter movies. The only experience I had with Watson's acting was The Perks of Being a Wallflower and everyone stole that movie from her. I wasn't fully convinced Watson had any talent, but she absolutely does and she proves it in The Bling Ring. There used to be a reality show on E a few years ago that starred the girl Watson portrays in this movie. I'm not too proud to admit I watched it religiously (what? I love train wreck TV). Watson absolutely becomes this woman, nailing her vocal inflections and pronunciations, her vacant ditzy ways. It's a simply great performance, and one that has definitely stuck with me.

Friday Top Five: Best of the Year (So Far...)

I honestly can't even tell you where summer went. It seems like it just started and yet it's just about September. Which is bad because I hate all things winter related, but good because now it's time to get into the good movies. Summer was mostly disappointing as far as movies go. Still, there are a few movies and performances that really stuck with me through summer and, really, the first eight months of the year. In January of every year, I make top ten lists of my favorite movies and acting performances of the year, but often a few performances from the earlier parts of the year fall off the radar by then. So, this week's top five is really FIVE top fives - my favorites in each category, so far.

Best Film
01. The Place Beyond the Pines
02. Blue Jasmine
03. Fruitvale Station
04. Mud
05. You're Next

Best Actor
01. Michael B. Jordan in Fruitvale Station
02. Ryan Gosling in The Place Beyond the Pines
03. Jude Law in Side Effects
04. Tye Sheridan in Mud
05. Brad Pitt in World War Z

Best Actress
01. Cate Blanchett in Blue Jasmine
02. Mia Wasikowska in Stoker
03. Jane Levy in Evil Dead
04. Rooney Mara in Side Effects
05. Sharni Vinson in You're Next

Best Supporting Actor
01. Ben Mendelsohn in The Place Beyond the Pines
02. Sam Rockwell in The Way Way Back
03. Sharlto Copley in Elysium
04. Matthew Goode in Stoker
05. Matthew McConaughey in Mud

Best Supporting Actress
01. Emma Watson in The Bling Ring
02. Melonie Diaz in Fruitvale Station
03. Sally Hawkins in Blue Jasmine
04. Nicole Kidman in Stoker
05. Leslie Mann in The Bling Ring

This weekend sucks for movies so unless the boyfriend agrees to take me to see the One Direction movie, I won't be seeing anything. (And I'm really only half joking about that last sentence). But, I leave you with this question: How many award worthy performances in a row can Matthew McConaughey give?? By my count, we are up to four now with possibly / probably two more on the way.

Best of 2012: Best Supporting Actress & Actor

Best Supporting Actress
10. Kelly Reilly in Flight - For making the cliche junkie with a heart of gold feel more raw and lived in than anyone else in a very long time.
09. Charlize Theron in Snow White and the Huntsman - For being the fairest and bitchiest queen of all.
08. Susan Sarandon in Arbitrage - For being the devoted wife, until she decides to blackmail her lying, cheating husband.
07. Jacki Weaver in Silver Linings Playbook - For being the devoted wife and mother... no, for real.
06. Judi Dench in Skyfall - For proving that M is the only Bond girl that matters.
05. Sally Field in Lincoln - For the scene in which she gives it to Tommy Lee Jones real good.
04. Emily Blunt in Looper - For being equally terrified of and devoted to her son.
03. Anne Hathaway in Les Miserables - For that killer, heart breaking rendition of I Dreamed a Dream.
02. Amy Adams in The Master - For taking the least showy role and quietly stealing the show from the boys.
01. Samantha Barks in Les Miserables - For being the girl everyone can relate to, and singing On My Own in the rain, and actually being able to sing, and actually showing true, real emotion. And finally, for being the best thing about a terrible movie.

Best Supporting Actor
10. Matthew McConaughey in Magic Mike - For being completely fearless and having a blast in his most fun role of a stellar year for him.
09. Samuel L. Jackson in Django Unchained - For being an even nastier villain than the main villain.
08. John Goodman in Flight - For being the worst influence of all time.
07. Nate Parker in Arbitrage - For coming out of nowhere and being absolutely electrifying.
06. Ezra Miller in The Perks of Being a Wallflower - For taking what could have been a cliched gay teenager role and turning it into something so special.
05. Tommy Lee Jones in Lincoln - For putting his money where his mouth is (and being the only amusing thing in a boring movie).
04. Leonardo DiCaprio in Django Unchained - For playing his first villain so perfectly, walking the fine line between hilarious and terrifying.
03. Robert DeNiro in Silver Linings Playbook - For giving us all one more great DeNiro performance (see you can still be a great actor and make a comedy!).
02. Ewan McGregor in The Impossible - For being such a natural talent that it's almost like watching someone really live through this stuff, and for THAT SCENE, that one scene which will tear your heart out.
01. Jason Clarke in Zero Dark Thirty - For giving the single best performance of this year regardless of gender or lead/supporting classifications. For giving a ferocious, sexy, vulnerable, mysterious performance that just left me wanting so much more.

Wednesday - Lead Actress & Actor!

Top Ten List: Best Supporting Actress 2011

10. Judi Dench for J. Edgar - J. Edgar was a huge disappointment. Not a disappointment? The expectantly great performances from Leonardo DiCaprio and Judi Dench, as his tough love mother who loves and berates him and adores and terrifies him. It's a splendidly layered performance.

09. Bryce Dallas Howard for The Help - Howard is fabulous as the ultimate mean girl in the 1950s, treating her servants, friends and even family members like crap. But don't worry. She more than gets what she deserves.

08. Judy Greer for The Descendants - Greer doesn't show up until about three quarters of the way through the movie. She doesn't have a very big part, but she plays her few scenes with so much substance and subtlety that you can't take your eyes off of her.

07. Allison Pill for Midnight in Paris - As the flamboyant, fabulous Zelda Fitzgerald, Pill is a delight with her Southern accent and hatred for Ernest Hemingway. Even when she's having a break down, she's charismatic.

06. Anna Kendrick for 50/50 - This under the radar movie was so underrated and so is Kendrick's performance as a newbie therapist who maybe needs a little therapy herself. Her performance is warm and sweet and awkward and lovely.

05. Jessica Chastain for The Tree of Life - Chastain came out of nowhere this year and managed to give a handful of spectacular performances. In The Tree of Life, she holds her own opposite Brad Pitt and Sean Penn as a loving, beautiful, caring mother.

04. Octavia Spencer for The Help - So much sass! Spencer plays the role of Minny to perfection. Her maid is spunky and has more than enough moxie to go around.

03. Jessica Chastain for The Help - The Help was probably the best ensemble of the year. And the stand out? Chastain, of course, as the ditzy, brand new rich girl who would do anything to fit in. She's funny and sweet and loveable.

02. Shailene Woodley for The Descendants - I wasn't buying the hype either. I thought, no way is this little girl from that pregnant teenager show on ABC Family THAT good. But, she is. As Alexandra, daughter of Clooney, she plays angsty teenager so naturally that you forget she's playing a character and think she's just herself.

01. Jessica Chastain for Take Shelter - The Oscars may be burned out on Chastain's ubiquitous year by the time nominations are announced, but I'm certainly not. Chastain glows in so many outstanding performances this year that it's hard to pick just one as THE performance. But, opposite Michael Shannon, she proves she's a force to be reckoned with and one to watch for years to come.

Top Ten List: Best Supporting Actress 2010

10. Blake Lively in The Town - Going about as far away from Gossip Girl's Serena Van der Kamp as she can possibly get, Lively proves she's an actress to watch out for in the superb The Town. Lively's character is a tough Boston single mom, who wants ex-boyfriend Ben Affleck back in her bed. A big theme of the film is loyalty but can Lively's drunken, tough talking character be loyal if she's secretly bitter about Ben's new lady love?

09. Emily Mortimer in Shutter Island - In a movie with a huge ensemble of great actors giving great performances, Mortimer shines as Rachel Solando, an escaped mental patient who murdered her children. She only has one really juicy scene but damn if she doesn't steal it straight from Leonardo DiCaprio. One moment she's sweet and loving, and then, in the blink of an eye, she's ready to cut your throat.

08. Chloe Moretz in Kick Ass - Can you think of anything more fun than a 10 year old who curses like a sailor and likes to play with knives and guns?? Me either! Moretz knocks it out of the park as Hit Girl, a total bad ass who will kick your ass while listening to Joan Jett's "Bad Reputation."

07. Patricia Clarkson in Easy A - Okay, listen, I love my mom. I love her more than anything. But I will admit that there was a moment of weakness while watching Easy A when I said, "Man, I wish Patricia Clarkson was my mom." She's just so damn... cool. Whether she is giving out relationship advice or admitting to her daughter that she was a teenage slut, Clarkson totally nails the hippie/awesome/mom thing.

06. Barbara Hershey in Black Swan - We go from a perfect mom to a not-so-perfect mom. Hershey is the epitome of a stage mom in Black Swan. She doesn't do anything evil, per se, but she does baby her daughter and push her to perfection so severly that her sweet little daughter ultimately loses her damn mind. Hershey is amazing.

05. Melissa Leo in The Fighter - And here's another mom that I just wouldn't want. Leo proves boxing isn't just a man's world as the mom / manager of two Massachusetts boxing legends in The Fighter. She may love her kids a little too much. She's intense, tough as can be, and also a little crazy, especially when she sends her seven crazy daughters after her son's new girlfriend!

04. Rooney Mara in The Social Network - I haven't always been a fan of Mara's work. I thought she single-handedly ruined the remake of The Nightmare of Elm Street (which had potential but her lifeless performance sucked it dry). However, I take it all back. With just one substantial scene, Mara breaks hearts and steals scenes. She's thoughtful, frustrated, and hilarious as she shows you how to REALLY break up with someone.

03. Mila Kunis in Black Swan - This role is about as far away from Jackie on That 70s Show as you can possibly get. The starting point for so much of the intensity in Black Swan is the demented friendship / rivalry between Natalie Portman's sweet, tightly wound Nina and Kunis' wild and unrestrained Lilly. She's utterly seductive and plays the different facets of her character with ease.

02. Marion Cotillard in Inception - There is a reason her characters name is Mal, meaning she just might be evil. Cotillard is perfection as the crazy dead wife of Leonardo DiCaprio's Dom. She is pure passion - being so very needy one moment, erupting with anger the next, then weeping uncontrollably in the next second. There is a reason that Dom can't get her out of his head. Anyone who has seen the movie can't either!

01. Amy Adams in The Fighter - Amy Adams always plays such sweet, lovable characters. First there was Junebug. Then there was Enchanted. Even when she's playing a nun (Doubt), she's giving bunnies and the little girl who plays Lily on Modern Family a run for their money in the "cutest things ever" department. But, in The Fighter, Amy Adams shows a completely different side to herself. She's tough as nails as the former wild child party girl who knows tends bar and falls for a boxer. She stands up to his impossibly intimidating mom, she teaches her man how to grow a little backbone and become a better man, all while being completely and totally sexy. She can seduce and then beat the crap out of seven crazy sisters. In a career that is already stellar, this is Adams' best role yet!

Coming tomorrow... Best Supporting Actor!

Top Ten List: Best Supporting Actress 2009

It's time for my annual top ten lists. First, however, I'd like to say that I thought 2009 was a pretty disappointing year for movies and that fact is proven by the very lacking top ten lists I have this year (especially my Best Supporting Actor list which is just a mess). Every day this week I will be counting down the ten best Supporting Actor and Actress, Lead Actor and Actress and, of course, Film. Keep in mind there are a number of films that I really wanted to see that I didn't get a chance to, including Nine, The Road, A Single Man, A Serious Man, Crazy Heart, etc. So, for now, here is the first list...

Best Supporting Actress 2009
10. Catherine Keener in Where the Wild Things Are - Keener is always spectacular and here she takes very limited screen time and creates a three-dimensional very real feeling mom to life.

09. Patricia Clarkson in Whatever Works - Whatever Works is hardly one of Woody Allen's best films. However, even when Woody isn't at his best, his films are usually better than most others. The best thing about Whatever Works is Clarkson's deliciously hilarious performance as a naive Southerner who is soon the toast of the New York Art scene and exploring her sexuality.

08. Rosamund Pike in An Education - Hilariously and decidedly un-academic, Pike plays the perfect foil for Carey Mulligan's Jenny. Her Fanny is just so ditzy and such a dumb blonde. In a movie with a very dark side, you can't help but smile when Pike is on the screen.

07. Sigourney Weaver in Avatar - Weaver's performance is just fantastic. It also proves that this technology that James Cameron all but invented really works since we get such a sense of her performance even when she's a nine foot tall blue alien. It's a testament to the film and Cameron that we can be so moved by a creature.

06. Paula Patton in Precious - Patton's performance in Precious may not be the best (more about that soon) but it may be my favorite of the film. Patton is so sweet and so kind and so heartwarming that her kindness melts your heart a little bit.

05. Monica Potter in The Last House on the Left - The Last House on the Left is one of the few films that has actually stuck with me from way back in February (or March or whenever it was released). At the beginning, Potter is cautious, loving and happy. By the end, her whole world has been ripped apart and she is both heartbroken and ready to exact revenge.

04. Vera Farmiga in Up in the Air - What most helps Farmiga's performance is that she and Clooney have some GREAT chemistry. She's able to go toe-to-toe with him and their chemistry reminds me of old-school movie chemistry. She's sexy and powerful and I'm glad she's finally found a role so worthy of her talents.

03. Anna Kendrick in Up in the Air - For as sexy and confident as Farmgia is in Up in the Air, Kendrick is the opposite. She's young and confused, recently out of college and struggling to define her life as an adult. She's got her life planned out like she thinks it should go - marriage, children. Yet her eyes are open to the fragility and intimacy of the people all around her. Her performance was perhaps the most surprising of the year.

02. Melanie Laurent in Inglourious Basterds - As a young Jewish refugee ready to exact revenge on the Nazi's who destroyed her family, Laurent is terribly impressive. The particular scene that always stands out to me is a scene at a restaurant between her and Christoph Waltz. She knows what he is capable of, yet is forced to make nice with him during dinner. It's a scene between the two best actors in the film and a scene where I don't think I let out a breath the entire time.

01. Mo' Nique in Precious - What else is there to say about the most ballsy, fearless, fierce, heartbreaking, terrifying, electrifying, moving, brilliant performance of the year? Hope she's practiced her acceptance speech.


Tomorrow - the very disappointing Best Supporting Actor list.

Top Ten List - Best Supporting Actress

10. Evan Rachel Wood in The Wrestler - She has just three keys scenes but Wood milks it for all it's worth. Cheers for going toe to toe with the great Mickey Rourke and holding her own.

09. Alison Pill in Milk - Maybe it's just my undying devotion and love for this movie, but I'd give the whole damn cast an award. Pill is barely in it, but she's still a little spitfire, whipping the men of the movie into shape and helping Harvey Milk make history.

08. Catherine Keener in Hamlet 2 - I just keep picturing her drinking that huge drink at the Mexican restaurant / bar. Keener could probably read the phone book and I would think she was worthy of high praise.

07. Viola Davis in Doubt - She's on screen for about twelve minutes but she takes full advantage of those twleve minutes to give a powerhouse performance. Her thought process is devastating in its assuredness.

06. Debra Winger in Rachel Getting Married - In a year of comebacks, Winger's is very welcome. She's been absent for way too long. She doesn't have a lot to do in Rachel Getting Married but there's that one big scene with Anne Hathaway that is shocking and riveting at the same time.

05. Amy Adams in Doubt - Viola Davis may be getting all the attention but I prefer Adams' more subtle and nuanced performance. In a movie filled with people who are stubborn and shady, Adams is the innocent and pure Sister James. Also, she's probably the key to figuring out the key mystery in the film.

04. Taraji P. Henson in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - Sweet and tough, Henson is finally breaking through to the fore front. She should have been nominated for Hustle and Flow and this year she continues her streak of good natured supporting characters. She elevates every scene in which she is a part.

03. Marisa Tomei in The Wrestler - Looking sexier than ever, Tomei plays a single mom stripper who is, like Rourke's title character, struggling with losing her youth and looks. Unlike Rourke's character, she is capable of finally growing up. Her final scene is heartbreaking.

02. RoseMarie Dewitt in Rachel Getting Married - Anne Hathaway may be getting all the attention for her intense performance (and she does deserve it) but I actually prefer Dewitt's more subtle performance. She plays the "perfect" sister but she never becomes a cliche. She never tries to hide Rachel's flaws. And because of that she plays this role flawlessly.

01. Penelope Cruz in Vicky Cristina Barcelona - Volatile. Vivacious. Lunatic. Neurotic. Enigmatic. Sexy. Agitated spitfire. Just a few words to describe Cruz's brilliant take on the slightly crazy ex-wife of Javier Bardem's character. She has so many great scenes. Why she wins my award as the Best Supporting Actress of 2008? A specific scene when she is just released from a hospital for trying to kill herself. Bardem takes her home to meet his new American tourist girlfriend played by Scarlett Johansson. Scarlett asks her if she wants anything to which Cruz so perfectly and so simply replies, "Vodka." Great line reading. Great performance.

Tomorrow - Best Supporting Actor