Q&A
Monday, March 2, 2015 at 6:04PM 
Yay! It's the return of the long departed much requested Q&A column. Readers ask questions. I pick a handful or two to answer on Mondays. Hopefully it'll be rejuvenating. Every March I feel more like the banner up top. It's the collapsing period post-Oscar.
Let's get right to it and see how long I can keep up it this spring.
JOEY: Now that Julianne has her Oscar, which overdue actress would you most want to see walk away with her golden boy? Annette? Michelle? Someone else?
NATHANIEL: Obviously the 1980s were when AMPAS screwed up most in terms of key actresses who defined the time not being rewarded. This accounts for Close, Weaver, Turner, and Pfeiffer being unOscared. Assuming it's too late for them (and I do) the best I can hope for is the Academy to stop thinking only men deserve Honorary Oscars and take care of at least one of them. Also: is it too greedy to say that Kidman needs a second to remind everyone of her bonafide movie stardom?
ANDY: Looking back on your past Film Bitch Awards, do you regret giving a particular performance your win?
the answer and 6 more questions after the jump...
NATHANIEL: I'm most unhappy with the first year of awards (2000). I dont understand some of the nominations but in particular I'm unhappy that I didn't give Christian Bale the Gold Medal for American Psycho. I nominated him in the moment, though and I believe I gave him bronze? I had enough foresight about how the movie would age for that least. I believe the gold medalist that year was Billy Crudup for Jesus's Son, a movie I really liked at the time (I also nominated Samantha Morton from the same film) but have never seen and rarely thought of since. In 2000 I also gave the gold medal to Björk and the Silver to Ellen Burstyn and today I would definitely reverse that. I'm sure there are other examples!
HENRY: Because you seek advertising dollars from the studios to fund the site, do you ever feel the need to "be kind" to projects over others as a means of survival? How difficult is that tight rope of absolute integrity to keeping food on the table to walk?
NATHANIEL: Yes, this can be a difficult tightrope. I'm never going to lie about how I feel about films but if I don't like something I'd definitely prefer not talking about it much to torpedoing an ad sale if that makes sense. I have to eat. Money is a source of worry/stress (as it is for many people) and it would be so much easier if I could just concentrate on writing making it the best site it can be. The few readers that send a monthly $2.50 or $5.00 REALLY help. I can't stress this enough. If there were another 250 of you or so, I could pay rent !
Consider...
SANTY: Who do you think gave the best "stuck in bed sick" performance ever? Emmanuelle Riva in Amour and Emma Thompson in Wit come to mind immediately.
If God wants me with Him, there is none who will stop Him. I don't mind. Now I am the one going ahead. I am not afraid. I can be brave like you.
NATHANIEL: It's sweet of you to remember that I was sick all week. I'm on the mend but I'm coughing loudly as I type this. But you answered your own question. To your fine pair, I'd maybe add James Caan in Misery (1990) from sheer sympathy for that cockadoodle situation. And I freely admit that Claire Danes makes me ball my eyes out in Little Women (1994).
Finally I absolutely denounce The English Patient (1996) for wasting Ralph Fiennes' peak beauty for a full half of itself by keeping him in bed -- and hidden under burn makeup.
CHRIS: I was wondering what CMS you use. Also, did you develop the layout of your site yourself, or did you have a company/designer design your User Interface?
NATHANIEL: I use Squarespace. They have extremely malleable templates that you can work from and I know some html. Unfortunately the entire reason I chose them was they guaranteed I could export the first years of the blog over here but that never worked or came to pass. (sigh). I am also speaking with a longtime reader who is a wiz at website design about some big improvements this summer which I think you'll all go bananas for... if I can figure out how to achieve/afford them. Stay tuned.
This next question is surely designed to get me into trouble with Marion Cotillard fans again (Please note: I have come around to fandom with nominations for her in Nine, Rust & Bone, and Two Days One Night!)
MIKE: In what order would you rank the Best Actress winning performances for the last 10 years?
NATHANIEL:
- Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine (2013)
-way way out front -- the first performance since Frances McDormand in "Fargo" that was also my choice for Best Actress for her calendar year. - Natalie Portman, Black Swan (2010)
- Julianne Moore, Still Alice (2014)
-the runners up - Reese Witherspoon, Walk the Line (2005)
- Kate Winslet, The Reader (2008)
-yes I am one of those weirdos who loves both of these very hated wins - Helen Mirren, The Queen (2006)
-wildly overrated. all of her co-nominees were better that year but in her defense, my god what a lineup. - Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady (2011)
- Marion Cotillard, La Vie En Rose (2007)
- Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
- Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side (2009)
- I have small to big problems with 7-10 though they all have great moments. If you ask me again tomorrow 7-10 would be in a completely different order
MOJITO: When can we expect your first predictions for next awards race? In late summer? I love your predictions.
NATHANIEL: Thank you! The April Foolish Predictions are named that way for a reason. I was WAY late in 2014 but I'm doing better this year already in terms of deadlines (as you can see with the Film Bitch Awards which are nearing completion backstage... I hope)
BROOKESBOY: Since Julianne broke the 50s ceiling for Best Actress, can we expect a long overdue change in Hollywood so casting can get creative and allow Jessica Lange, Glenn Close, Kathleen Turner, Sissy Spacek and Marsha Mason to get another shot at Best Actress?
NATHANIEL:
obviously y'all should pipe in on these questions too. how would you rank the best actress winners of the past ten years? Favorite sick bed performance?
Reader Comments (84)
I will do something a little different and rank Oscar's actresses from most heated win to not-at-all hated win based on either A) who they beat from their lineup and/or B) who they omitted from the lineup.
Most hated win to most loved win
1. Mirren, beat Streep, Dench, Cruz (What a trio of performances!!)
2. Bullock, beat Sidibe, snubbed Swinton (her perf in "Julia" deserves an altar)
3. Witherspoon, best from her lineup IMHO, BUT snubbed Allen for "The Upside of Anger"
4. Streep, beat Davis and Mara, snubbed SOOO many great performances (Wasikowska, Binoche, Dunst, Colman, etc.)
5. Lawrence, beat Riva, snubbed Cotillard for "Rust and Bone"
6. Winslet, beat Hathaway and Leo, snubbed Hawkins
I can't kvetch about Moore, Blanchett, or Cotillard winning, since I think Moore is a godess that won for a very good turn, and I think Blanchett and Cotillard gave exceptional turns that were leagues above the rest.
Barbara Stanwyck, "Sorry, Wrong Number"
On the Actress winners...
1. Blanchett
2. Cotillard
3. Portman
4. Moore
5. Winslet
6. Lawrence
7. Mirren
8. Streep
9. Witherspoon
10. Bullock
Assuming Glenn Close doesn't win a competitive Oscar--I think she probably has the best shot of the snubbed legends, the ease with which Albert Nobbs got nominated was very telling, I mean she has six nods and no win, if she got a great role I could see it happening. BUT those chances are slim. Either way, I think she's almost guaranteed an honorary Oscar in the future. Moreso than the others.
--
Best Actress:
1. Cate Blanchett - For the ages
2. Julianne Moore - I've really come around to the performance and film... we'll see how it ages
3. Natalie Portman - She's a very limited actress, but this role is perfect for her. And the movie is amazing and endlessly watchable
4. Reese Witherspoon - I've always enjoyed her work in this film. She knew when to utilize and suppress her star charisma
5. Marion Cotillard - The movie has problems, but she is so deep in the character it's crazy
6. Kate Winslet - Revolutionary Road was obviously her superior performance
7. Sandra Bullock - The movie is horrid but she makes it watchable. Her warmth and charisma really work to her advantage here. Safe, but it works (not saying it's Oscar worthy, but ya know... that's another convo)
8. Jennifer Lawrence - I remember hating the movie and her performance at the time. I think I saw it once more and didn't hate it as much, but she was wildly overrated in it (and so is the movie)
9. Helen Mirren - I will NEVER understand anything about this performance or movie tbh...
10. Meryl Streep - It's hammy and robotic at the same time. It's so strange. Nothing about the character felt real. Maybe I would see that as intentional commentary on Thatcher if the film wasn't a steaming pile of doodoo
I have to say, the fact that half of these winners really disappoint me...I was not very happy with the Academy's choices in the past decade.
--
I would do Best Supporting Actress for fun but I haven't seen all of The Fighter or any of Michael Clayton haha.
But my favs are Mo'Nique, Penelope, Lupita, and Patricia
For the ones I have seen:
1.) Marion Cotillard - La Vie en Rose
2.) Natalie Portman - Black Swan
3.) Reese Witherspoon - Walk the Line
4.) Kate Winslet - The Reader
5.) Helen Mirren - The Queen
6.) Sandra Bullock - The Blind Side
The first 3 are pretty special, in my eyes, and why does everyone hate Reese's win!? She was amazing as "June Carter" and stands for me as her best dramatic work to date. (I have not seen Wild yet.) Kate Winslet, in my opinion, should have been pushed over to supporting and her towering, extraordinary performance in Revolutionary Road should have won the Oscar. Not enough words can describe how fucking incredible she is in that film, so I will leave it at that. I also think she should've won for Little Children instead of Helen Mirren's good, but nothing special performance in The Queen. Sandra Bullock was good, as well, if nothing more than that in The Blind Side. She was 1000x better in Gravity.
Supporting:
1. Mo'Nique
2. Cruz
3. Nyong'o
4. Leo
5. Hathaway
6. Swinton
7. Spencer
8. Hudson
9. Weisz
10. Arquette
Difficult. The order of nos. 4-8 could change by tomorrow.
Good Job, Academy:
1. Blanchett
2. Portman
3. Moore
4. Cotillard
Glad She Got One:
5. Winslet
6. Mirren
7. Bullock
Eh:
8. Streep/Lawrence/Witherspoon
Thanks for answering my question, Nathaniel. James Caan in Misery never would have crossed my mind and I've never given The English Patient or Little Women a look. Hilarious suggestion of Glenn Close in Reversal of Fortune by the way Ryan. I was wondering if someone would bring that up while I was scrolling down. Haha :)
I think Glenn needs a Lonely Passion of Judith Hearn sort of vehicle but now that I think about it, Albert Nobbs kinda was that project already. Maybe she should stay away from handling too much of the production? I just want you to win so badly Glenn, especially now that the other members of my personal holy trinity, Deborah and Thelma, can't win a competitive one. :/
I'm shocked that you'd reverse Burstyn/Bjork and even more that you didn't give your gold medal to Watson.
I hate Lars von Trier's latest movies, but you can't deny that his central female performances from Watson to Kidman are pure gold.
In these specific cases - Watson and Bjork - we're talking about some of the best performances ever.
I think Madonna died quiet well in Evita. Can't wait for the tour!
Does John Hawkes in The Sessions count?
And ok, I can't resist either:
01. Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
02. Rachel Weisz, The Constant Gardener
03. Lupita Nyong'o, 12 Years a Slave
04. Tilda Swinton, Michael Clayton
05. Mo'Nique, Precious
06. Octavia Spencer, The Help
07. Melissa Leo, The Fighter
08. Patricia Arquette, Boyhood
09. Anne Hathaway, Les Miserables
10. Jennifer Hudson, Dreamgirls
Putting this here. In an interview in Time Out magazine London, Sally Hawkins says it would be 'nice' to work with Paul Thomas Anderson!
Agree with most here that Blanchett is way ahead of everyone in the last 10 years. A performance for the ages.
Here's my top 10 :
1. Cate Blanchett
2. Natalie Portman
3. Kate Winslet
4. Marion Cotillard
5. Reese Witherspoon
6.Jennifer Lawrence
7. Meryl Streep
8. Julianne Moore
9. Helen Mirren
10. Sandra Bullock
1. Cate Blanchett
2. Marion Cotillard
3. Reese Witherspoon
4. Helen Mirren
5. Julianne Moore
6. Kate Winslet
7. Natalie Portman
8. Sandra Bullock
9. Meryl Streep
10. Jennifer Lawrence
That top 3 is pretty brilliant. The rest is OK to just baffling. Not a strong decade of winners at the moment.
I have always considered Marion's win to be one of my greatest Oscar disappointments, as I was hoping that Julie Christie would win for her oh so beautiful performance in Away From Her. I probably will never watch La Vie en Rose for this very reason, but I have tried to forgive Ms. Cotillard, and I do recognize her formidable talent. Still, during this year's Oscars, I involuntarily twitched when she was announced as Oscar winner Marion Cotillard. And at the Oscar party I shouted out THIEF!!! I probably need more time. It probably won't help.
Thanks, Nathaniel, for that Very Brady GIF LOL.
My favorite sickbed moment -- and one of the most heartbreaking scenes ever -- is Debra Winger in Terms of Endearment. (When she looks at Shirley MacLaine and subtly waves goodbye, I just lose it.)
Sniffle...moving on. My best-to-worst Best Actress wins of the last 10 years would be:
1. Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine (clear winner, although Amy Adams comes pretty close)
2. Reese Whiterspoon, Walk the Line (a winning performance that pales next to Joan Allen)
3. Natalie Portman, Black Swan (terrific, meaty star turn but not on par with Nicole Kidman)
4. Julianne Moore, Still Alice (solid so...no complaints!)
5. Kate Winslet, The Reader (should've lost to Anne Hathaway or her other performance)
6. Helen Mirren, The Queen (fine but next to Penelope Cruz, Judi Dench, and Meryl Streep?)
7. Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook (pales Emmanuelle Riva or Jessica Chastain)
8. Marion Cotillard, La Vie En Rose (kabuki over Julie Christie's sheer brilliance?)
9. Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side (likeable but nowhere near Gabourey Sidibe)
10. Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady (ham-fisted and grand larceny given Viola Davis, not to mention non-nominated Kirsten Dunst and Leila Hatami)
It annoys me when actors look too good when they're supposed to be on their deathbeds. I am thinking specifically of Ali McGraw and Debra Winger.
Claire Danes, now, that's how you do it. Wash her out a little, and let her fine acting with Winona Ryder do the rest. Believable and heartbreaking.
I loved reading the question about your Film Bitch regrets. I do my own rankings annually and have especially questioned some of the earliest picks-- do you think it gets easier the more you do it? Or are there still recent picks that you regret?
As for my actress rankings, I'm realizing I don't really care much for the winners! There are several actresses below that I love (Meryl/Julianne) whose performances didn't seem to be up to their usual standard.
1. Natalie Portman, Black Swan (legitimately unsettling)
2. Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine (illegitimately unsettling... fun to watch)
3. Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side (I'm shocking myself by ranking this so highly, but I remember it infinitely more than the ones below it. If you take away Mirren from that year's lineup, I think you have a wonderful group.)
4. Julianne Moore, Still Alice (a little understated for my tastes)
5. Reese Witherspoon, Walk the Line (slightly caricaturish)
6. Helen Mirren, The Queen (trying too hard)
7. Kate Winslet, The Reader (trying too hard)
8. Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook (the seams are showing)
9. Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady (hammy)
I haven't seen Cotillard and La Vie en Rose!
This is so much fun! Let's do the 90s
1. Julianne Moore
1. Cate Blanchett (tie)
3. Natalie Portman
4. Marion Cotillard
5. Kate Winslet
6. Helen Mirren
7. Jennifer Lawrence
8. Reese Witherspoon
9. Meryl Streep
10. Sandra Bullock
Supporting:
1. Mo'nique (not even close)
2. Lupita Nyong'o
3. Penelope Cruz
4. Patricia Arquette
5. Melissa Leo
6. Octavia Spencer
7. Tilda Swinton (she won for THAT? just about any other of her genius performances would've been better)
8. Rachel Weisz (truth be told, I barely remember it)
9. Anne Hathaway
10. Jennifer Hudson (singing was fantastic, acting was constantly over-the-top and overrated)
Supporting:
Excellent and unique. I can imagine no one else playing these roles.
1. Mo'Nique
2. Cruz
3.Swinton (Yes, many could play this, but none so well.)
4.Arquette
5. Hudson (not the greatest acting, but no one outside Jennifer Holiday has come close to nailing those songs.).
Very fine performances in no particular order but not that unique:
6. Nyong'o, Spencer, Leo, Weisz
I really hated this performance (and I rarely hate on people working as hard as she did), but this one fails to register for me. Watch Lea Salonga to see it done correctly.
10. Hathaway
BEST:
01. Marion Cotillard, La Vie En Rose (2007) (Very very far away from the others. And superior to all the crap she made after it)
02. Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady (2011) (Unpopular opinion: completely deserving. Best in her category)
JUST OK:
03. Julianne Moore, Still Alice (2014) (2° best after Rosamund Pike in "Gone Girl", but still simply )
04. Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook (2012) (Not bad, but barely good. Her 2° best performance after "American Hustle")
05. Helen Mirren, The Queen (2006) (Only better than Winslet in "Little Children")
BAD:
06. Kate Winslet, The Reader (2008) (Worst of her category. Offensive accent)
07. Reese Witherspoon, Walk the Line (2005) (TBH, I don't think anything she has done except for "Election" is good)
08. Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine (2013) (Worst of her category. Bad "over the top" acting confused with good "over the top" acting)
09. Natalie Portman, Black Swan (2010) (Worst of her category. Underperformance/Bad acting confused with subtle/brave performance)
10. Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side (2009) (Worst of her category. I don't think anything she has done is good)
From 3 to 10 in average is an atrocious set of winners and sincerely speaking, I found very little difference in terms of (un)quality between them. I've said it before and I'll say again: the best actress category is so wrongly rewarded it should be eliminated.
As for the movies:
Great:
1. Black Swan
2. La vie en rose
3. The Reader
Mediocre:
4. Silver Linings Playbook
5. Still Alice
Bad:
6. Blue Jasmine
7. The Iron Lady
8/9/10. The Blind Side/The Queen/Walk the Line
1--Mo'Nique
2--Anne Hathaway
3--Lupita Nyong'o
4--Melissa Leo
5--Jennifer Hudson
6--Tilda Swinton
7--Rachel Weisz
8--Patricia Arquette
9--Penelope Cruz
10--Octavia Spencer
1. Cate Blanchett (The World Is Round People)
2. Kate Winslet (Weirdos Pride)
3. Julianne Moore (Crazy Heart Handbook along with being great in the role)
4. Reese Witherspoon (She sings, she acts, she makes good use of her accent, she's a rom-com queen that delivers)
5. Sandra Bullock (Rom-com queens get Oscars. Sidibe/Mulligan never had a chance)
6. Helen Mirren (Steamrolling one of the all time great lineups is puzzling)
7. Natalie Portman (Solid but degree of difficulty pales in comparison to the other 4 whose performances exceed hers)
8. Marion Cotillard (In a year of great foreign performances such as Tang Wei in Lust Caution and Jeon Do Yeon in Secret Sunshine, why was this the one that broke through?)
9. Jennifer Lawrence (Consider it deglam? She did dye her hair brown. The presence of Wallis/Riva/Chastain & the lack of characterization of her role doesn't help. She's totally entertaining Pretty Womaning her way through though.)
10. Meryl Streep (She did keep the pearls. If only they had waited another year for Hope Springs)
KL -- yay, i'm not alone in loving Winslet :) the simple answer to why Cotillard broke through is a) French b) biopic
@Me34
there is deep cynicism throughout your post which does not allow me to take it seriously
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good article. keep going dear author. expecting more Q & A.
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