The State of The Race: Best Actress Edition

After I had the pleasure of seeing La Vie En Rose last August, I realized that no performance this year would match the astonishing, tour de force performance of Marion Cotillard as tortured French songbird Edith Piaf. Of all the performances I've seen of actors channeling damaged singers, artists, and actors, Cotillard's is quite simply the best of the lot. That list includes Jamie Fox in Ray, Joaquin Phoenix in Walk The Line, Angela Bassett in What's Love Got to Do With It, and the sublime Sissy Spacek in Coal Miner's Daughter. Not even Judy Davis, who was extraordinary as Judy Garland, Piaf's American counterpart in the gloom and doom categories, measures up.

Cotillard's performance is all encompassing. She matches Piaf's gravelly vocal quality and transforms physically from an awkward, restrained teenager, to grand dame diva, to broken down Chevy, arthritic 40 something geriatric.

Now what is astonishing is that Julie Christie is winning the majority of the critic awards. Christie was quite moving in Away from Her, but these performances do not compare in my opinion. It's like comparing a row boat to the Titanic.

However, I am slightly wary because The Golden Globes have nominated Marion Cotillard as Best Actress Comedy/Musical. This means that Julie Christie will win the Globe in the Drama category and essentially confirm her status as the front runner in the race. My gut tells me that the Globes will honor Ellen Page over Cotillard. If Cotillard wins the Globe she will be neck and neck with Christie. SAG will then determine who's gut the upper hand.

As of late I've felt that it's possible that Christie and Cotillard might split the vote, which would allow for an Ellen Page victory. Ellen Page is coming on strong in the final stretch. Juno is the most recent release of the three performances and she is getting raves across the board.

So Christie, Cotillard, and Page are locks. Who get the other two spots?


I am still leaning towards the luminous Amy Adams in Enchanted, who delivers the most spot on comedic performance of the year.

The final spot is between Laura Linney and Angelina Jolie. Right now, I am going with Angelina Jolie because she acted for the first time in a decade and she was actually very impressive. Linney may sneak back into the race if she scores a SAG nom to counter her Globe non-nom.

Time will tell. My money may not be behind Cotillard right now, but with a little more support from a couple critic groups and the Globes, la vie will be rose come Oscar night.