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)
As for the last ten best actress winners...
1) Natalie Portman (Black Swan)
2) Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine)
- These two pretty much stand head and shoulders above the pack in my eyes.
3) Helen Mirren (The Queen)
4) Marion Cotillard (La Vie en Rose)
5) Julianne Moore (Still Alice)
6) Reese Witherspoon (Walk the Line)
7) Jennifer Lawrence (Silver Linings Playbook)
8) Kate Winslet (The Reader)
9) Meryl Streep (The Iron Lady)
10) Sandra Bullock (The Blind Side)
The English Patient gave us Ralph Fiennes naked and in a bathtub with his hair getting washed by KST. Don't be overzealous.
LOVE, NOW AND FOREVER
1. Cotillard
2. Blanchett
3. Moore
4. Lawrence
LIKED AT THE TIME BUT NEVER THINK ABOUT ANYMORE
5. Mirren
6. Portman
7. Witherspoon
8. Streep
STILL HAVEN'T SEEN AND MAY NEVER SEE
9. Winslet
10. Bullock
Rankings
1- BLANCHETT
2- COTILLARD
3 - MOORE
4- PORTMAN
5- MIRREN
6- STREEP
7- WINSLET
8 -WITHERSPOON
9-LAWRENCE
10- BULLOCK
Acting Triumphs.
1. Cotillard
2. Blanchett
3. Moore
Good performance and she seems nice.
4. Lawrence
5. Mirren
6. Portman
7. Witherspoon
8. Winslet
Politics.
9. Streep
10. Bullock
Favorite sick bed performance would be Harriet Anderson in Cries and Whispers(I though the Claire Danes picture was actually Harriet). So uncomfortable and real. I like how Jason Robards is just really dying in Magnolia and not giving a "performance". No energy, nothing. I heard Redgrave is great in Little Odessa, but somehow I skipped that one. I do love her in bed in Howard's End, though.
So many boring female winning performances/movies in the last ten years (I guess it would be the same on the men's court, in general). I'm not a big fan of none of those performances nor those movies, so it's pointless to list them. The one that aged the worst to me are Natalie Portman's. The one that aged the best is Witherspoon's: subtle and unaffected, but filled with meaning and emotion. Cotillard's is the most impressive and difficult performance, but the movie left such a bad taste in my mind I can't think of it much positively at all.
Rankings
1. Blanchett
2. Corollary
3. Portman
4. Mirren
5. Moore
6. Streep
7. Witherspoon
8. Winslet
9. Bullock
10. Lawrence
Also: no, most definitekt NOT too greedy to ask for a second Nicole win. Fingers crossed for Queen of the Desert?
Thanks for a) the Bale and b) the banner update, which was my question.
Best Actress ranking:
(tie) Cotillard | Blanchett
3) Moore
4) Streep
(tie) Mirren | Witherspoon
7) Portman
8) Winslet
9) Lawrence
10) Bullock
(Not counting the bottom three, I surprised myself.)
Sickbed Superstar: Dustin Hoffman in Midnight Cowboy
Andrew - you make a strong case for moderation.
1. Cotillard
2. Streep
3. Blanchett
4. Mirren
5. Portman
6. Witherspoon
7. Bullock
8. Lawrence
9. Winslet
Haven't seen Moore.
Sadly, I think Queen of the Desert is DOA.
I love that Portman is so high.
Of the films I've seen:
1. Blanchett (with a bullet)
2. Portman
3. Mirren
4. Moore
5. Witherspoon
6. Winslet (her performance in Revolutionary Road that same year was miles better)
7. Lawrence (still can't believe Chastain lost to this glorified rom-com performance)
1. Blanchett
(Miles ahead of the rest)
2. Mirren
3. Moore
4. Portman
5. Cotillard
(Performance that I'm generally fond of)
6. Witherspoon
7. Lawrence
(performances that I don't have any real problem with)
8. Winslet
9. Streep
10. Bullock
(performances that I dislike)
Also, I can't quite agree that Weaver is clearly doomed to go Oscarless (Close, Pfeiffer, and especially Turner probably are). She's enough of a fanboy favorite that I think there might be a Jackie Brown-type role in her future that should at least get her into the awards-season conversation.
Blanchett on Cotillard as Lady Macbeth: "I'm sure she will be definitive."
Paul - in what context? where was this said?
Rankings:
Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine
Marion Cotillard, La Vie En Rose
Natalie Portman, Black Swan
Helen Mirren, The Queen
Reese Witherspoon, Walk the Line
Kate Winslet, The Reader
Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook
Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
I still haven't seen Julianne Moore in Still Alice. I'm sure she's wonderful but the thought occurred to me, and this is absolutely not a swipe at Julianne who I'm delighted has her Oscar at last, if Julie Christie had won for the similarly themed Away from Her in 2007 instead of Marion if she would have been awarded this year or if the voters would have felt it was too soon for something already acknowledged.
1. Portman, easily in my top 10 Actress winners of all time
2. Moore, among her best, which is one hell of a compliment
These were also my choices in their years.
3. Blanchett, impressive and funny as hell
4. Winslet - still think this is among her best, but honestly afraid to revisit
Made my top 5, would have won in a weaker year.
5. Mirren
6. Witherspoon
Made my top 5, but not near the winners' circle (and in the amazing 2006 line up, Streep>Cruz>Dench>>>Mirren)
7. Streep
8. Bullock
OK work from actresses that have done far better
9. Cotillard, but needs a revisit and holy cow, best use of Oscar to build an incredible career
10. Lawrence, who I like very much as an actress but this was her worst role (though I'm glad she has one)
I do wish you liked Marion's performance more but because you've come around on her since, I forgive you.
Yes, Nicole for all the awards - did you catch Before I go to Sleep at all? I watched it last night and even in the most trite of movies, Kidman is a goddess from above sent to elevate the material.
1.Moore
2.Mirren
3.Streep
4.Cotillard
5.Blanchett
6.Witherspoon
7.Lawrence
8.Portman
9.Winslet
10.Bullock
Never got the love for Portman's performance & I just thought Winslet was TERRIBLE (Not in a good way) in "The Readzzzzzzzzzz,,,"
Nat, at the end of an interview with Hitfix, when she was asked about why she hasn't played the role.
(Not that she's seen it yet or anything.)
You're certainly correct about the ranking getting you into trouble with Cotillard fans, but I'll let it slide.
1. Marion Cotillard
2. Cate Blanchett
3. Julianne Moore
4. Kate Winslet
5. Reese Witherspoon
6. Natalie Portman
7. Meryl Streep
8. Helen Mirren
9. Jennifer Lawrence
10. Sandra Bullock
I am very happy you decided to switch Bjork for Ellen Burstyn.
It was a shame that Bjork wasn't even nominated, but holy moly no one can touch what Burstyn did with "Sara Goldfarb" in Requiem for a Dream. To this day, that is my favourite performance I have seen anywhere in my life. That "red dress" monologue makes me weep every time I see it and tear up every time I think about it.
Very glad you came around on Marion Cotillard too. I thought she was amazing in La Vie en Rose, but no doubt she has improved with every film since then and is now one of the best out there.
*it was a shame Bjork wasn't nominated at the Oscars, is what I meant to say ;)
For me:
1. Cotillard
2. Winslet
3. Moore
4. Swank
5. Blanchett
6. Portman
7. Bullock
8. Lawrence
9. Streep
10.Witherspoon
My ranking:
- Natalie Portman
- Cate Blanchett
- Jennifer Lawrence (I love it the way you love the Reese & Kate wins)
- Reese Witherspoon
- Kate Winslet (she was fine but should'v been nominated and won for Revolutionary Road)
- Sandra Bullock
Haven't seen:
- Julianne Moore
- Helen Mirren
- Meryl Streep
- Marion Cotillard
YYAAASSS:
1. Natalie Portman
2. Cate Blanchett
3. Julianne Moore
GLAD THEY WON:
4. Marion Cotillard
5. Kate Winslet
6. Meryl Streep
7. Reese Witherspoon
WHYYYY:
8. Helen Mirren
9. Sandra Bullock
10. Jennifer Lawrence
1.- Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine
2.- Marion Cotillard, La vie en rose
3.- Helen Mirren, The Queen
4.- Kate Winslet, The Reader
5.- Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook
6.- Julianne Moore, Still Alice
7.- Natalie Portman, Black Swan
8.- Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
9.- Reese Whiterspoon, Walk the Line
10.- Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
1. Moore '14
2. Blanchett '13
3. Streep '11
4. Mirren '06
5. Lawrence '12
6. Portman '10
7. Witherspoon '05
8. Winslet '08
9. Bullock '09
and I....
...
...
have never seen La Vie en rose.. I adore Cotillard of course but it's a biopic. Biopics hurt my health.
Overall though, the top 2 aside, that's a bizarrely disappointing batch all things considered. And the bottom 2 I'd consider actively bad
Are your old awards archived somewhere -- the early years?
I know Winslet's win is hated (though I also liked her performance), but Witherspoon's is too? Really? I'm not a huge fan of hers, usually, but she was my clear choice out of the nominees, and I thought Walk the Line was quite well regarded at the time. If her win is hated so much who did people want to win? Huffman?
goran, 3, 4, 7 and 9 on your list are also biopics, so you might as well see Cotillard's. ;-)
Great:
1. Natalie Portman - Black Swan
Okay, but there were better:
2. Meryl Streep - The Iron Lady (Davis or Williams)
3. Marion Cotillard - La vie en rose (Christie)
4. Jennifer Lawrence - Silver Linings Playbook (Riva)
5. Kate Winslet - The Reader (Leo)
6. Reese Witherspoon - Walk the Line (Huffman)
Why nominated?
7. Helen Mirren - The Queen (Dench or Streep)
8. Sandra Bullock - The Blind Side (Streep)
Have not yet seen:
Blanchett
Moore
If their performances are as good as most seem to think, they would probably both be in my Top 3.
I only really love the first four.
1. Blanchett
2. Moore
3. Cotillard
4. Portman
5. Mirren
6. Witherspoon
7. Winslet
8. Streep
9. Bullock
10. Lawrence
RJL: Last 10 years of the choices of an internationalist (to an internationalist, Only Lovers Left Alive and Ida are 2013 movies because they were released to a non-festival paying audience SOMEWHERE in that year) who believes voice and V/O acting should be held as equal to full-live and that when nothing really impresses you from prestige on a performative level, go arty or trashy:
2005: Luminita Gheorgiu, The Death of Mr. Lazarescu
2006: Laura Dern, Inland Empire
2007: Saorise Ronan, Atonement (I know this might be borderline, but no bleeping way were Knightley or McAvoy lead performers in Atonement. Maybe not Tatum O'Neal level "want some of my puke with that dish of fraud", but still an arguable lead at least.)
2008: Sally Hawkins, Happy-Go-Lucky (And as far as Winslet goes? Revolutionary Road just holds up better in my eyes both as a film and performance, even if it's not GREAT.)
2009: Dakota Fanning, Coraline
2010: Nicole Kidman, Rabbit Hole
2011: Kirsten Dunst, Melancholia
2012: Jessica Chastain, Zero Dark Thirty
2013: ScarJo, Her
2014: Initially, I gave it to Pike, but I thought about the weaknesses (she's now 4th) and wound up giving it to Eva Green, 300: Rise of An Empire. Moore is barely on my ballot right now, and I'm not sure she can last against Marion Cotillard, let alone Essie Davis.
01 - Marion Cotillard, La vie en rose
02 - Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine
03 - Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook
04 - Kate Winslet, The Reader
05 - Helen Mirren, The Queen
06 - Julianne Moore, Still Alice
07 - Natalie Portman, Black Swan
08 - Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
09 - Reese Whiterspoon, Walk the Line
10 - Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
1) Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine (layer upon layer upon layer of brilliance)
2) Natalie Portman, Black Swan (of the ten performances that’s the film I’ve watched the most)
3) Marion Cotillard, La vie en rose (It’s a Tragic Life)
4) Reese Whiterspoon, Walk the Line (I don’t get it why some people dislike this win, she’s subtle throughout {a term I loathe using but she really is} )
5) Julianne Moore, Still Alice (has to age a bit but as of now I can’t see her get into the top 4)
6) Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady (almost everything about the performance is spot-on but I just don’t care about it, not aging well)
7) Kate Winslet, The Reader (was angry then, and now that I think of it I’m still a bit angry)
8) Helen Mirren, The Queen (really liked the film; the performance is Steve Carell-ian in its genesis and execution “Oh look, great mimicry and wonderful makeup!”)
9) Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook (she had some really good moments, was really charming, but the whole thing remains below average; and her first dinner date acting is still fake to me, I cringed a few times; she's better in The Hunger Games films and even in Serena, where she is out-of-this-world committed in a train-wreck of a movie)
10) Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side (the Audrey Hepburn Oscar Win of the last 10 years? or is it Jennifer Lawrence's win? Still can’t decide).
I can't believe you didn't mention The Bening in your list of actresses that deserve a win after her TKAA co-star just won :)
nobody wants to talk about sickbed performances?
Cotillard, Blanchett, Portman, Moore, Lawrence, Witherspoon, Streep, Winslet, Mirren, Bullock
Y'all are cray. Well, most of y'all. Someone's way out in front, all right, but it's Cotillard.
The Marsha GIF and Andrew K's Ralph comment are completely amazing.
Sickbed:
Judy Parfitt--Dolores Claiborne
Mary Louise Parker--Boys on the Side
Debra Winger--Terms of Endearment
Siggy Weaver--Working Girl
Javier Bardem--Mar Ardentro (The Sea Inside)
Shirley MacLaine--Postcards from the Edge
Ed Harris--The Hours
There really aren't very many where the actor is confined to bed for the entire movie.
sickbed performance: Glenn Close in a coma in Reversal of Fortune
Love this. Especially Mike's question. I'm also a fan of Portman, Witherspoon and Winslit's winning performances - and find the hate directed at them quite odd.
You should do a post ranking all the winners from the past 10 years in each of the acting categories :). THAT would be a popular post. Or at least Best Supporting Actress - which has had quite a few great ones during the past 10 years.
Ok. I can't resist.
Best Supporting Actress winners. Numbers 1 through 4 are oh so brilliant.
1. Mo'Nique
2. Tilda
3. Leo
4. Lupita
5. Penelope Cruz
6. Patricia Arquette
7. Rachel Weiz
8. Octavia Spencer
9. Jennifer Hudson
Haven't Seen but would prob love as I usually love her: Hathaway.
Heh. Nathaniel, I could've sworn you had awards posted for 1999. That's how I knew someone else gave Winslet their personal award for Holy Smoke (I don't quite remember the lists, though)
Ranking:
1. Marion Cotillard (YAS!!!!!)
2. Cate Blanchett (YAS!!!!)
3. Kate Winslet (YAS!!!! i love Kate and i love this performance. i don't care what others have to say about it.)
4. Natalie Portman (YAS!!! I think this perf doesnt age as well, but her movie def does!!)
5. Jennifer Lawrence (i love her! 'nuff said)
6. Meryl Streep (i love her! 'nuff said)
7. Reese Witherspoon (I was really happy she won, but i guess it didn't stack up to the rest of the winners)
8. Helen Mirren (i don't get the unanimous praise for her that year, her competitors were so much stronger esp Dench and Streep)
9. Sandra Bullock (Wish she would have won for "Gravity" instead)
Haven't watched Julianne Moore's! And having been reading this site for a few years now, i finally decided to post something. haha
1) Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine)
2) Natalie Portman (Black Swan)
3) Helen Mirren (The Queen)
4) Julianne Moore (Still Alice)
5) Jennifer Lawrence (Silver Linings Playbook)
6) Reese Witherspoon (Walk the Line)
7) Meryl Streep (The Iron Lady)
8) Kate Winslet (The Reader)
9) Sandra Bullock (The Blind Side)
I am ashamed to say that I haven't seen Marion Cotillard in La Vie en Rose.
for fun (lol) BSA:
1. Tilda Swinton (Michael Clayton)
2. Melissa Leo (The Fighter)
3. Penelope Cruz (VIcky Christina Barcelona)
4. Anne Hathaway (Les Miserables)
5. Rachel Weisz (The Constant Gardener)
6. Patricia Arquette (Boyhood)
7. Octavia Spencer (The Help)
8. Jennifer Hudson (Dreamgirls)
I haven't seen Mo'nique and Lupita's perfs and probably never will.
I totally forgot that Sigourney Weaver was also confined in bed in Working Girl, and she should have won the Oscar!!!
1--Julianne Moore
2--Cate Blanchett
3--Kate Winslet
4--Helen Mirren
5--Marion Cotillard
6--Sandra Bullock
7--Resse Witherspoon
8--Natalie Portman
9--Meryl Streep
10--Jennifer Lawrence
I guess it says something about your readers, Nathaniel, that when you cover about 10 very interesting topics in your Q&A, 90% of the comments are just about the ACTRESS rankings. Nothing beats actresses.
Thanks for the post.