Podcast: Favorite Past Films & Performances by this Year's Nominees
Friday, February 19, 2016 at 9:24PM 
It's just Nathaniel and Nick for this week's podcast. We're talking at length about the toughest categories to predict as well as a reader suggestion (thanks Ryan!) to choose our favorite work by the current nominees before this season.
43 minutes
00:01 Introductions, Blind Spots, Foggy Memories
03:45 Iñárritu and The Revenant
09:00 George Miller plus Babe and Mad Max sequels
14:00 Tough Categories to Predict and Why
27:45 Best Actress - who is best?
30:00 Saoirse Ronan
31:17 Charlotte Rampling
34:15 Cate Blanchett
36:22 Brie Larson
38:00 Jennifer Lawrence
We discuss a lot of different titles obviously since we're choosing their best work before the current nomination. We'd love to hear your choices for this same question in the comments. You can listen to the podcast here at the bottom of the post or download from iTunes.
Reader Comments (34)
Great podcast! I think "garbage with flowers" is an excellent way to describe Jennifer Lawrence. Whenever she gives a wretched performance or says something stupid, I think back to how compelling I found her in 'Winter's Bone.' She could be really interesting if she strengthened her technical skills and got some kind of education.
Oh man, I wish you had done the favorite film by the Best Director nominees last year (you did it the year before that). I really want to hear what your favorite films are by Wes Anderson, Richard Linklater and Bennett Miller (if you could answer that one real quick on the comments here, I would appreciate it)...
I saw Carol once without an urge to re-watch. I want to believe there is more to the movie than what I got from first watch. But something tells me that Nathaniel's appreciation of Kyle Chandler's performance is enough to let me know it isn't worth it because I rightfully evaluated he was horrible from his first scene to his last. And if a significant element like that can't be agreed upon then Carol is simply a movie for the devoted.
Todd Hayes will always have Safe and eventually I'll get around to seeing Velvet Goldmine.
Saoirse Ronan - would it be bad to say The Lovely Bones? Honestly I thought her or Marion Cotillard in Nine would've made way better nominees for Best Actress than Helen Mirren that year.
Cate Blanchett - Blue Jasmine, duh
Brie - Short Term 12...she's good in Room, but I'm not as hot about that film as everyone else.
Jennifer Lawrence - Probably Winter's Bone...it's so nice to see her perform without her star affecting her performance, since she wasn't famous yet
Charlotte Rampling - I'll admit because I'm younger I'm not well-versed in her filmography. I actually didn't really know who she was until Melancholia lol
Jennifer Lawrence in Winter's Bone and Silver Linings Playbook of course. I thought also in American Hustle she gave a memorable and crazy performance a la Lucille Ball or Bette Davis.
JENNIFER LAWRENCE IN SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK? Not a word about Silver Linings? Really? She was GREAT in that and Winter's Bone.
Cate The Great's Greatest is always going to be Elizabeth or Blue Jasmine.
Charlotte definitely Stardust Memories
Jennifer I fellin love with her in SLP I know she's too young but she has so much on screenlike a real person.
Brie ST12
Saorsie simply Brooklyn.I feel she may be the new Winslet.
Saorise Ronan: Either Atonement or Hanna. (Have not seen Hanna, but it's one that is in contention to unseat as her best pre-Brooklyn work.)
Cate Blanchett: Other than Blue Jasmine, which I'm discounting for having won the Oscar? Her Hot Fuzz cameo. (Yeah, I'm roughly as cold on old-Blanchett as Nat is.)
Brie Larson: Short Term 12. With Brie, it begins, and ends, with this one for a reason.
Charlotte Rampling: If I had to choose one, I'd probably choose The Verdict. Seriously, how did even THAT miss a nomination?
Jennifer Lawrence: Winter's Bone.
Jennifer Lawrence: Silver Linings Playbook, Winter's Bone and American Hustle. And she is only 25...Amazing actress.
Cate Blanchett: Blue Jasmine (other than that she has been in a lot of bad movies and her performances have not been that memorable...maybe the Aviator and I'm Still Here, but I'm not very impressed by those performances).
Saoirse Ronan: Hannah, Atonement
Brie Larson: Short Term 12
Charlotte Rampling: maybe I'd go with The Verdict.
Finally someone talks about the very difficult "highwire act" Cate accomplishes in Carol. I think it's because she was so universally lauded for Blue Jasmine people are a bit tired of singing her praises.
Favourite films by George Miller: I liked your discussion about "Babe in the City", and I share your love towards "Witches of Eastwick" (the hair !) and "Lorenzo's Oil".
I was surprised you didn't mention "Hanna" - Saoirse Ronan was fantastic in that.
I would encourage anyone wanting more Charlotte Rampling - please do yourself a favour and check out "The Verdict". She should have been nominated.
It's my first time commenting here although I have read TFE for many years!
Jennifer Lawrence is always so watchable in all of her films and I really do love her raw talent! Her best performance would probably be Winter's Bone but I am "Silver Linings Playbook" is probably when I fell in love with her totally and whatever people say, I love her in "Joy" too!
Nathaniel: 'Revenant Chic' - check out the clothing here: kids dressing as Oscar noms.
http://dontcallmeoscar.tumblr.com/
Jennifer Lawrence: Winter's Bone, Silver Linings Playbook, American Hustle, Poker House, Burning Plain, Like Crazy (I also would include The Hunger Games because Lawrence still wasn't't a household name yet). Fantastic actress with an amazing screen presence.
Ronan: Atonement, Hannah (Second favorite actress after Jennifer Lawrence).
Blanchett: Elizabeth, Blue Jasmine
Rambling: 45 Years
Larsen: Short Term 12 (I am one of those that find her performance in Room to be one of the MOST overrated performances on screen this year, if not THE most overrated performance onscreen this year).
Jennifer Lawrence: Winter's Bone, Silver Linings Playbook, American Hustle, Poker House, Burning Plain, Like Crazy (I also would include The Hunger Games because Lawrence still wasn't't a household name yet). Fantastic actress with an amazing screen presence.
Ronan: Atonement, Hannah (Second favorite actress after Jennifer Lawrence).
Blanchett: Elizabeth, Blue Jasmine
Rambling: 45 Years
Larsen: Short Term 12 (I am one of those that find her performance in Room to be one of the MOST overrated performances on screen this year, if not THE most overrated performance onscreen this year).
fkoskwee -- welcome!
I love Jennifer Lawrence so much! American Hustle is my favorite performance of hers, buy I loved her electric romcom queen in Silver Linings Playbook. Who cares if we buy the character? It's like do you really think Joan Crawford is a good cook? That's why Lawrence is the perfect fit for David O. Russell. He goes for stylization instead of realism.
Nathaniel, did you see Oscar and Lucinda?
It's strange that you don't even mention her silver medalist performance in The Aviator, since she's doing her best Katharine Hepburn in Carol. The Aviator was a rehearsal. She picked up the glamour Hepburn from the early 40's and injected the romance longing you can see in Summertime. (Summertime is a great movie about falling in love, and Carol, too. I can see why Haynes went for that David Lean reference).
In both Carol and The Aviator she's at her most artificial, but if look closes they are deeple felt performances.
I love her "spoiled girl" touches in Carol. The way she is demanding.
This is SO Hepburn in Holiday, The Philadelphia Story and Bringing Up Baby, but played up for romance instead of comedy.
IMO all of these women gave their best performances this year in their best films.
Rampling-Easily Under the Sand
Blanchett-2015 was her year, she was just brilliant in Truth. Follow up would be Ripley. I really do love Jasmine but I think the weight of having to essentially carry the entire film is somewhat apparent.
Ronan-Hanna or Atonement
Larson-United States of Tara, not really sure about film work. I guess Short Term 12 by default (haven't seen Rampart) but I think she's charming in the thankless roles she's working with in 21 Jump Street, Don Jon, and Trainwreck.
Lawrence-I guess Winter's Bone by default but Nathaniel's feeling on American Hustle mirror mine exactly so I guess that would be my "real" answer.
Interesting that no one is discussing the directors. I remember you doing a similar podcast 2 years ago and it was so fun to discuss the 5 director nominees' bodies of work. This year, the only two with filmographies I view fondly are Miller and McCarthy (my favorites are Mad Max and The Station Agent, for what it's worth).
Anyway, the actresses:
Blanchett - Blue Jasmine (Runners up are Ripley, Hanna and Notes on a Scandal... has anyone noticed how good she is when paired with capable female costars?)
Ronan - Hanna
Lawrence - I actually love all four of her Oscar-nominated performances, but probably Winter's Bone
Rampling - The Verdict
Larson - Pass. I've seen almost all her movies (I actually watched Short Term 12 twice, because I thought I must have missed something the first time) and find her to be an utterly forgettable screen presence.
NICK!
That story about the librarian made me laugh out loud at my desk. Amazing. He deserves a gold star.
JLaw is definitely over-rewarded. With that said, don't let the desire to go against the stream blind you to the fact that she is a good actress. As far as I'm concerned the only bad performance we've seen from her is in the Xmen films (where she is godawful and should be fired; anyone that says otherwise is a raving fanboy).
That is much more than you can say of her contemporaries (Hathaway, Ronan, Stone, Kendrick, Johannsson) who, great as they all are, are ALOT more inconsistent.
Generally JLAW does everything her film/director asks of her and more and is one of the best things about her films. Then the writer/director lets her character down a bit (i.e. that cleaning/singing scene in American Hustle). One of these days she'll attach herself to an auteur that will pull the best from her while building a worthy film around her.
It's weird that when talking about the best performances of Blanchett and Lawrence, few people bring up their Oscar winning turns in Silver Linings Playbook and the Aviator.
For me, the groups best performances are:
Charlotte Rampling - Lemming/Swimming Pool
Cate Blanchett - Blue Jasmine/I'm Not There
Jennifer Lawrence - Winter's Bone/American Hustle
Saoirse Ronan - Byzantium/How I Live Now
Brie Larson - Short Term 12/Scott Pilgrim
This is a really interesting group of actresses and think that will be many nominations and great performances from them in the future.
To Abel:
To be honest I can see why people don't mention the Aviator because it was a supporting role for Blanchett and I really didn't buy her as Katharine Hepburn...but Blanchett's best work is in Blue Jasmine.
Jennifer Lawrence was MAGNIFICENT in Silver Linings Playbook and I don't know why it wasn't mentioned in this podcast. Winter's Bone and American Hustle are also great performances.
I can't wait to see what these two actresses especially will do in the future...Lawrence is still so young, it's unbelievable.
One of the guys in the podcast said "I wish Jennifer Lawrence did something on the same level as Blue Jasmine", after criticizing her acting. Well, I can already name at least two movies (Winter's Bone, Silver Linings Playbook) where her performance is on that level if not superior (Winter's Bone especially was so powerful). Nothing against Cate Blanchett who is a great actress, but there is something about Lawrence that is hard to explain...something that magically works.
Also, she is still only 25 and I think she will get better and better as all actors do with time and experience. Remember that it took Blanchett an entire career to get where she is as an actress.
I would really like to see Lawrence in a Blue Jasmine type of role...Think JLaw can't play a crazy alcoholic? Think again.
SPOTLIGHT
THE REVENANT
THE MARTIAN
MAD MAX; FURY ROAD
BROOKLYN
BRIDGE OF SPIES
ROOM
THE BIG SHORT
Of course, CAROL is far and away better than any of these.
Something that magically works?
She's a movie star, that's it. That's why I love her abd that's why some of her performances work when they should not.
Being a movie star is an advantage some actors have. They are so magnetic that they already have the audience by their side. Are their performances great? Yeah, sometimes, but they don't gave to work from scratch to amaze us, like Blanchett in Blue Jasmine.
I've been reading some people including Nathaniel praising Blanchett for this movie star phase but don't be fooled by it. She's a character actress. Showing movie star features, in her case, is pure acting and characterization, and not a prop, like in Jennifer Lawrence's case.
Jennifer Lawrence's performance is Silver Linings Playbook must be one of my favorites ever...She made the whole world fall in love with her. Before that she was also great in Winter's Bone and The Hunger Games. She brought the franchise to another level through her acting and incredible presence.
Dear Cal Roth, I think it's not that simple to describe Jennifer Lawrence or to put her in a certain category. Don't be fooled by appearances also in Jennifer's case, as she may appear as just a movie star but she is actually more than that. Jennifer is still young and if you look at Blanchett's early career, she certainly wasn't the actress she is now. In other words, Lawrence still has a lot of time to improve in the acting skills/accent department but if you ask me, she is already a character actress. Her first question to David O. Russell before accepting to do Joy was "what is different about my character this time (compared to AH and SLP)?"...That sums it up. Winter's Bone, Silver Linings Playbook, American Hustle, Joy are all great and very different performances. Lawrence is not just a movie star, she is a rare exception, being able to be both a serious actress (in smaller indie films) and a movie star (in Hunger Games, X-Men).
Anonny: JLaw's Joy might have been a good performance, haven't seen it yet, but I'm disappointed that we didn't see the spectacle of "Amy Poehler, Inside Out" getting read on the nomination morning. At least then, the Oscars So White controversy would be undercut by a landmark choice.
I will never understand this fascination with Jennifer Lawrence. She was great in Winter's Bone but terrible in American Hustle, Serena, and X-Men. Her work in Silver Linings Playbook was nothing special and could have been replicated by any competent actress.
I don't find her magnetic, charismatic, or particularly attractive.She's just another vapid, annoying product of the Hollywood machine.
I can't wait to see what Jennifer Lawrence will do in future performances as I find her to be one of the most exciting young character actresses working in Hollywood today.
I agree...an actress either has magnatism or they don't-it is not something that is achieved through training...Lawrence has magnatism to spare and so much more as an actress.
This was a great listen--- like you & Nick I am challenged on this year's best directors, but the surprise actress discussion at the end was (to no one's surprise) so so brilliant. I love the idea that Lawrence has a Blue Jasmine in her, that would be great to see and even though it would probably win her another Oscar, I'd love her to find that. It's generally a once-a-career level of brilliance, but clearly Cate is topping herself again, so maybe JLaw can too? Also LOVED the exploration of Rampling's career.
Blanchett- Blue Jasmine with ease.
Larson- Short Term 12
Lawrence- Winter's Bone, but I haven't seen it since it came out. NOT a fan of her SLP or Hustle work though (well, some of the latter)
Rampling- Under the Sand, but now dying to check out Lemming
Ronan- Atonement
I think people also aren't talking about Cate's performance this year because she won so recently that everyone assumes (quite rightly) that she has no chance here, so they're not debating the merits of her vs. Brie or Charlotte. They'd rather discuss Brie vs. Charlotte (for example).
@Lady Edith - they did mention Hanna. It was the first movie of hers they mentioned.
@Nick Davis - I'd be curious to hear how Cate surprised you so much in Carol. What did she do in Carol that you hadn't thought she could do previously?