Nathaniel's Best Actress & Supporting Actress Ballots
Friday, March 10, 2023 at 11:32PM by Nathaniel R
How is it Friday before the Oscars already? So much to do before then including Final Predictions, my own top ten list, two more Oscar volleys, and ten more categories at the annual film bitch awards (my own long-running party of "best" this & that). Sorry to rush through the duet of the categories we live for: Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress. But they're up. Among the 10 selected actresses there are six current Oscar nominees but only five overlaps; Hong Chau is stronger in The Menu than in The Whale. In both cases, and as always in her career, she's totally elevating her material. "These are tortillas" is among the very best line-readings of the year. Somehow she's calm, polite, and dripping with condescension at the same time. She's just a magical actress and it's so satisfying to see her finally get her mainstream due via that Oscar nod.
And you surely foresaw that I couldn't have a Best Actress list this year without the great Emma Thompson in Good Luck to You Leo Grande (doing her most revelatory work in two decades) and Danielle Deadwyler, so operatically moving in Till.
P.S. Though we can't do the medal ceremony until all categories are posted, I think I've made it clear over and over again that Dolly de Leon will be my gold medalist for Best Supporting Actress. While it's abundantly clear that she was an 'almost there' in 6th place for Oscar's shortlist, given how well Triangle of Sadness did overall, it's still a damn shame she was passed over. I'd boot any of the current nominees -- even the ones I myself nominated -- just to have her in that lineup.
Reader Comments (16)
Love the shout-out to Hong Chau in the Menu! While watching I kept wanting her to come back as each line reading was so perfectly hateful yet compliant. Such a rich performance!
(Ooh I hate that this posts under my real name instead of my username! Agh! Tried to delete but here we are…)
Kate what is your user name? I'll switch it in the system if you registered under incorrectly.
Love to see Vicky Krieps and Nicole Kidman in your top 10s. I would add Cannes winner Zahra Amir Ebrahim for Holy Spider. That half-movie scene in the house of the Spider Killer is such a masterful acting lesson!
I loved Dolly DeLion and the movie itself but I can't see a SO great performance. As for Mescal in Aftersun I think that the role was so good on the screenplay that the actor had few to do. Be an appropriate actor for sure, but screenplay and directing did most of the work.
What a wonderful year it’s been for Supporting Actress performances! Impossible to narrow down, with so many bright, thoughtful, satisfying, unique performances that only get better with a second viewing.
I’m happy to see Hong Chau getting deserved attention this year, and look forward to seeing her next movie “Showing Up” and what spin she will give on a kind of different part: a successful witty well-liked visual artist.
You know a category is stacked when no one from THE WOMAN KING and WOMEN TALKING makes it into your long list! Sheila Atim and Judith Ivey would've been my picks if I had to choose one for each. It's tough! Hsu not making it into your top 5 messes with my head a little, but que sera. Great picks overall!
You Remembered Anne Hathaway she was so good in a sorely underlooked film.
Great lists surprised Hsu and WIlliams didn't make it as you loved both films I am not so hung up on Condon as others are and hope Curtis gets the Oscar.
Love the Gabrielle Union mention,I think she's my 2nd runner up
My BSA ballot Winner Curtis,Morton,Hathaway,Hsu,Union.
My BA ballot Winner Yeoh,Blanchett,Goth,Deadwyler,De Armas
Nice to see the Sigourney mention,she was also very good in The Good House.
Really happy to see Hong Chau nominated for the right film! She was so goof in The Menu and elevated every single moment and line. I can't stop quoting her tortillas line.
Kerry, JLC and Dolly are all good choices, too.
Sadly, can't say the same about Union. I found her cringe-worthy.
Double dip for Hong Chau! I remember the days when you handed out bonus points instead of allowing two bids in the same category (Marion Cotillard in Nine - one of your more inspired picks!)
Can’t argue with your choices as ever - your Actress lineup is really what it should have been this year.
What were your thoughts on Bassett? I genuinely thought it was a great performance in a rubbish film
morganb123 -- i mean, i love Bassett in general but I dont get the fuss over the performance. She did what she had to do and did it well but awards? I absolutely believe that superhero films can have great performances (i have no biases like that about acting in genre films) but I didn't necessarily see it there.
Chi-raq was the occasion to give an Oscar to Bassett, but... I don't wanna start another flame. Let's just say that it was not the movie that you see covered with awards in a certain part of the world
so you haven't seen Judy Davis in Nitram.
This category should have been: Dolly de Leon, Kerry Condon, Stephanie Hsu, Hong Chau, and Jaime Lee Curtis. 😊
The one snub that made me sad was Dolly De Leon. Nat, glad that we are in agreement that she gave the best supporting performance last year. I hope we get to see her again in another movie, although I doubt it. We will never hear of her again.
pp92 -- i loved Chi-Raq at the time but i dont recall what Bassett did in it. Hmmm.
Peggy Sue -- i never did catch Nitram, no.
Thanks, Nathaniel. It’s catbaskets