Almost There: Margaret Qualley in "The Substance"

by Cláudio Alves

In an awards season full of co-leads pretending to be supporting players, nepo babies, and festival hits, it's a wonder Margaret Qualley didn't get a nomination for her work in The Substance. Coralie Fargeat's film is up for five Oscars, being the current frontrunner in Actress and Makeup, a major triumph for a picture such as this, where body horror elements are remixed and reimagined for a made-in-France Hollywood satire. It's gross, like few star vehicles in the Academy's history, so outré as to be off-putting and bold as all hell. In that regard, its closest Oscar relative is Black Swan, whose Mila Kunis, like Qualley, got major precursor and critical support but failed to secure the AMPAS' seal of approval…

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Almost There: Denzel Washington in "Gladiator II"

by Cláudio Alves

The 97th Academy Award nominations weren't marked by many high-profile snubs. Sure, a few critical darlings failed to secure AMPAS' approval, but their absence didn't come off as a shock. Even so, as in every year, some folks came close to a nomination but likely ended up as sixth or seventh on the ballot. For the next few weeks, the Almost There series is making a comeback to celebrate those very contenders. Like last season, I'll pick one performance from each acting category, starting with Best Supporting Actor. And though Clarence Maclin probably came close to the Oscar nod with Sing Sing, let's consider another alternative – Denzel Washington's villainous turn in Gladiator II…

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Almost There: Judy Garland in "The Wizard of Oz"

by Cláudio Alves

On a stressful day such as this, cinema can be a comfort. The movies are often prized for their escapist properties, so why not escape into their celluloid dreams once one's civil duty's done? I propose a trip to Oz before the first Wicked movie redefines what future generations will picture when they think of that magical land with emerald cities and yellow brick roads. But we're not here to talk fairytale architecture, good or bad witches. Instead, our focus shall be on the little girl who adventures into that world, swept by a Kansas tornado, from sepia-toned monochrome into three-strip Technicolor. It's time to talk about Judy Garland's Dorothy, a performance on the cusp of an Oscar nomination once upon a time. She was almost there…

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Almost There: Grace Kelly in "Dial M for Murder" & "Rear Window"

by Cláudio Alves

This past weekend, Grace Kelly was honored on TCM, with an entire day of "Summer Under the Stars" dedicated to her filmography. Moreover, Rear Window is enjoying a brief 70th-anniversary re-release in a select few American theaters. Considering all this, it seemed fitting to explore the Monegasque Princess' work on Almost There, revisiting the superlative year she had in 1954. After all, though she won Best Actress for The Country Girl, Kelly probably accrued a fair number of votes for two other cinematic triumphs, both by the Master of Suspense. There's Alfred Hitchcock's aforementioned Rear Window and Dial M for Murder…

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Almost There: Lois Smith in "Five Easy Pieces"

by Cláudio Alves

No matter how respected or prolific a thespian may be, the glow of Oscar gold isn't guaranteed. Just ask Lois Smith, a titan of the contemporary American stage with nearly 150 screen credits to her name. The closest she ever came to the Academy's good graces was at the start of the 70s and the New Hollywood craze, when playing Jack Nicholson's pianist sister in Five Easy Pieces. Bob Rafelson's film is something of a classic for those interested in this era of American cinema, but its legend tends to circle around the leading man and, maybe, Karen Black. Still, Smith delivers a performance worth considering and, as the title of this post suggests, she was almost there…

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