Actressexual Honors - Best Leading Actresses of 2024

 By Nathaniel R

It took me a second viewing to appreciate what Margaret Qualley was up to in "The Substance". Great work!

Reckless sex workers, repressed CEOs, witches-in-training, and a triple helping of “Elizabeths” (!?!) factor into the incredible characterizations offered up by gifted actresses in leading roles this past film season. As we say goodbye to the year in cinema just behind us, a tribute to my personal dozen favourites (alpha order) from leading ladies. Though it’s a full dozen I still had to leave out highly enjoyable star turns from June Squibb in Thelma and Scarlett Johansson in Fly Me to the Moon, as well as Amy Adams' funny and underappreciated juggling of dowdy and feral as “Mother” in Nightbitch. The actual shortlist for my own Best Lead Actress honors is revealed at the end. 

top dozen - alpha order

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A Supporting Actress Dozen (aka Nathaniel's Favourites)

by Nathaniel R

Joan Chen would have made such a magnificent Oscar nominee for "Didi"

While I realize my advocacy for actual supporting performances would do more good earlier in the year, I am who I am and my clock refuses to run on schedule. Nevertheless I shall carry the banner for genuine supporting players until the end of days. Movies just wouldn’t be the same without the undergirding of story beats, thematic reflections, and emotional contours that supporting players add to movies – often even elevating the lead performers as a result! Moreso than in ANY year in memory, there was shockingly little conversation about any actually supporting female performances this year so I'm here to rectify that by citing 12 favourites...

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Final Best Actor & Best Supporting Actor Thoughts

Dearest Reader, we know you want to move on from 2024 but please allow us our final indulgences for only one more week - promise! 

Jason Schwartzmann (Queer) was one of MANY supporting performances that might have been discussed this past year if Leads weren't usurping the supporting actor oxygen

by Nathaniel R

The film year has ended with Adrien Brody (The Brutalist) and Kieran Culkin (A Real Pain) taking their Oscar categories. So... on account of the timeless procrastinator's slogan 'better late than never' I'm now sharing my own ballot. It was rather shocking / unpleasant (given my predilections) to realize that the men had arguably outdone the women (or at least equalled them) in acting achievements this past cinematic year. Nevertheless, since I far prefer watching / discussing actresses on the silver screen, I’m forcing the men to share one constrained listicle article. Take that, men – you can’t keep a good actressexual down.

Herewith the finalists (i.e. top dozen) for my own ballots in both Supporting Actor and Best Actor at the Film Bitch Awards. The official nominees are also announced... 

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Film Bitch Awards: Yellow Coats, Breathy Vocals, and Facial Reconstruction, Oh My!

by Nathaniel R

In an alternate reality somewhere I am a punctual cinephile, delivering his own personal awards with metronomic precision, one category per day for a month before the Oscar nominations or at least between the nominations and the big night. But we are in this reality and there are never enough hours in the day and always last minute screenings to shove in to try to see everything that people are talking about. While you'll have to wait to see my personal acting ballots until after the Oscar aftermath fades (as I'm still writing up star turns and need to have a clear head) but the rest of the 'traditional' i.e. Oscar parallel categories of my own awards are now up for your viewing / thinking / comparing-to-your-own-faves pleasure. I know it's Oscar day but I thought I'd throw this up if you're tired of talking predictions but are still hopped up with movie fever...

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Nathaniel's Top Ten List. The Film Bitch Awards Begin...

by Nathaniel R

 

For this cinephile, the film year doesn’t officially end until the naked gold men are handed to their blessed new owners, deserving or otherwise. (If you’re looking for my predictions that article is here or in various Oscar volleys) So as we enter the third month of 2025 the books must now close on 2024. It’s time for even champion procrastinators like myself to participate in their mandatory subjective “Best” proclamations. For the next week or three I’ll be posting the Film Bitch Awards, the public honors for my private darlings, beginning with this Top Ten List / Best Picture, announcement today. These awards are the site's most enduring annual tradition and though I agonize over them (call it ‘permanent record’ anxiety as I never change them after the fact because I want them to feel respectable in a time capsule way) I deeply love the process of listing and favoriting and ranking. It’s one small ritual to bring order to the chaos of life. I imagine I’ll still do it even after the world collapses in three years time and we’re all living in a hellish installment of the Mad Max Saga. What will there be to rank… Rocks? Cancerous growths? Abandoned ruins? Who knows but I’ll do it. Until then we have civilization and the movies...

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