2014 Road to the Oscars: Lead Actress

          I have mixed feelings about this year's five nominees for Leading Actress. A couple of them are strong, with one standing out in particular. The others are sort of bleak, though it is understandable why voters thought they were good. I am still a little bitter about Scarlett Johansson's snub forHer, but it is too late. Without further ado, here are the nominations: Amy Adams, American Hustle; Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine; Sandra Bullock, Gravity; Judi Dench, Philomena; Meryl Streep, August: Osage County.

          Although Amy Adams has annoyed me in the past (and in her newer role in Her), she was tolerable for me in American Hustle. Even enjoyable, though her fake British accent was a killer. She just did not have a complex enough role to play to win an Oscar for it. At least I sure hope the voters feel that way.

          Cate Blanchett was UNBEATABLE in Woody Allen's Blue Jasmine. Her character's emotional depth and damage was conveyed flawlessly. Blanchett made the movie, and that says something considering how good it was. You would never know she was Australian by seeing her in this movie, but more importantly, you would never know that she was not this Jasmine creature. She was tumultuous, bold, broken, and perfect, and she better win this Sunday.

          I was not feeling Sandra Bullock at all in Gravity. Any emotion I felt was due to personal components that I drew into the film, not due to anything Bullock did to make me feel for her character. She was too vague and ordinary a character for me to invest in her. She better not win.

          Judi Dench was adequate in Philomena. She was not great. Similar to Chiwetel Ejiofor in 12 Years a Slave, she showed the pain of her character all over her face in every one of the many close-ups. It just was not as challenging a task for her as Jasmine was for Blanchett to tackle, for instance. Blanchett just needs to win. She completely deserves it.

          Meryl Streep was on point, as always, in August: Osage County. Her performance got progressively better as the film went on, which was important given her character's complex downward spiral. She is deserving of another Oscar, but I am sure another nomination is in her near future. Now is Blanchett's time to win her first Lead Actress Oscar.

          Cate Blanchett!