A
daughter of the Depression struggling to raise a son in an era of
sex, drugs and rock n' roll; Bening suggests a sea of contradictions
gently waltzing around beneath this lived-in performance (you never
see her ACTING) with a fluent frown-smile and active eyes.
Huppert
is at her frosty, acerbic best. Michele is an impossible anti-heroine
to understand, but Huppert's gifts for channeling the enigmatic (to
say nothing of sly, twisted comedy) also make her impossible not to
watch.
“Low-key”
is almost an understatement, but Negga's portrayal of mousy Mildred
Loving is nevertheless very expressive in its own quiet way. She does
more emoting with her eyes than anything else, and through them we
see a star turn that – while demure – is deeply felt.
A wrought iron interpretation of
mourning and myth-making. The affectations take some getting used to
(perhaps more so for those familiar with the real Jackie's public
persona), but it's Portman's brittle conviction that registers
loudest.
Steinfeld finds fresh shades of
emotional complexity and corrosive humour inside a stock character,
knowing exactly when to play for tears, laughs, or both. This is what
a movie-elevating performance looks like.
Just missed:
Amy Adams in Arrival
Emma Stone in La La Land
Other considerations:
Sandra Huller in Toni Erdmann
Blake Lively in The Shallows
Meryl Streep in Florence Foster Jenkins
