1. Rosamund Pike in Gone Girl: Rosamund Pike has gained the most coveted role of the year in David Fincher's upcoming thriller Gone Girl. Based on Gillian Flynn's bestselling novel, Gone Girl tells the story of a man (Ben Affleck) who is accused of killing his wife (Rosamund Pike). Without giving too much away, Rosamund Pike's character completely challenges male expectations of female behavior, and this is likely to be one of the most unique, brilliant, and twisted female performances of the year.
2. Reese Witherspoon in Wild: Over the past couple of years, Reese Witherspoon has managed to completely turn her career around. By ditching conventional romantic comedies, Reese has returned to her indie roots by starring in indies such as Mud in order to flex her acting chops. In a huge comeback role that could win her a second Oscar, she plays a woman who hikes the Pacific Coast Trail after years of heroin addiction, promiscuous behavior, and depression in this empowering true story. I saw the film at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) and her performance is shockingly raw, honest, and inspiring.
3. Julianne Moore in Still Alice and Maps to the Stars: Without question, Julianne Moore is my favorite actress. She manages to switch effortlessly between both Hollywood and indie cinema and is always involved in the highest quality projects which feature compelling female roles. Finally, Julianne has a role that could win her a much deserved Oscar. In the film, she plays a 50-year-old linguistics professor diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's. The film is remarkable and heartbreaking to watch, and Julianne brings such nuance, intelligence, and vulnerability to what just might be her best performance yet. I caught the film at TIFF as well. In addition, Julianne won Best Actress at Cannes for her role in David Cronenberg's Maps to the Stars as a vapid Hollywood starlet. While the film is likely too dark to receive mainstream attention or awards buzz, her performance was hailed as one of the best of her career, and it is always incredibly exciting and refreshing to see Julianne push herself with such unique, strange, and challenging roles.
4. Marion Cotillard in 2 Days, 1 Night: Marion Cotillard returns to her roots in international cinema with this incredibly fierce role that earned her unanimous praise at Cannes. In the film (which I also caught at TIFF), she plays a working class woman suffering from severe depression in Belgium who must go door-to-door to each of her co-workers houses and beg them to give up their bonuses in order for her stay on as an employee. Please don't be deterred by the French subtitles and check out this remarkable, hyperrealistic, beautiful film with one of the most subtle and deeply moving performances I have seen in a while. Not only is Marion Cotillard in contention for an Oscar nomination, but the film is Belgium's submission for Best Foreign Language Film.
5. Amy Adams in Big Eyes: Amy Adams could finally win a much deserved Oscar in Big Eyes, which tells the true story of painter Margaret Keane, whose husband, played by Christoph Waltz, took credit for her famous paintings in the 1960s. Produced by the Weinstein Company and directed by the marvelous Tim Burton, this film is likely to receive tons of awards buzz and rave reviews. Not only is Amy Adams expected to dazzle (as always), but the film deals with important feminist subject matter in what appears to be a gripping and moving way.
6. Jessica Chastain in A Most Violent Year, Interstellar, and The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Jessica Chastain, Hollywood's latest "it" girl, has 3 Oscar-worthy films coming out this year. The first, A Most Violent Year, is directed by J.C. Chandor. The plot, which involves a crime wave in New York, is being kept under wraps, but Chandor is known for getting masterful performances out of his actors (like Robert Redford's in last year's All Is Lost), and I am always eager to see what Jessica is up to next. Also, she is starring in Christopher Nolan's hotly anticipated sci-fi epic Interstellar. No details regarding the plot have been released, although it appears that she plays Matthew McConaughey's wife in the film which is likely to push the boundaries of Hollywood cinema and feature some dark and challenging performances. Finally, in The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby, she plays a woman experiencing the highs and lows of her tumultuous marriage to her husband, played by James McAvoy. Her performance in this film is very naturalistic and incredibly touching, as she explores the loss and heartbreak of failed relationships.
7. Jennifer Aniston in Cake: Jennifer received standing ovations at TIFF for her dark and challenging portrayal of a woman suffering from chronic pain in Cake. Although the film has yet to be acquired for distribution, it is likely to get a winter release. In the film, Aniston does not wear any makeup and has scars across her face. Unafraid to push herself and delve into a role that is messy, honest, and demanding, Aniston is better than ever and proves that she is more than just a pretty face, a tabloid celebrity, or Rachel from Friends. She's a force to be reckoned with.
8. Keira Knightley in Laggies and The Imitation Game: Keira Knightley has two films to look out for this Oscar season. First, she stars in Laggies, a critically acclaimed dramedy from both Sundance and Toronto in which she plays a woman going through a life crisis who begins hanging out with a group of high school girls. The film (which is also directed by prolific female director Lynn Shelton!) is supposed to be hilarious, heartbreaking, and incredibly insightful, and it brings a much needed female perspective to the male-dominated indie films of 2014 thus far. Keira Knightley is also getting lots of buzz for her role in the Benedict Cumberbatch-starrer The Imitation Game, in which she plays a female cryptanalyst and codebreaker (already an exciting, unique part for a woman). Keira is supposed to be incredible in the film, where she does more than predictably play the love interest to Benedict Cumberbatch as one might initially expect.
9. Meryl Streep in Into the Woods: As always, Meryl is at it again, and she's singing, too! She plays an evil witch in Disney's star-studded musical. Based on the trailer, Meryl has used her chameleon powers once again and truly transformed herself into such a grotesque and frightening character without ever going overboard and simply chewing scenery. While I wish that more women Meryl's age got the acting opportunities she does, it is always exciting and refreshing to see Meryl challenge herself with such a diverse array of parts in both Hollywood and independent cinema.
10. Hilary Swank in The Homesman: Hilary could three-peat with her role in Tommy Lee Jones' directorial debut as a pioneer woman who must escort three insane women from Nebraska to Iowa. Based on positive reviews at Cannes and the compelling trailer, it appears that Hilary has once again sunk her teeth into an exciting, transformative role. While I feel that recent roles of hers have been a bit over-the-top and "Oscar bait-y," it is very refreshing to see her back in top form with such an intelligent and powerful role.
Honorable Mentions: Felicity Jones in The Theory of Everything, Mia Wasikowska in Tracks
Well, that just about sums up my top 10 Best Actress predictions. Please get excited for these films, as strong female roles like these are incredibly hard to come by, and are typically only found during the small time frame of Oscar season each year. Also, please note that there are many exciting female performances of 2014 not listed here, such as Scarlett Johansson in avant garde masterpiece Under the Skin or Jennifer Lawrence in mega-blockbuster The Hunger Games: Mockingjay--Part 1. Those roles are incredibly significant and no less valid than those I have listed above, but, practically speaking, will not be considered awards contenders. (I suppose that's a rant for another day.) Overall, while there is plenty of bias in determining Oscar nominations each year, all of the actresses considered in contention for Best Actress who I listed above should still be celebrated. They all tend to make smart, inspired career choices and refuse to be typecast as love interests or nagging wives, and their work should be applauded and recognized as a result. Thus, it is incredibly important to spread the word about and attend their upcoming films to ensure that these female-driven films do well at the box office (which will send a loud and clear message to Hollywood distributors) and garner each actress the acclaim that she deserves.
And, totally unrelated, check out this week's recommendation!
FEMINIST FILM/TV RECOMMENDATION OF THE WEEK: TOP OF THE LAKE
Please check out Jane Campion's feminist masterpiece starring Elisabeth Moss. The miniseries is a thriller/detective show as well as a feminist examination of gender politics taking place in rural Australia. It's The Silence of the Lambs meets Broadchurch meets The Piano, and absolutely worth checking out on Netflix.
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