If I Had A Ballot: My Academy Award Nominees (Acting)

It's always disappointing during Oscar season to root for a contender all year, only to find they've been ignored, in favor of a flashier, less impressive contender. It happens every single year... 2011's Best Actress snub of Kirsten Dunst in Melancholia and Charlize Theron in Young Adult still stings a little too much... Alas, that's the fun in creating your own ballot; you get to include your favorite performances, maybe some that didn't make it in the real awards race.

Admittedly, I started this back in December and have revised it at least 5 times (too many performances to choose from!) It's been a very good year despite some of Oscar's less inspired choices, which tended to be drawn from the Best Picture nominees only (with some exceptions, but still should not have ultimately been in their respective lineups) or from Oscar's own favorite pool (Streep? Did she really need another nomination in the year of Adele Exarchopoulos?)

In any event, while the Academy tends to select their favorites, I consider a wider pool of nominees from films the Academy think they're too good to watch, though we do tend to overlap in some cases (in such a rich year, it's hard to ignore the truly great performances). 

So, without further adieu, I give you my Acting Ballot!!

Best Supporting Actress:

• Scarlett Johansson as Samantha in Her (voice only): Undoubtedly the most innovative and masterful performance of the year, without the use of her body. Johansson manages to be present in every frame of the film, transcending the physicality of acting and offering a fully fleshed out and complex characterization with only the use of her voice. What makes this performance all the more special, is that Johansson is an actress that has a heavily publicized sexuality; she is seen as something of a sex icon (rightfully so, she is gorgeous). So many of the roles Johansson has been (type)casted in really only rely on her beauty, limiting her to what she can do on an internal level. For the first time in her career, she's been given a chance to break through the barrier that society and the media has placed in front of her to show us what she's truly made of, without showing us anything at all. This is an entirely new plateau of acting never before achieved by an actor, and it's hard to imagine anyone other than Johansson doing it. Bonus points for Don Jon. 

• Emma Watson as Nicki Moore in The Bling Ring: Stunt casting that pays off. Watson ditches the Hogwarts uniform for Juicy sweatsuits, stolen celebrity jewelry and a faux Valley Girl accent. Watson's complete understanding and commitment to making Nicki feel more than "just a bimbo" allows her to walk the thin line between caricature and character; there's more to Nicki than meets the eye. It's an extremely layered, hilarious performance conveys that perfectly what is going through her mind. What makes it feel like a true breakthrough, however, is how easily in another, less capable, actress' hands this could've been another "stupid white girl" meme of a performance. Watson gives us that, but shows us that Nicki is a schemer, playing us (and the media) all for the fools we truly are; this is a girl who has clearly studied the Hollywood social ladder a bunch of times, and she's willing to risk it all for the chance to remain in the spotlight. Bonus points for being able to deadpan lines like "Your butt looks awesome" and nail the Calabasas accent. 

• Sally Hawkins as Ginger in Blue Jasmine: Somehow Hawkins manages not to get swallowed up in Blanchett's level 5 hurricane of a performance. She's her own character when she could have simply been in the background, helping Cate stand out. She is the perfect foil to Blanchett's Jasmine without sacrificing her Ginger's own authenticity as a multidimensional character, who is able to enjoy her own character arc during Blanchett's mental breakdown, sometimes even in the same scene. Bonus points: This is a performance that truly gets better each time you watch it.

• Amy Adams as Amy in Her: Adams is one of our most versatile actresses; put her in any situation, and she'll manage to find a way to create a completely different and complex characterization from the last one. It's incredible to watch her performance in American Hustle following this one; her talents as an actress are plentiful, but the magic is in her eyes. Her monologue about "finding joy" is not only heartbreakingly poignant, but it resonates because of Adams' honest delivery. 

• Lupita Nyong'o as Patsey in 12 Years A Slave: You may not know her name, but trust me, when you finish watching Steve McQueen's 12 Years A Slave , you will think of no one else but Nyong'o. Though her screen time is short, and the story told from Chiwetel Ejifor's character's pov, Nyong'o manages to create a character that is memorable and affecting. As Patsey, she shatters your heart and bruises your soul with just the blink of an eye; her pain is your pain.  In a film filled with such starry names and characters with more screen time, she manages to be the film's focal point; She holds her own against vets like Michael Fassbender, Ejiofor and Sarah Paulson with such a quiet, heart wrenching ferocity. When you hear Patsey scream, you can feel the true pain, on every level imaginable. If the film had a heart, it would be her. Can you believe this is her first movie?

Winner: Lupita Nyong'o

Runner-Up: Emma Watson

Third Place: Scarlett Johansson 

Missed the cut: Nicole Kidman, Stoker; Lea Seydoux, Blue Is the Warmest Color; Mickey Sumner, Frances Ha; Sarah Paulson, 12 Years A Slave; Margot Robbie, The Wolf of Wall Street; Scarlett Johansson, Don Jon; Oprah Winfrey, Lee Daniels': The Butler; Margot Robbie, The Wolf of Wall Street; June Squibb, Nebraska; Jennifer Garner, Dallas Buyers Club.

Best Supporting Actor: 

• Jared Leto as Rayon in Dallas Buyers Club: Are you guys ready for a magic trick? Watch as Jared Leto transforms himself mind, body and soul. As Rayon, Leto reminds us that method acting doesn't need to be the gimmick it's been the last few years; an actor's body is one of the best tools. He gives you everything he has, using his body as his pallet of colors, and the film is his canvas, painting a beautifully complex and heartbreaking portrait that'll have you weeping. The screenplay doesn't give him a whole lot to do besides be the catalyst in McConaughey's Ron Woodroof's change of heart, but it's Leto's determination to represent Rayon in the truest light possible that makes this such a great performance. Though I wonder what a trans actor could've brought to the role, you have to hand it to Leto that his performance is honest, heartbreaking, and something special. 

• James Gandolfini as Albert in Enough Said: Get ready for another transformative performance, however this one is less about the physical and more of the emotional. Gandolfini transforms himself from the Tony Soprano type he's known to play and allows us see him in a completely new light. As the lovable and goofy teddy bear, Gandolfini reminds us of the mastery of his craft that he displayed over a long and celebrated career, and shows us a versatility we didn't know he possessed. I wish more leading men in romantic comedies possessed the heart Gandolfini's Albert possesses. Bonus points for being his final performance; he couldn't have ended on a better note.

• Bradley Cooper as Richie DiMaso in American Hustle: Hot off of his Oscar nominated work in Silver Lining's Playbook, Cooper hits another one out of the park with a career best performance. He's loud, he's funny, he's unpredictable, he's everything the film needed Jennifer Lawrence to be, and more. He's not afraid to show the fear behind the confidence; even when he's sure he's on top, you can see the lack of confidence in his eyes, and his beads of sweat. The performance is extremely involved, I would argue, it requires more of a commitment than Jared Leto's transformative performance in Dallas Buyers Club. This is Cooper's greatest work yet: hilarious, dramatic, physical, what more could you ask for? Definitely one of the best things about an incredibly messy film, and a performance I've come to think about more and more as the weeks roll on. You may roll your eyes at the fact that Bradley Cooper is a 2 time Oscar nominee, but I think this is a performance that should be deemed Oscar winning; it's certainly more memorable and difficult than last year's winning performance. Bonus points for still being so sexy with a perm, and "Place Beyond the Pines".

• Michael Fassbender as Edwin Epps in 12 Years: Edwin Epps is not a character many actors were rushing to play. Yet as the cruel (an understatement) slave owner of Chiwetel Ejiofor's Soloman Northup and Lupita Nyong'o's Patsey, Michael Fassbender plays Epps in a way that many actors wouldn't have been willing to play him. While he certainly is evil (down to the core), Fassbender's performance gives us hints of mental illness, self-loathing, and alcoholism. Many actors would have played Epps as the personification of evil, but it's Fassbender that makes him beyond a caricature; his Epps is a human being, which makes it all the more terrifying to the audience that he is capable of such atrocities. 

• Keith Stanfield as Marcus in Short Term 12: Marcus is arguably the most sympathetic character in a film filled with people you wanna just hug and never let go. His portrayal of a teen too old to live in the foster system is moving, complex, but never overdone.  It feels completely lived in, as if Stanfield himself really is Marcus. What's even more amazing is that his offscreen persona couldn't be more different from the character he's portraying, much like Gabourey Sidibe's performance as Precious was in 2009. In true supporting actor fashion, Stanfield makes the most of his screen time. He may not own the film, but his presence is felt on and off screen. Bonus points for not only writing, but performing"So You Know What It's Like".

Winner: Bradley Cooper
Runner-Up: Michael Fassbender
Third Place: Jared Leto
Missed the cut: Barkhad Abdi, Captain Phillips; Jonah Hill, The Wolf of Wall Street.

Best Actress:

• Adele Exarchopoulos as Adele in Blue Is the Warmest Color: A true leading performance: Exarchopoulos' ability to simply "be" offers us a gorgeous way to see every emotion Adele is feeling when she's feeling it; the camera is in love with her and it's easy to see why. It's hard to imagine anyone else guiding us through this 3 hour epic love story. With Adele, Exarchopoulos has created one of the most memorable film characters of 2013. Her work is nothing short of an utter triumph. It's hard to remember the last time a performance from a young actress felt this masterfully compelling; she's a fiery ball of insatiable passion, consuming everything (and everyone) on her path to discovering exactly who she is, and what it is she truly wants.

• Amy Adams as Sydney Prosser/Lady Edith in American Hustle: Adams' chameleon like character is a testament to the actress' own versatility; is there anything she can't do? Sexy, conniving and "one of the boys", Sydney is truly one of the best and most complex female characters in recent history, who deserves a way better film. This is her first leading role since Enchanted and she knocks it out of the park. She delivers on the promise she showed in The Fighter of being able to play dark characters. The true genius of her performance, however, lies in her eyes. It's clear that in every scene Sydney is analyzing her options of how to end up on top, even if the men surrounding her see her as nothing more than a sidekick or a pawn, it's Syd who is the real ringleader. Adams is always the actress who never really stands out of her respective ensemble until you really take a deep look at the film; she's an actress who isn't pushing other actors to be seen first, because she knows that you'll find her, as the story demands. Bonus points for nailing the "character within a character" and Her.

• Cate Blanchett as Jasmine in Blue Jasmine: Blanchett nails the louder moments of Jasmine's mental breakdown; she's a level 5 hurricane threatening to destroy everything in her path, but only manages to destroy herself. She also nails the hints at mental illness. But what makes Blanchett's performance so damn good is that she manages to make Jasmine an entertaining character in the quieter moments of Jasmine's unraveling. Whether she's sitting alone on a park bench or she's screaming and carrying on for a martini with a twist of lemon, Jasmine is a thrill to watch. There are so many details, so many choices about the character this actress chose to pay attention to (those pit stains!). Even the way her eyes widen as she loses herself into her fantasy world mid sentence. It's hard to remember the last time a performance felt this committed without having to lose weight or don a prosthetic nose.

• Brie Larson as Grace in Short Term 12: You might remember Larson from 21 Jump Street and United States of Tara. Well, get ready to know her for a completely different piece of work. As Grace, Larson's work redefines the "breakout performance". She commands the film, bringing us a character who's afraid to be every bit of afraid and fragile as she is committed, strong and determined. Larson does an excellent job at conveying Grace's innate loneliness; she throws up so many walls to protect herself from the vast amount of emotions Grace is exposed to day in and day out. However, it's when those walls come crashing down that we see just how meticulously layered this performance is. It's her first lead role, and boy does she step up to the plate. Bonus points for Don Jon and The Spectacular Now.  

• Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Eva in Enough Said: So often do we see big time TV stars' transition to the big screen fizzle and flop with lazily rehashing their television schtick. Dreyfus, however, turns in a performance that challenges some of the bigger "movie stars" working today. We all knew she could nail laugh out loud comedy, but it's her quiet, dramatic nuance that really packs a punch; she's out of her usual comfort zone and not only does she nail it, but she's clearly enjoying herself. Dreyfus is less concerned with her character's vanity (which she sacrifices for laughs, to great results) and more concerned with making her feel like a real person (take notes leading ladies of rom coms!)

Winner: TIE! Adele Exarchopoulos & Cate Blanchett
Runner-Up: Julia Louis Dreyfus or Amy Adams.... Such deserving and rich performances I can't choose which one I like better!!
Missed the cut: Sandra Bullock, Gravity; Emma Thompson, Saving Mr. Banks; Greta Gerwig, Francis Ha; Shailene Woodley, The Spectacular Now; Meryl Streep & Julia Roberts, August: Osage County; Judi Dench, Philomena.

Special Mention: Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy in The Heat

Best Actor:

• Matthew McConaughey as Ron Woodroof in Dallas Buyers Club: Much has been made of McConaughey's weight loss, and he should be commended for that. However, the real magic is in the way he shows the fear behind the strength; he never wants you to see him sweat. In playing up both the vulnerability and strength in Ron's persona, McConaughey is able to effectively own the screen in more ways than one. Is this really the same man who starred in movies like Sahara and Ghosts of Girlfriend's Past? This is not only a bravura performance, but a career changing one.  

• Jaoquin Phoenix as Theodore Twombly in Her: Phoenix, like Amy Adams, is one of our most versatile actors. In a complete 360 from last year's explosive performance in The Master, Phoenix turns in a very subtle and internalized turn. He's never been this quietly devastating before. Phoenix has always been the kind of actor to explode before our very eyes, creating very loud characterizations. But here, Phoenix takes a step back, he relies on the inflection of his voice, the way he looks at things to tell the story, rather than loud gestures or transformations. In fact, Phoenix transforms himself without having to change a thing about his appearance (except maybe the mustache... that's new).

• Chiwetel Ejiofor as Solomon Northup: Never have I seen an actor immerse their body so deep into a role without having to make any changes to it whatsoever. McConaughey and Leto transformed their bodies, mannerisms and dialect, but it's Ejiofor who gives us the true transformation. His eyes act as orbs, telling you the story of Solomon without any dialogue having to be spoken. He sacrifices his entire body for this performance; that scene with the noose remains burned into my head to this very day, and that's largely thanks to the fact that Ejiofor literally becomes Soloman Northup. No other actor could've effectively embodied Northup in the way Ejiofor does, mind body and soul. 

• Tom Hanks as Richard Phillips in Captain Phillips: The final scene of Captain Phillips has received a load of attention; the brilliance of Hanks' performance is all in that final sequence where Phillips breaks down after everything he's just experienced. However, what that shocking 10 minutes does is make you reflect on the utter genius of Hanks' performance throughout the entire film. His Captain is strong and composed, but its those final moments that Hanks lets us see he's just a man. It's arguably his best performance ever.

• Oscar Isaac as Llewyn Davis in Inside Llewyn Davis: Llewyn Davis could have been a character. Isaac's performance, however, elevates him to being a real person. He's not a likable person; Llewyn is self-sabotaging, rude and just a mess in every way possible. But against all odds, we're rooting for him. It's the most lived-in performance given by an actor this year; you can tell Isaac is 110% in this. Bonus points: The singing, the gorgeous gorgeous singing... Isaac doesn't make it gimmicky, but more so, another window into the psyche of the character, one we wouldn't be able to see without. 

Winner: Chiwetel Ejiofor 

Runner-Up: Matthew McConaughey

Third Place: Oscar Isaac

Missed the cut: Ryan Gosling, Place Beyond the Pines; Hugh Jackman, Prisoners; Leonardo DiCaprio, The Wolf of Wall Street; Michael B. Jordan, Fruitvale Station; Christian Bale, American Hustle.