I know that awards season can get really crowded with so many high profile films and contenders vying for your attention. It must get tricky being able to remember films from the beginning of the year when several presumed juggernauts don't even premiere until the end of December. Yes, it must get hard when you have actors losing weight, or donning prosthetics in flashy biopics. Yes, I know it's hard, but before the endless onslaught of awards movies, I ask you to hear me out.
I'm sure you've heard how Rosamund Pike is fantastic in David Fincher's "Gone Girl", a film that has crossed $100 million in just 3 weeks since premiering, and I'm sure a Best Actress nomination would seem fitting as a reward for that film. I'm also sure you've heard Julianne Moore, Jessica Chastain, Reese Witherspoon, Felicity Jones, and Amy Adams are all great in their respective films. It must be hard to see past all of these flashy, very familiar names; some of these women are past winners, or multiple time past nominees. But I'm asking you to look past those names for a moment, to consider Marion Cotillard's groundbreaking work in James Gray's, "The Immigrant".
Now, I'm sure you're going to ask, "What is this film? I've never even heard of it." because not many people have heard of it. It wasn't given a proper release; it was very low-key, and received a very undeservingly muted response from critics, preventing word of mouth. The film is far from perfect, though is a substantially higher achievement than some previous Oscar nominees (*cough* "American Hustle" *cough*). Whatever issues the film may have, however, it contains a flawless performance from Marion Cotillard; she is the film's crowning achievement.
Since she won an Oscar for "La Vie En Rose", in which she portrayed French songbird Edith Piaf, you have overlooked her several times, despite delivering fantastic, first-rate performances in the years since. So if anything, you owe her, but even if you didn't, this is a deserving performance. The role, a Polish immigrant named Ewa forced into becoming a prostitute after arriving in New York in 1921, seems baity on paper. But Cotillard's execution is out of this world, taking us back to the days of silent film, when stars were forced to tell/sell the stories with their faces, rather than having the benefit of audible dialogue.
The film isn't silent, but if it was, Cotillard's performance would be able to carry it just as strongly. Director/writer James Gray wrote the film specifically with Cotillard in mind for the role, and it's easy to see why. In an interview with Indiewire, Gray had this to say about the actress:
"She has one of those faces that's like [Renée Jeanne] Falcotti... she doesn't have to say anything. There's so much compassion for her just by the way that she is, her soul. She radiates intelligence as well as physical beauty and god, that's the rarest quality."
Indeed, Cotillard is able to tell entire stories with a mere look, a trait that not many actresses working today have. The film's climax, a scene where Cotillard's character confesses her sins to a priest, frames Cotillard's face so it's literally the only thing we see. Her performance, hinges on the scene, and she sells us every bit of Ewa's conflicting emotions: heartbreak, disillusionment, but a willingness to do what it takes to survive.
I think I've said enough. Again, I know that this is probably a lost cause. I know that rewarding Amy Adams with her 6th career nomination seems irresistible, because it seems like she has a reserved slot whenever she gives a performance. But maybe, you could look past the familiar, and allow Marion Cotillard a seat this year? I think after being snubbed several times, and being away since 2008, you at least owe her that.
Sincerely,
Jon Adams
Originally published by The Whit
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