15 Actresses Deserving of Oscars Attention (But Probably Won't Get It)

I'm bored of the old guard of actresses ruling the Best Actress field every year, and this Oscar season doesn't look to be any different. In fact, most of the main Best Actress contenders skew a little bit older, and of course Meryl Streep is there for August: Osage County, apparently because she wore a lot of make-up and didn't wear out her throat screaming for two hours. Good for her. Her place in the race is assured no matter what, but this year in particular there were a wealth of great performances by women who will probably be ignored by the Academy, even though they have as much right to be there as anybody.

So what I recognized, and this will be the case for male performances too, is that most of the performances that had the greatest impact on me probably have no shot at receiving a golden statue. What they all share in common for the most part are two things: youth and opportunity. The oldest actress on my list is veteran scene-stealer Kristin Scott Thomas who gives bad mothers an even worse name in Only God Forgives. Right next to her is TV vet Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who displays in Enough Said a wit and dramatic range could have made her a big screen star. Others, like Brie Larson for Short Term 12, are under 25 and taking advantage of their first chance to play truly complex, lived-in characters. And then there are those in-between like Gaby Hoffmann, who has been acting steadily for 25 years and is only now just starting to come into her own as a blissful hippie traveler in Crystal Fairy. And yeah, a few were just extremely hot, like the crimson-haired Christa Theret in Renoir as the woman who reignited the legendary artist's passion.

What I've tried to do in each case is provide a clip to show off why these extremely talented ladies were so unforgettable. As always, feel free to weigh in with your own picks!

Waad Mohammed- Wadjda



Melonie Diaz- Fruitvale Station



 Christa Theret- Renoir



Rosario Dawson- Trance



Kristin Scott Thomas- Only God Forgives



 Veerle Baetens- The Broken Circle Breakdown




Amy Acker- Much Ado About Nothing



Berenice Bejo- The Past



Gaby Hoffmann- Crystal Fairy



 Greta Gerwig- Frances Ha



Julie Delpy- Before Midnight




Lake Bell- In a World....



Shailene Woodley- The Spectacular Now



Julia Louis Dreyfus- Enough Said



Brie Larson- Short Term 12

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*CLOSED* 'Enough Said' Advance Screening

Sadly, Nicole Holofcener's Enough Said marks the final lead performance by James Gandolfini, and as someone who has seen the film it's one of the finest he's ever given. Starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus in a rare big screen turn, the story follows a divorced single mom who meets and falls for a man in a similar situation. As their love begins to blossom, she unwittingly befriends his ex-wife who begins to poison her perceptions of him. We'd like for you to check out this wonderful film a little early by catching a free advance screening held at Landmark Bethesda Row on Thursday September 26th at 7:30pm.

To qualify, you MUST be a fan of Punch Drunk Critics on Facebook,so if you haven't "Liked" us yet please go there and do so now. Simply leave a comment here with your name, email address, and your favorite James Gandolfini film. We'll be using the Gofobo ticketing system for this one, so you'll need to register there as well. The contest end at noon on Wednesday September 25th.

Good luck!


"Enough Said" Trailer - starring James Gandolfini and Julia Louis-Dreyfus by thesevensees

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James Gandolfini and Julia Louis-Dreyfus Shine in Trailer for 'Enough Said'

The sudden passing of James Gandolfini has made every opportunity to see him in action all the more special. One of his final performances was in Enough Said, the latest insightful comedic look at love and relationships from writer/director Nicole Holofcener (Please Give, Lovely & Amazing) and starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus in a rare leading role. Ahead of its debut at TIFF next month, the first trailer has been released and not only does it look like a real charmer, but also one of Gandolfini's finest big screen roles.

Louis-Dreyfus stars as Eva, a divorced massage therapist, while Gandolfini is Albert, a funny everyman in a similar life situation. The two meet and begin to fall in love, but just as things are starting to go great, an unfortunate wrench is thrown into the works. It wouldn't be a Holofcener film without Catherine Keener nearby, and she turns up as Marianne, Eva's new client and Albert's ex-wife. As Marianne begins to reveal the ugly details of their relationship, her complaints begin to color Eva's opinion of Albert, making for an awkward situation when he notices the change.

Enough Said opens on September 20th and co-stars Ben Falcone and Toni Collette.

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