Alternative 2009 Oscar Nominees- Best Actress

-This year's Best Actress category at the Oscars is probably one of the most exciting and unpredictable in recent years. On the one hand there are the seasoned pros: Meryl Streep for her astonishing turn in Julie and Julia currently leading the pack of nominees with the most awarded performance of the season and a strong possibility to walk away with the coveted trophy and Helen Mirren, whose role as Tolstoy's wife in The Last Station is the definition of a dark horse if there ever was one. On the other side are two newcomers who have given some of the most impressive performances by younger actresses in such a long time. Carey Mulligan as an impressionable British schoolgirl in An Education was captivating and has taken home the most amount of awards this season (second only to Streep). Likewise Gabourey Sidibe's heartwrenching role in Precious has taken home every breakthrough actress/artist award around making her a very STRONG dark horse candidate. In the middle of all this, and the one nominee with the biggest Oscar buzz surrounding her, is Sandra Bullock, whose turn as a wealthy southerner in the surprise hit The Blind Side has led to what many call the performance of her career and has resulted in a string of high-profile accolades for America's sweetheart. I don't think anyone doubts that any of these women deserves her nomination, and I certainly wouldn't be disappointed if Streep or Bullock (the most logical choices) took home the gold. Yet I think its important to remember some of the other fantastic performances given by actresses in 2009 that, had it not been for the aforementioned 5 stellar turns, might have made it to Oscar glory.

1. Charlotte Gainsbourg- Antichrist

-Gus Van Sant's journey into the reecesses of dark madness proved to be too much for some with a few critics actually walking out at press screenings. While the film definitley takes a lot out of its audience, the most noteworthy component is Gainsbourg's performance. As a woman on the brink of insanity due to her son's death, Gainsbourg unleashed an unending flood of emotions throughout the entire course of the film which reportedly wreaked havoc on the actress' psyche. The result was the Best Actress award from the Cannes Film Festival and one of the most electrifying performances any actress has ever committed to film.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBdDcQONmkM

2. Gwyneth Paltrow- Two Lovers

-Gwyneth took somewhat of a risk with her screen image playing a woman involved with a married man as well as her neighbor in the indie drama Two Lovers. Playing a real mess of a human being, Paltrow is completely credible as a woman torn between the possibility of two different lives and who on some level enjoys wallowing in her own misery. Its a Gwyneth who isn't as audience-concious as seen in previous films in what is certainly her best role since Proof which is evidenced by her recent Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Female Lead.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMpuIAiuabw

3. Michelle Pfeiffer- Cheri

-Sometime last year when a random film article was published detailing which performers were long overdue for an Oscar win, it came as no surpise that Pfeiffer's name came up. After being robbed 3 times before (not to mention failing to even get a nomination for her chilling work in White Oleander), the actress once again makes it known that she is Oscar-caliber with her most passion-filled role to date in Cheri. Pfeiffer plays an aging courtesan (a term for french high-class prostitutes) who begins an affair with a selfish young man only to see it end years later when he becomes engaged. The actress commands the screen so vividly as a woman who thought she knew what she wanted from her life, that she is even the main focus of scenes she isn't even in; not a small achievement by any means whatsoever!! With Cheri, La Pfeiffer once again proves herself to be one of the most beautiful and compelling actresses working in film.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lj7wk445BR0

4. Robin Wright-Penn- The Private Lives of Pippa Lee

-While the film itself received mixed reviews, everyone delighted in Wright-Penn's almost flawless performance. As a woman whose life has undergone so many transformations and is now questioning where her life will go next, Wright-Penn is finally given the chance to not only carry a film on her own shoulders, but also finally showcase some of her grossly underused facets as an actress. After years of able and noteworthy supporting turns and ensemble work, it was so rewarding to see this fine actress be given the kind of part she has always deserved.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRV8fZza1z4

5. Renee Zellweger- My One and Only

-I found myself questioning some time ago what had happened to Zellweger's career in recent times. Her last few projects were either uninspired exercises into overly familiar territory (Miss Potter, Appaloosa, New in Town) or noteworthy films which had her doing very little (Cinderella Man, Leatherheads.) It was refreshing then to see the actress finally finding a rich role in a first-rate film such as her part in the late-summer comedy My One and Only. Based on the life of George Hamilton's mother, the film tells the story of a musician's wife who leaves her husband after discovering he's married and takes to the open road in search of a new love. With strong lines, period piece surroundings, and an accent to boot, Zellweger greatly inhabits a role any actress would kill for restoring some hope to what was once a most promising career.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPUYETIAxc0

Tomorrow...Best Actor!!