2014 in Film: Best Actress: Rosamund Pike and Marion Cotillard Highlight the Year
For years, there has been a stigma that women do not get meaty roles in major films.
And yet, 2014 is an example that there are a lot of wondrous female roles to behold on the silver screen. From films carried exclusively by female characters, to films in which they counter and work alongside their male protagonists, there was a truly great range of female leads on display.
As part of the next installment in the best in film in 2014, writers David and Francisco Salazar will honor their standout female leads.
The Icy Blonde
By David Salazar
This might have been the hardest pick of all with tremendous turns from Felicity Jones ("The Theory of Everything"), Luminita Ghergiou ("Child's Pose"), Marion Cotillard ("Two Days, One Night" & "The Immigrant") and Tilda Swinton ("Only Lovers Left Alive").
But then there was Rosamund Pike in her big break out for David Fincher's "Gone Girl." Everyone familiar with Alfred Hitchcock's cinema will remember that auteur's obsession with the icy blonde who would often prove problematic, if not lethal, for the film's main hero. In his most Hitchcockian film to date, there is no question that the choice of Pike for the role of Amazing Amy is no coincidence and that the resulting coolness that she gives off on screen is also inspired by the great filmmaker.
And Pike really does revel as Amy. She is both alluring and quite off-putting initially. Her crass personality gives her a sense of strength and command that is infectious for both the right and wrong reasons. She is sexy and yet has a masculinity that is unattractive. She is controlled and yet violent. She is completely logical and unhinged at the same time. If there was a performance so utterly filled with endless paradoxes, this is the one. Those final scenes, in which her repressed tendencies reach their ultimate nightmarish potential is some of the most frightening acting of the year. She, in essence, becomes a nightmare despite being her husband Nick's salvation.
And when all is said and done, the viewers' own feelings for her, which include a mix of fascination, disgust, understanding and completely revulsion only add to the experience.
Fincher clearly tries to balance his protagonists to emphasize this split of perspective and audience alliance. But Pike is so haunting as the "Amazing" (or definitely not so Amazing) Amy that Ben Affleck's Nick Dunne is rather ordinary by comparison.
The Great French Actress
By Francisco Salazar
Over the past year, there have been complaints that the Best Actress race is one of the weakest in years. However, it is hard to see this given the amount of great performances the year has seen from Keira Knightley in "Begin Again," Luminita Gheorghiu in "Child's Pose," Scarlett Johansson in "Under the Skin" and Reese Witherspoon in "Wild." There were also breakout performances from Rosamund Pike in "Gone Girl," Felicity Jones in "the Theory of Everything and Jenny Slate in "Obvious Child"
However, the actress that resonated most was Marion Cotillard in her two films "Two Days, One Night" and "The Immigrant" Cotillard first came to be noticed when she won the Academy Award for her work in "La Vie en Rose." She quickly began working on many big Hollywood productions but none of the roles really showcased her great talent.
In James Gray's "The Immigrant," Cotillard imbues the frailty of a woman forced into prostitution. While she may be a frail character, Cotillard gives her strength and dignity. Her turn is all about her face and her expressive eyes.
On the other hand, her work in "Two Days, One Night" is quite the opposite. Because the Dardenne brothers chose to keep most of the film in wide angles, Cotillard is forced to convey her emotions through body language. Cotillard's character is a depressive woman trying to cope with the idea of getting fired but her Sandra is also strong. Throughout the film, she has to confront her co-workers in order to try and save her job. Sandra has to go through embarrassing circumstances and, in some instances, cope with violence. Cotillard's physicality is on display as audiences are able to see her character crumble in some of the worst circumstances. At the same time, Cotillard adds ounces of cheerfulness even though the outcome looks bleak.
It is a tour de force performance and that will truly be remembered in the next few years.
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