Every year it seems the Best Actress race at the Academy Awards continues to get stronger and more competitive. And this year is no different. With half of 2014 in the books, there are a number of female performances that can already be considered Oscar contenders at this point in the year.

Two of the early contenders include Marion Cotillard and Scarlett Johansson. Cotillard won her first Oscar in 2008 for "La Vie en Rose," but has since been widely ignored. Her role in "Nine" garnered buzz in 2009 but failed to attract enough awards recognition. In 2012, she garnered a lot of attention for her role in "Rust and Bone." She obtained Golden Globe, SAG and BAFTA nominations but on Oscar nominations morning she was snubbed. This year the actress has been seen in two substantial roles.

The first was the recently released film "The Immigrant." The drama was universally praised by critics and it also marked the actress' first English lead role. Even though it was a solid performance by Cotillard, the Weinstein Company failed to do the movie justice by releasing it at a time when audiences are not interested in a heavy drama. Additionally, there was very little marketing and advertising for the movie.

If "the Immigrant" is unable to get buzz come Oscar season, then Cotillard could have a chance for her critically-acclaimed role in "2 Days 1 Night." The film recently premiered at the Cannes Film Festival where Cotillard garnered rave reviews for her riveting performance and some critics even hailed it as the best work the actress has ever done.

Cotillard may have another role as well that could be considered. Her turn as Lady Macbeth in the latest adaptation of "Macbeth" is said to be marvelous. The Weinstein Company has yet to announce a release date but if the film plays in the fall festival circuit and gets good reviews, then perhaps the company will release it this year and she will be up for an awards run.

Meanwhile, Johansson garnered attention for her riveting performance in "Under the Skin." The art house movie became a box office hit during the spring and is likely to get a push from the 1-year-old company A24. However, the film is likely to be too weird for Academy voters and that will ultimately affect Johansson's chances at her first Oscar nomination.

One of the strongest contenders this year is Amy Adams. The actress has been nominated for five Oscars, including one in the Lead category for her work in "American Hustle." This year, Adams will be seen in "Big Eyes" by Tim Burton and her performance is already getting buzz. In the movie, Adams is playing a role based on a real person and the Academy tends to go for biopic roles. In the past few years, the female lead Oscar has gone to Meryl Streep for playing Margaret Thatcher, Helen Mirren for playing Queen Elizabeth II and Cotillard for playing Edith Piaf. Adams can join this unique circle for her portrayal as Margaret Keane, if the film is received well.

Reese Witherspoon has been on a decline for the past few years. The actress won the Oscar in 2006 for her role in "Walk the Line" and since then has been in a number of terribly received films. Last year, she had a comeback in the critically-acclaimed film "Mud" and a career resurgence seems underway. This year Witherspoon will be seen in "Wild" by Jean-Marc Vallee. The movie already has plenty of buzz especially since it is also based on a real life story and because Vallee recently directed the Oscar-winning performances by Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto in "Dallas Buyers Club." Witherspoon has a huge chance, especially since the movie will be released by Fox Searchlight in the middle of awards season and critics and organizations are likely to notice it.

Julianne Moore's recent Cannes win brought the actress back into the Oscar picture. Moore's performance in David Cronenberg's "Map to the Stars" was widely hailed by critics and won her the Best Actress statue at Cannes. However, this may not translate to an Oscar nomination as the film not only received mixed reviews but also failed to get a distributor. Moore has also not been in the Oscar conversation in a number of years. Her last nominations came in 2003 for her work in "The Hours" and "Far From Heaven." Back in 2010 and 2011 she had two superb supporting roles in "A Single Man" and "The Kids are All Right" but the Academy failed to recognize her work.

Hilary Swank could also be back in the Oscar conversation for her lead role in "The Homesman." The movie, directed by Tommy Lee Jones, premiered at the Cannes Film Festival where it garnered mixed reviews; however, Swank was praised. Additionally, the movie was purchased by the new distributor Saban films, which has already promised to release the movie in the fall and give it a very good awards campaign.

The last big contender of the year thus far is Jessica Chastain. Not only is the actress starring in two new films this year, but she is also one of Hollywood's current favorites. She received two Oscar nominations in a row for her work in "The Help" and "Zero Dark Thirty." This year she has a big chance at a third nomination for her work in "The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby." The film premiered at the Toronto Film Festival last year and received rave reviews. In May, a new edited edition was shown at Cannes where the rave reviews were re-affirmed. With the Weinstein Company distributing the movie, there will likely be a strong campaign in the works. Chastain also has "Miss Julie," but this movie could easily be disqualified for this year's Awards season. The movie currently has no distributor and has not been seen anywhere. It is likely to appear at Toronto or Venice and if it is any good than it could easily become a late entry into the race.

Other contenders include Rosamund Pike for "Gone Girl," Cate Blanchett for "Carol," Mia Wasikowska for "Tracks," and Shailene Woodley for "The Fault in Our Stars."