Best of the Year So Far, Actresses

 


We're past Thanksgiving in the home stretch for the year, so I thought it was a good time to look at what currently sit as my favorite performances of the year. Today I'm looking at my top three at Actress and Supporting Actress. Sunday I'll look at my top three at Actor and Supporting Actor.

Best Actress:
1. Jessica Chastain, The Eyes of Tammy Faye. Chastain gives an incredible performance, sinking into the role so completely I forgot she was in it. It's by far the best lead performance I've seen this year.
2. Emilia Jones, CODA. This is still my favorite film of the year, and Jones is a delight. Her voice is beautiful and her presence is the emotional heart of the film. The sequence during her audition scene, when she performs for her family as well, is one of my favorite scenes of the year.
3. Jodie Comer, The Last Duel. There's a number of interesting performances this year but I'm going with Comer for now. I've enjoyed her on the small screen and thought she was great in Free Guy. But her work in The Last Duel is the best part of the film.

Best Supporting Actress:
1. Martha Plimpton, MASS. This is the heaviest hitting film of the year and one of the best. All four actors in the middle of the action are great but Plimpton really carries a lot of the emotional heft of a deeply emotional story. I loved her performance.
2. Caitriona Balfe, Belfast. I loved the slice of life offered in Belfast, and Balfe is a big part of what makes it work. She gives a beautiful and heart-felt performance as a mother trying to protect her children and a wife trying to keep her family together and grounded.
3. Marlee Matlin, CODA. CODA was my favorite film and all the performances are great. I loved Jones in the lead, but Matlin is great as her mother, too. It's a fun and free performance, one with plenty of layers and depth.

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