We assumed that the best actress race was settled weeks, if not months, ago. To think that it all started out as an open-and-shut case from the moment Cate Blanchett took best actress at Venice for Todd Fields’s Tár, thereby putting a caesura on the usual politicking and positioning that often characterizes the top races. The expected curtain call of critics’ citations from London to Los Angeles to Lydia Tár’s own Jersey Shore hometown only served to underline the overall sense of sforzando that was building on Blanchett’s behalf.
Okay, admittedly, once nominations were announced, the controversy over Andrea Riseborough’s successful campaign—which proved that even Tinseltown’s VIPs can pull a little DIY moxie for the right performance—added a momentary wrinkle, an unexpected encore, if you will. But if Riesborough provided the melody that we who follow the Oscars had been humming in our heads a few weeks ago, everyone has now come around to the realization that the best actress race is a frustratingly even match between two actresses, two performances, and two philosophical camps that couldn’t be more diametrically opposed.
In one corner is Blanchett, making not just a meal but a three-day bender out of Lydia Tár (who, pacing current biopic-dependent Oscar voter trends, is very much a real person). In the other corner is Michelle Yeoh, who not only represents Everything Everywhere All at Once, an Oscar mountain compared to Tár, but has emerged as the spiritual center of its entire campaign, one which is kicking into high gear just as AMPAS voters are getting their final ballots. Blanchett added an addition to her awards cabinet this year for her singular, instantly career-summing performance in an iconic role. Meanwhile, Yeoh has picked up conspicuous upset wins along the way for her multiple, instantly career-summing performances in, well, every iconic role.
All season, we’ve relied on previous Oscar wins to help us make some sense of this year’s unusually competitive acting races. But here we realize precedent is increasingly illusory. The contest between Blanchett, the industry awards heir apparent to Meryl Streep, and Yeoh, no less a legend but one whose entire career has been a case study in opportunities denied by cultural gatekeepers, exists in the context of a new Academy. That is, an Academy that in recent years has shown no qualms about following their hearts over awards’ prognosticator’s heads.
We thought that we were putting “smart money” down when we presumed that The Power of the Dog would bullwhip CODA, and when we surmised that there was no path for Parasite to slice 1917 to shreds. Look how that turned out, and add to that dynamic the fact that, unlike CODA, Yeoh’s fearless performance in Everything Everywhere All at Once is an eminently laudable Oscar choice, and one that AMPAS would rightfully be proud of for years to come.
That’s not to say we’re not suffering—or, to be fair, that I’m not suffering—major cognitive dissonance at this moment. Lydia Tár is a character we’ll be talking about for the rest of our lives, and the way movies are going there may not be so many more to come in this or any other lifetime. But when Yeoh held her hands to her forehead in bagel-circle position after her SAG victory, we were instantly reminded of the moment Hollywood collectively learned how to applaud in sign language last year. And as first-time nominee Yeoh and her team have spent the last few months pointedly underlining, the many opportunities Hollywood has denied the actress compared to the collectively 29-time-nominated Streep and Blanchett, betting the “smart money” seems to increasingly sound like part of the problem.
Will Win: Michelle Yeoh, Everything Everywhere All at Once
Could Win: Cate Blanchett, Tár
Should Win: Cate Blanchett, Tár
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Legendary actress Linda Hunt once said, “There was an Indonesian phrase in the film (A Life Of Living Dangerously), which translates into English as “Water From The Moon.”, and it means that which is an attainable….the impossible,…. that which one can never have or know”. Michelle Yeoh is the water from the moon….40 years of impeccable contributions to the industry and in the world of cinema. Her sole performance in this cleverly brilliant and ingenious film by the Daniels, “Everything Everywhere All at Once”, is a masterpiece of sincere emotion. She gives a landmark performance. It is both death-defying and emotionally powerful—an increasingly rare combination. I’d compare her to a bottle of fine wine, she’s constantly evolving and gaining complexity….. I hope the academy voters would give this incomparable actress this once in a lifetime opportunity to be the first asian actress to win the top honour.
I love Cate Blanchett in “TAR” but my heart belongs to Michelle Yeoh for obvious reasons. Yeoh should win and will win the Oscar.
The unconscious bias is really happening folks! No hope for Michelle Yeoh eh? lol
Purely on performance alone. I love Cate Blanchett in Tar. But I hated the movie’s utterly infuriating plot. Either of these amazing actresses ( Yeoh or Blanchett) would be an excellent choice to win for Best Actress
Usually Best Actress wins on drama than comedy.
Since 2000 actresses who won both Golden Globe and BAFTA have never lost an Oscar and Cate has won her Oscar every 9 years. This year is the 9th since her last one as we’ll see if she wins her third one after 9 years. She’s an Oscar heavyweight with the support of the Academy after winning twice.
Michelle Yeoh has things going for her with Everything Everywhere All At Once. Winning accolades as Best Actress and recent wins on both SAG and Independent Spirit puts her back in competition with Cate.
Going into this – Cate has Golden Globes Drama, Critics Choice Awards, and BAFTA. Yeoh has Golden Globes Comedy, SAG, and Independent Spirit Awards. A very close one to call. I go with a rare tie since Katharine Hepburn and Barbara Streisand.
But we have to be careful next weekend because the Oscars thrive on history making, unpredictability, and controversy as only Academy members, actors and production, are the ones to vote. Not us fans or critics.
I think they both nailed their performances and in two completely opposite film roles. Cate is an amazing actress and has two oscars under her belt. Michelle has 40 years of roles under her belt in great movies and it would be great to see her be the first Asian actress to win best actress. Will they give EEAAO best picture, best supporting actor (a given), original screenplay AND actress? Oh and let’s not forget about Jamie Lee Curtis (yeah ok, I’m sure Angela will win BUT Jamie could pull it off, small chance (I honestly think the SAG award was given to her for her entire body of work, her famous parents etc.) but yall know how the academy loves spreading the wealth so I would love to see Michelle win but Cate is a hard one to beat, so we either see voters with a heart or voters voting on an amazing performance. I want see Austin Butler win as well, his becoming Elvis was spot on and a good movie as well. Brendan Frasier’s voice alone bugs me, sure a good performance but a sad depressing movie and the movie isn’t even nominated, give it to Colin Farell then, but Austin deserves it for his 2 year commitment and solid performance. Just my opinion. ♥️
love Michelle Williams