Best of 2012 - Supporting Actress

Conventional wisdom and major award bodies see this as Anne Hathaway's year. However while I think she's the best thing about that movie I still found another 5 performances that I liked more. Here are my top 5 in alphabetical order:

Emily Blunt in Looper

For grounding a most fanciful premise in a simple story about a mother's love for her child.

For showing that love to be scary, tender and fierce all at the same time.

Lizzy Caplan in Bachelorette

For being both new and familiar as the not-ready-to-grow up party girl.
For showing us the hurt and hidden vulnerability behind the smug and awful.
For portraying the hurt of first love so eloquently.


Jennifer Ehle in Zero Dark Thirty

For having lots of spark and personality behind the dogged devotion to her job.

For showing the excitement of the hunt when the prey is near.

Helen Hunt in The Sessions

For shedding all pretense along with her clothes. 

For showing us honesty that love can be conflicting and emotionally dangerous. 

For that moment in her car.

Lorraine Toussaint in Middle of Nowhere

For the most realistic portrait of a mother's simultaneous disappointment and hope in her children.

 For showing years of weariness and knowing-it-all in a simple look.

Thoughts? What were some of your favorites? Did any of these ladies blow you away as they did me?

Most Memorable Movie Scenes of 2012

What makes a movie scene memorable? A recognized reflection; an image that moves you; a witty and smart line of dialogue. Sometimes you get all in one scene. Sometimes a scene encapsulates the movie or it can stand out separately and still be memorable.Sometimes it can be a performance or a piece of music that sticks in the mind. Here are few of my most memorable scenes from 2012 movies in no particular order.

MIDDLE OF NOWHERE

Setup: A mother, two daughters and a grandson sit down to have dinner. The mother tries to start a conversation. The daughters would rather not reveal anything honest. Years of resentment, avoidance, unhappiness, disappointment come crashing down.

Why: In one very economic scene the dynamics and history of this family are revealed. You understand tons about these characters. The scene reflects eloquently any family that sometimes is unable to connect.

HOLY MOTORS

Setup : It doesn't matter. There's a man, there's an accordion. Several other men with accordions appear. It becomes a parade.

Why : It's a jolting haunting beautiful scene in a movie full of very eccentric scenes. Even if you don't care much for the movie, this one sticks with you. Fanfuckingtastic!

RUST AND BONE

Setup : A woman recovering from losing her legs in a horrific accident tries to remember and heal. Katy Perry starts blaring.

Why : Because of the emotional punch Marion Cotillard throws at you. You feel it in your gut.

MAGIC MIKE

Setup : A few male strippers gather in a gym to workout. A seasoned stripper teaches the new kid a few moves.

Why : Because Matthew McConaughey looks fantastic and acts the hell out of the scene. Years of his sometimes charming, sometimes puzzling public persona has lead to this moment. He emerges a great character actor and a star for the ages.

ANNA KARENINA

Setup : A few members of the Russian aristocracy gather at the races. A horse falls down. A woman screams with concern for her lover. Her husband watches.

Why : It is unlike anything else we've seen at the movies this year. Joe Wright's choice to film the whole movie inside a theater comes to bright vivid life in this scene. He builds the tension; is Vronsky OK? What will Anna do? How will Karenin react? The visuals are sumptuous and the emotions heightened.

ZERO DARK THIRTY

Setup: Mission accomplished, time to leave the mission site. A lonely hunter boards a plane. Tears stream down her face.

Why : We don't know why Maya is crying. Is it relief? Is it sadness? Does she feel lost? Not knowing what to do next with her life? We don't know and the questions are what makes the scene moving and memorable.

THE SESSIONS

Setup : The sex therapist and her patient finish a session. As they are saying goodbye they both discover the emotional bond that grew between them. They decide to end the sessions. The therapist has a breakdown in her car.

Why : The emotional honesty of the scene. The way Helen Hunt plays it is moving and cathartic. You see all these feelings on her face as she starts crying alone in her car. She is at once happy, sad and grateful. Happy for her patient's breakthrough, sad because she will miss him in her life, grateful to have had the experience.



What were some of your most memorable scenes? Do you agree with these choices? I would love to hear from you.