2012 Oscars Rundown: Part Two- Best Actress

With Awards season upon us our Culture Editor Nick Huffington-Paint takes a look at this year's nominees and gives us their chances of success

In part two we take a gander at Hollywood's leading ladies and rate their chances of success.

Best Actress

Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady

Meryl Streep has earned lots of plaudits for her voicework on the highly anticipated sequel to The Iron Giant- no mean feat considering she’s following in the footsteps of Vin Diesel. However the fact that she transformed herself so completely into an enormous, sad robot from space has earned her a lot of praise and the 3-time winner has form in the Oscar winning stakes

Oscar-O-meter 8/10

Michelle Williams, My Week with Marilyn

Michelle Williams is obviously courting the Academy with this attention grabbing performance in My Week with Marilyn. The film follows Williams as shock rocker Marilyn Manson in the wake of the Columbine shootings, when his music was being blamed for the murders instead. Williams’ performance of Antichrist Superstar and her transformation into the horse faced androgynous stilt enthusiast is certainly award worthy.

Oscar-O-meter 7/10

Viola Davis, The Help

Playing one of the eponymous ‘help’ who is emancipated by Emma Stone’s Malcolm X, Viola Davis plays her role with a mixture of sass, servility and quiet nobility that has proven so popular with Academy nominees who insist on being black. Following in the steps of Morgan Freeman who won for his portrayal as a chauffeur and Denzel Washington who won for his portrayal of a loud, confident criminal, Ms. Davis’s performance could prove to be just the kind of nuanced portrayal of a household servant with homespun wisdom beyond her years that the Academy could embrace.

Oscar-O-meter 9/10

Rooney Mara, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Based on a series of books that was translated into some grim films that featured a whole bunch of rape, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo comes with a high pedigree. Star Rooney Mara, who played the eponymous lead, captured America’s heart with her gutsy portrayal of a hacker who fucks James Bond then chases some ex Nazis-on a motorbike before getting her tits out.

Oscar-O-meter 6/10





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