Geoffrey Rush is Australian and was playing an Australian in The King's Speech. We may have the same head of state as the UK, Queen Elizabeth 2, have the British flag within our flag and speak the same language but we are seperate countries to the best of my knowledge. Though having said that the Brits are more than welcome to claim Rush as their own, though I doubt he'd be too impressed.Mister Tee wrote: But Lesley Manville is an interesting case – her nomination has perhaps done more to make this category fluid than anything since the TV awards got underway. She could definitely win at BAFTA, which has shown propensity for choosing British actors rather than Oscar favorites – Carey Mulligan in ’09, Rush & Bonham-Carter in ’10, Winslet in ’15 (Rylance as well, at a time when he WASN’T the Oscar front-runner), Patel last year. Manville has already won the London Film Critics’ prize, an honor that has sometimes foretold those BAFTA upsets.
As for the best supporting actress race there would appear to be no doubt that Janney is going to win this which will be a bitter-sweet result for me. I adore Allison Janney and have enjoyed most of her performances over the year. She's always been something of a scene stealer (case in point - Primary Colours) but she is awful in I, Tonya which I suppose is appropriate given how appalling the film is on every level. She gave a performance that she film deserved.
Whilst I would personally vote for Octavia Spencer, even if she playing similar roles year in year out I felt she gave more to the role that most other actresses would.
Nice to see Laurie Metcalf back on the screen and in a lovely unstated real performance. Actually, she is the Willem Dafoe in The Florida Project for the supporting actress category. Not showy at all but very real that one never senses 'acting'. Have always thought that cinema has criminally underused her and a very good case could have been made for her a nomination for her excellent work in Internal Affairs over 25 years ago.
A surprise win for Metcalf or Lesley Manville, always stellar, particularly her work for Mike Leigh would be most welcome and deserved.
I'd never heard of Mary J. Bilge, just like I have never heard of Adele before she penned and performed the theme song for Skyfall. I basically have zero interest in contemporary music. I found Bilge's performance fine in Mudbound for what she had to do. Whilst she doesn't have any 'big' scenes it a quite, dignified performance that is pivotal to the film. Not award worthy by any means, but respectful enough.
Big shame Hong Chau didn't make the cut but the commercial and artistic failure of Downsizing probably meant Academy members didn't bother to watch the film or didn't make it past the first hour.
My own 'best supporting actress' of the year wasn't even on anyone's radar and is one of those really left field choices from a film that was barely released and was savaged by critics. You'll have to wait until I publish my choices for 2017 to find out who it is - hopefully in a fortnight, and then shake your heads in amazement of what I think will largely be considered poor judgment and taste by most. I have a couple of more films to see in the next or so that I hope will take some acting spots.
On a final note, I'll take a bow for being the only person to predict these five talented ladies nominations in this category.