Best Supporting Actress 2013

5. June Squibb - Nebraska
There is nothing wrong with this performance. It is likable and sometimes funny. But Squibb never does anything more. She is an old actress that seemed to be too lazy to do something with this performance that would make it remarkable, or at least to fix the screenplay's mistakes. No, we don't want lazy performances to be rewarded! 

4. Lupita Nyongo' - Twelve Years a Slave
I don't understand so much awards's attention. Her performance has got three phases: 1) She has got nothing to do. 2) She has got something to play and she uses is very well. 3) She has got something to play, but she fails to handle them well. There are scenes I didn't believe her antyhing, or she didn't act while she was supposed to. There are a few scenes that are fine and the chemistry between her and Ejiofor is good, but she was technically bad in some moments. And that's not something that should be rewarded...

3. Sally Hawkins - Blue Jasmine
The chemistry between Hawkins and Blanchett is really not very good. It's very improbable that they come from the same family. It's not just the actresses who is to blame here, because it's mostly the screenplay's fault, but the ladies failed to fix or hide these mistakes, so that they wouldn't be so obvious. And though Hawkins is trying and does everything the script wants her to, you won't remember her performance a long time after watching the film.

2. Jennifer Lawrence - American Hustle
Yes, she's obviously acting. But she was a miscast, because it's a character written for an older actress. So probably the only possible way to handle this character was the was she had chosen. She's so much enjoying this role, that though it has got some mistakes, you'll be happy to forget them and just sit back and enjoy this character with her. And one thing is absolutely true: Once she's on the screen, you won't feel bored...

1. Julia Roberts - August: Osage County
Roberts easily wins this year for me, as she always hits just the right note for me. She's self-aware and rational woman, but make her angry and she'll get to know you about it! She sees herself to be the protector of her family, but her private life doesn't work the way she'd want to. And she still loves her husband. This everything (sometimes at once) and even more is perfectly portrayed by Roberts in this flawless performance!

My Nominees:
1. Julia Roberts - August: Osage County
2. Sarah Paulson - Twelve Years a Slave
3. Scarlett Johansson - Her
4. Melissa Leo - Prisoners
5. Sharon Stone - Lovelace

Best Supporting Actress 2013: Sally Hawkins - Blue Jasmine

Once you see a great performance, you can't stop thinking about it. It's so much powerful and natural that you will never forget how flawless the performance was. It's only about capturing the character or being realistic. You have to enjoy the performance not just while you are waching the film, but also afterwards. Unfortunately, it is not Hawkins's case. 

She plays Ginger, the younger sister of the leading character Jasmine (played by Cate Blanchett). They are not actual sisters, they were just raised by the same parents. The first problem I have, is that I just couldn't believe that these two ladies came from the same family. Jasmine is a snobbish lady that can't stop living in luxury, while Ginger is a simple-minded and very rational woman that only lives her life for a day. She doesn't live in delusions, but she still is a bit naive and she likes to enjoy herself. It is so improbable that these women would be raised by the same people that it's a hard thing to believe in. Therefore the actresses had twice as difficult thing to do, to persuade us that this is actually very random and ordinary situation.
They failed. Though the chemistry between the actresses is really good, I had a hard time believing that these two women spent their childhood together. They seem as if they had nothing to talk about. But they were raised together, they spent every single day together and now they just can't talk together? I just thought that Woody somehow overdrew their relationship.
All right, I have to admit that everything that is wrong with this film has something to do with the script or the directing. So we can't really blame the actors that the film doesn't work. I also have to admit that Hawkins is really trying to do her best to make her character at least endurable and she succeeded. I would never say she was bad. But her character is just so unwitting, that I doubt if Meryl Streep would do something with it. Sally is overacting sometimes and it seemed to me that her character was just a variation of her character in Happy-Go-Lucky, only less delusional and less happy.
At the end I must apologize to Sally. Maybe the problem is on my side, because I never liked her very much, so it might be just that her acting style doesn't fit me. But she somehow failed to fix the screenplay's script and though she is very much trying to, you will forget this performance a week after watching the film.
I'm so sad for this year's supporting actress lineup. There were so many perfect performances this year and they all were snubbed in favor of very unsatisfying performances given by Hawkins, or Nyong'o for example. The Academy is no longer what it used to be. Though the times of strong lineups (2000) aren't so long time ago, they seem to be gone forever...
The chances of winning an Oscar: There aren't any...

Next Year: Best Supporting Actress 2013

The Nominees:
Jennifer Lawrence - American Hustle
Julia Roberts - August: Osage County
June Squibb - Nebraska
Lupita Nyong'o - Twelve Years a Slave (predicted winner)
Sally Hawkins - Blue Jasmine

And what are your opinions about this year's nominees? Who will win? Who was snubbed? What is your ranking of the nominees? Who should win? What are your predictions for my ranking? Comment!