Best of 2009 - Supporting Actress

I'm not as confident or as happy with this list as I was with my chosen best supporting actors of 2009. Either way, the performances of these five supporting ladies were well above average and worthy of recognition. Full disclosure, I've not seen Precious or the highly acclaimed, award snatching performance by Monique so of course, she is not among my best supporting actresses.

Best Supporting Actress:

5. Diane Krugar - Inglourious Basterds
Kruger's performance as a German spy/actress is indeed a highlight of a good but what I consider an overrated movie. While she doesn't quite reach Christoph Waltz status in her performance she has an intriguing way of blending scandal and sexuality with humor, kind of the way Waltz blends said humor with evil.

4. Zooey Deschanel - 500 Days of Summer
Deschanel is an actress I've always liked enough to ignore performances the likes of hers in The Happening. Here in 500 Days of Summer she proves why I can do that. There is a subtlety to her performance. An important subtlty without which her character could very well be over the top and annoying. Instead she's a Penny Lane type girl that's impossible not to fall for.

3. Anna Kendrick - Up in the Air
I don't think Kendrick is as good as everyone has hyped her as being. That being said, that's perhaps only because I don't think she was the best supporting actress in the film as many do. Kendrick actually plays her character very realistically, which is important because you could argue she is still too young to be playing a young up and comer. Like many performances, there is one scene that can make or break it, and Kendrick's critique of the George Clooney's characters way of living is great.

2. Marcia Jean Kurtz - Big Fan
Here's a performance that won't only go unrecognized, but its been mostly unnoticed. I'm going to be a big advocate of this film and the performances in it as the Oscars approach, so Academy... if you are listening, Marcia Jean Kurtz's portrayal of an old, tired, no bullshit, New York woman is fantastic. Yes, it is somewhat of a cliched character, but that's not her fault. She delivers.

1. Vera Farmiga - Up in the Air
Here is not just the best female performance of this film, but the best performance period. Farmiga redeems her God-awful Boston accent in The Departed with a smart, quick-witted and sexy love interest. Far from routine, her character doesn't hold Clooney's character back at all, but rather embraces his lifestyle and joins in on the party. The what has become somewhat infamous scene when she meets Clooney really is worthy of praise as she matches witts with Clooney. But for the rest of the film, she wins.