Best of 2009 - Best Actress

I'm going to change gears here a bit as the 2009 field for best actress nominees is small. Again, with the exception of Precious, I'm confident I've seen enough films to make intelligent picks. This year, slim as it may have been, I was hardly impressed with the performances by leading ladies. Sandra Bullock, perhaps the front runner for the Oscar was nothing special... perhaps because she was the only bright spot in an otherwise horrible movie is the reason people give her credit. Michelle Monaghan has gotten some praise for what I consider to be her less than stellar portrayal as a Trucker.  Deserving mention are Meryl Streep and Amy Adams for their performances in Julie and Julia.  So why mention them here rather than in my top five? The answer is this... no performance by an actress in 2009 is in the same class as the one I'll turn my focus onto...

Best Actress:

Carey Mulligan - An Education

Mulligan had the benefit of performaning in a great movie, something else few leading actresses can claim in 2009 but I make no excuses for her. She is outstanding as a too smart for her own good high schooler who gets swept away by an older man. There are several parts of this film that wouldn't otherwise be believable had it not been for Mulligan defining her character so well. She's a pleasure to watch throughout the film, even when the idea crosses one's mind that perhaps she's getting what she deserves. She won't win the Oscar, she'll probably get nominated. If Streep wins over her then well... I mean, its Meryl Streep, but if Sandra Bullock wins over Mulligan... well, I'll do something...