1. Leading Actress

No other performance this year felt anywhere near as controlled and unforgettable as Marion Cotillard’s embodiment of Edith Piaf. It was a fearless, heart and soul kind of performance that could go either way – I predict it for the win. Sure the fact her film is foreign language could be a negative factor, but she has it all. Julie Christie is the easy pick for the win because she is a veteran was gave an incredibly effective and affecting performance as Alzheimer’s patient, Fiona, and she has won most of the precursors this season, but upon revisiting both films, Cotillard gave a career defining performance that stood out more. This is my No Guts-No Glory pick.

Cate Blanchett was incredible in the beautiful The Golden Age, but too bad for her that her film was not great by any standards. Laura Linney is good every time she is on screen, and her nomination for The Savages is great, if she could be the upset, it would be a great achievement for her, but it won’t happen. Ellen Page’s win could very much still happen, but it is very unlikely. If only my heart could vote, she would be the lock for the win. Her performance was the comedic great of 2007, in my opinion, in my favourite film of the year. She made me feel all sorts of emotions and never once did I even feel that Juno was just a quick-witted character, she was real. She will win an Oscar someday, you can bet your LIFE on that, but I think that this year isn’t hers, she is still rising up in the world of Hollywood greats. Ellen Page would finally be recognized as a great actress and one of the best in her generation, even though she was just as good in Hard Candy but not many people saw that one. She embodied Juno and gave her something more than a quick tongue and a pregnant belly. She was a “big, puffy version of Junebug” and I bow in the presence of greatness.

Best Actress: Marion Cotillard – La Vie En Rose
Special Acknowledgement: Ellen Page – Juno