Best of 2009: Top 10 Performances by a Supporting Actress

While some of the performances in the 2009 supporting actress category won't be remembered for lists to come, there were a lot of actresses that incorporated great acting with crucial scenes to land on this list. These scenes - just like those of the supporting actors - are what lands the actress on my list. Many actresses have had great, iconic roles this year (Vera Farmiga in "Up in the Air"; all the ladies - Nicole Kidman, Kate Hudson, Fergie, Judi Dench - of "Nine"; Rosamund Pike, the glamorous older friend of Jennie in "An Education"; Catherine Keener in "Where the Wild Things Are"; and Charlize Theron in "The Road." However, what these actresses didn't have - or didn't have enough of - are scenes that steal, scenes that escape the film and hold their own weight, scenes that make good movies great - or in some cases on my list, scenes that make bad movies watchable.

Also, it needs to be addressed that I - just like many of the award shows back in January through March - am confused about what makes an actress a lead and a supporting. I've taken the theory that leads must have their own main storyline; supporting roles are sub-characters. So, in some cases here, I have either agreed or disagreed with the Oscars or Globes or SAGs, but know that I've given their placement much thought.

First, let's talk about the actresses that have made bad movies watchable. Rachel Weisz lighted her way through the murky, silly waters of "The Brothers Bloom" alongside leading men Adrien Brody and Marc Ruffalo. Her character had so much spunk and so full of wit that I questioned why the writer couldn't put the same focus on the other roles and to the plot. "He's Just Not That Into You", a star-studded Valentine film, clustered characters, leaving you emotionless - except for Jennifer Connelly as the jealous, suspicious wife of a cheating husband. The scene in the supermarket still resides in my mind.

In my mind, Penelope Cruz had an incredible year in 2009 with her performances in "Nine" and "Broken Embraces". Many thought that her role in the latter was a leading role, but I beg to differ. Lena isn't the main character by far - she's supporting. Also, Cruz was nominated for the wrong film. Her performance in "Broken Embraces" far exceeds that of "Nine". Cruz's "Nine" co-star, Marion Cotillard should've been the one nominated for the film as Guido's elegant, angry wife.

Many of the performances (all of the ones talked about so far except Weisz) focus on women struggling with relationships and with the men in their lives. In "The Messenger", Samantha Morton plays a widow of an American soldier; Maggie Gyllenhaal falls in love with Bad Blake and she struggles with single parenthood in "Crazy Heart"; and Julianne Moore, in "A Single Man," clings to the hope that her best friend George - who is gay - will still be in love with her. Morton's scene is when she is told for the first time that her husband has died; Gyllenhaal steals the show from Bridges when he loses her son; and Moore's performance seems effortless as she battles with a memory - the memory of George's dead boyfriend.

"Up in the Air" as an ensemble and film was fun, quirky, and dramatic. However, when you think about it, the roles aren't incredibly conflicted. Actually, they are, but the scenes chosen aren't the most dramatic or comedic or substantial. However, the one performance that stands out of the whole film is that of Anna Kendrick. She embodies a youth, independence, and gullibility that exceeds the script's expectations.

Mo'Nique as the abusive, envious mother in "Precious" is quite possibly one of the best performances of the decade. It's not just the surprise of her acting or the fact that she basically said "fuck you, awards, I'm not campaigning", it's the fact that she attacked the character so thoroughly and bravely that the result was genius.

And so, the Top Performances by a Supporting Actress for 2009 are:

10. Jennifer Connelly as Janine in HE'S JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU

9. Rachel Weisz as Penelope in THE BROTHERS BLOOM

8. Maggie Gyllenhaal as Jean Craddock in CRAZY HEART

7. Penelope Cruz as Carla in NINE

6. Julianne Moore as Charley in A SINGLE MAN

5. Penelope Cruz as Lena in BROKEN EMBRACES

4. Marion Cotillard as Luisa Contini in NINE

3. Anna Kendrick as Natalie Keener in UP IN THE AIR

2. Samantha Morton as Olivia Pitterson in THE MESSENGER

1. Mo'Nique as Mary in PRECIOUS: BASED ON THE NOVEL 'PUSH' BY SAPPHIRE

July in December

Away We Go
Starring John Krasinski, Maya Rudolph, Catherine O'Hara, Jeff Daniels, Allison Janney, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Chris Messina

An odyssey of discovery for a grungy couple who discover they're going to have a baby. Excellent performances from the "monsters" on the road. Also, Dave Eggers and Vendela (actually married in real life) write an excellent, realistic screenplay allowing natural chemistry for Krasinski and Rudolph.

Grade: B+


Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Starring Daniel Radcliff, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Jim Broadbent, Michael Gambon, Helena Bohnam Carter, and Maggie Smith

One of the better "Harry Potter" films, but the writers or director or editors failed to include a pulsing battle at the climax of the plot. Beautifully shot, but hugely anticlimactic.

Grade: B-


Bruno
Starring Sacha Baron Cohen

Indecent, overtly raunchy, pointless, and unfunny. I loved "Borat", but "Bruno" was just horrible.

Grade: D-

WALL-E, Hancock, Wanted, & The Dark Knight

WALL-E
Voiced by Ben Burtt, Elissa Knight, Fred Willard, Sigourney Weaver & John Ratzenberger

Honestly, Pixar can do no wrong. Even "Cars," my least favorite of the Pixar lineup was really good. "WALL-E," full of compassion, humor and a new hope for a better future, clocks in as one of the mega-animating companies finest. The computerized artwork is so advanced and intricate that it will blow you away. The story is one for the books as well: a classic passive character trying to reach his dreams... love. Awww isn't it cute? The originality factor is the fact that he's a robot created with much inspiration from E.T. Oh yeah, it also has an environmental plug. Very timely.

Grade: A


Hancock
Starring Will Smith, Charlize Theron & Jason Bateman

"Hancock" is a fun, comical twist on the recently crowded superhero film genre. Smith and Bateman bring the movie to life - it would be horrible without them - and Charlize is hot as ever. However, it was predictable. Too predictable. But fun!

Grade: B-


Wanted
Starring James McAvoy, Angelina Jolie & Morgan Freeman

With a cast like this, the movie is badass enough. But throw in some crazy effects and stunts and it just adds to the pot. It was kind of like a melting pot of "Fight Club" and "Lucky Number Slevin," and it holds onto some of the philosophies in Dotoevesky's "Crime & Punishment"; if you kill one, you're saving many. However, compared to an action film like the one below, I prefer real effects and stunts rather than the popular computer animated ones, but the end was great because main characters die.

Grade: C+


The Dark Knight
Starring Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Gary Oldman, Michael Caine & Morgan Freeman

Christopher Nolan brings Batman back with many familiar faces from "Begins" and a few brilliant new ones. (Yes, this review is going to rave about Heath Ledger's monumental depiction of The Joker.) The film surpasses Nolan's first take on the Batman series by a long shot. It's powerful, emotional, dark and full of exploding hospitals, flipped 18-wheelers, and intense "social experiments." Two-and-a-half hours seems short for this non-stop thrill ride. The script is smart and allows one-sided characters such as Two-Face to come to life.

Bale, once again, brings us a Batman that is not a hero, but a keeper of Gotham. Eckhart makes us hate Harvey Dent for being the perfect man, someone everyone loves and the mob hates. He's better than Batman. But the character transforms so perfectly into Two-Face that it's scary. Gyllenhaal, faced with a feat of playing a role someone has already played (Katie Holmes), does a fine enough job as Rachel Dawes and is really stunning in the film. The fate of her role is surprising and unforgettable as well. And totally necessary. Then there's Oldman who allows Lieutenant Gordan to be the least stoic of characters in the film, allowing the audience to breathe a bit. Caine and Freeman are excellent as usual, though not as note-worthy as the performance by Ledger.

Heath Ledger will win an Oscar as The Joker; mark my words. This performance is raw, uncontrollable, creepy beyond all words, demented, so dead-on funny, and in every sense: perfect. Every time he was on screen I was captivated, and every time the scene shifted away from him, I wanted him back. He allowed himself to embody so much freedom with the role, and when an actor does that, he or she is unstoppable.

Even though it only released three days ago, I've seen "The Dark Knight" twice (and will probably see it again) and it is ranked as one of the best films I've ever seen.

Grade: A