Source: Relatively Entertaining (Feb. 25, 2010)
Qutes from the arrticle:
"...I genuinely love Sandra Bullock. I do. I find a lot of her performances fantastic, and eminently watchable and natural and enjoyable. But Meryl Streep, wow. First, talk about overdue. But then, take another look. She WAS Julia Child. And she was Julia Child in some really remarkable moments. If you took the two of them side by side, and made everyone watch both films again, one after the other, I think most would realize how much higher the level is where Streep’s performance progresses...."
"Her Julia Child was the warmest and most memorable person I’ve seen all year."
"And sure, everyone expects that Meryl will have another chance next year. But my God, how many years are we going to keep on saying that? Doesn’t “some day” eventually have to turn into now? And what the heck is that going to take?"
"Yeah, poor Meryl’s awesomeness does end up hurting her, doesn’t it, in that weird way? The idea that it’s nice to give awards to other people when they have a chance, because Meryl’ll be back for more opportunities? It really IS unfair.
Streep, on the other hand – first of all, she’s portraying a person who EVERYONE knows. So there’s the immediate challenge of capturing that, which she does brilliantly. But then, you also do get that growth, that progression. She’s starting somewhere, as a certain person, and she moves and blossoms into something and someone else. The fact that she does that and we’re a part of it (and for only half of a movie, no less!) really makes that performance special, in my eyes. And it’s just one more time (along with similar tour-de-forces in films such as Doubt,Adaptation, The Devil Wears Prada, One True Thing, Bridges of Madison County, etc.) that she’ll be unfairly rationalized out.
"...How crazy is it that Hilary Swank has essentially two knock out performances in her career, and has an Oscar for each of them? She has as many Oscars as Meryl Streep, despite Streep’s 16 nominations!"
"...Finally, you have to wonder what goes through voters’ heads. I have this sneaking suspicion that what could push Bullock over the top is this idea that this could be her one chance. Sure, Meryl was better, but Meryl will be back next year, and the year after, and the year after. We’ll eventually get her her third Oscar. But Sandy, this could be her one chance. She’s so nice and fun, we might never get the chance again to give her one of these. I worry that that might do it. (And again, don’t get me wrong – I love Bullock. Just feel like Meryl’s been overlooked too many times, and did actually give the best performance this year.)..."
FULL article here: Relatively Entertaining (Feb. 25, 2010)
