Supporting Actress 2008 Blogathon

I didn't see Synecdoche, New York. I know, that should probably disqualify me from picking a Best Supporting Actress for 2008. After all, there were so many great actresses in supporting roles in Synecdoche that I can't even name them all. There was Samantha Morton, Michelle Williams, Catherine Keener, Diane Wiest, Emily Watson...just to start. All Oscar nominees and one winner. I have no doubt they were all superb and I will look forward to having someone else write them up for this blog-a-thon.

I was disappointed by Marisa Tomei in The Wrestler. Not that she wasn't fine...she was...and by that I mean okay, not, you know, fine.

A friend made the comment that Rourke was more naked then Tomei, and I thought that was a good analogy. She seemed a little "phoned in" to me. But then, I didn't get all her love for Before The Devil Knows You're Dead. I really liked the film...but she was the least of it.

I really did love Evan Rachel Wood in The Wrestler...raw, honest....naked. But, the role was just too small. It is an occupational hazard that an actor is not in control of the final outcome. Her opening scene in The Wrestler was cut from the film, which also left part of her character arc on the cutting room floor. Would you think differently of Stephanie is you had seen her try to reconnect with her father before his heart attack? If you had seen her get brushed off one more time because "The Ram" was busy signing autographs? No wonder she was already pissed when he showed up at her door.  

My choice for Supporting Actress of 2008 is Hiam Abbass from The Visitor.  As Mouna, she comes into the picture and suddenly, we are not headed in the same direction we thought we were. All strength and dignity, with such a sadness in her eyes, she goes about trying to rescue her son. But then, there's Walter.  Watch as she unfolds and allows joy back into her life. 

As an actress, she had a huge journey to make in about 30 minutes.  I never doubted her. 

 She and Richard Jenkins made me wish for happily ever after harder then I have in many a moon.  

This post is part of the Supporting Actress Class of 2008 blog-a-thon happening over at StinkyLulu. You should head over there and check out more of the entries from all the other bloggers!