BEST PERFORMANCE, FEMALE
Naomi Watts, “Mulholland Drive”
It took me a few viewings to fully embrace David Lynch’s “Mulholland Drive” in all its strange, nightmarish glory. It still makes no sense, but it definitely has some bizarre appeal, due in no small part to Naomi Watts’ breakthrough performance as an aspiring actress who takes an amnesiac under her wing. Like a dream, “Mulholland” changes moods drastically and often, and Watts manages to shift along with it; the actress, like the film, is impossible not to watch, no matter how weird things get. (Dan Ciardi)
Audrey Tautou, “Amelie”
With “Amelie,” we saw a return to form for director Jean-Pierre Jeunet. But the real find here was the film’s pixieish, wide-eyed star, Audrey Tautou. As the titular character, Tautou is equally shy, mischievous, intelligent, passionate and —above all — utterly charming. The Oscars have made some unusually daring choices for its actress nominations in recent years, and hopefully this year will be no exception: Tautou deserves all the recognition she can get for this wonderful role. (DC)
BEST PERFORMANCE, MALE
Tom Wilkinson, “In the Bedroom”
With everyone talking about a potential second Oscar for Russell Crowe, the best lead male performance of the year has gone relatively unnoticed. Veteran British actor Tom Wilkinson hit all the right notes as the grieving father in “In the Bedroom,” helping to add subtlety and conviction to a film that could’ve easily been TV-movie fodder but instead turned out to be one of 2001’s most powerful dramas. (DC)
Russell Crowe, “A Beautiful Mind”
Everyone it talking about a second Oscar, with good reason, for the mighty Russell Crowe outdoes himself with his realistic portrayal of John Forbes Nash, a brilliant thinker plagued by schizophrenia. Crowe’s range of emotions, stretching to where he virtually inhabits a difficult, complex character, manages to elicit scorn, pity and pride, often all at once. (Chad Berndtson)
MOST OVERRATED FILMS
“Memento”