In today’s match up, we have the dumb-ass Eric pleading his case why Michelle Williams should win the Oscar for Best Actress. In the other corner, we have Sam arguing in favor of the beautiful Jennifer Lawrence. Guess who got to write the intro?
Let the games begin!
Sam: Lawrence is really, really good in Winter’s Bone. Like, “oh my god, Good” with a capital GOOD LORD SHE IS AWESOME. Seriously, I have never seen a performance like hers. If acting is defined by the ability to completely take on a new personality and lose oneself in a character, then Lawrence destroyed all the competition this year. If you remove all the other elements of the film, from its pacing to its themes, and just focus on the performance you will see why Lawrence kicked all kinds of ass.
Sure, the Oscar will probably go to Natalie Portman or Annette Benning, but Lawrence delivered the most stunning performance of the year and did it with just the experience of working on The Bill Engvall Show.
Eric: Nice argument, Sam. Except you forgot that Michelle Williams is really, really, REALLY good in Blue Valentine. Like, “oh my god, GOOD” with EVERY LETTER CAPITALIZED. In the film, she took on the challenge of playing two completely different characters and depicted each perfectly. At the beginning of the relationship between her Cindy and Ryan Gosling’s Dean (brilliantly interwoven with the end of the relationship, by the way. Way to go, Derek Cianfrance), we see a girl who’s young, innocent and full of life — even though she’s scared. Without giving too much away, it’s obvious why she loves Dean, why she relies on him and why they end up together. But in the other half, Williams portrays a completely different woman — a worn-out mother forced to carry the weight of her family and all the responsibilities that come with one. She’s detached from her marriage and her own life and is simply tired of trying to make things work when they’re just not meant to. Blue Valentine hinges on her performance and because of her flawless delivery, the film stands as one of the best of the year.
Sam: Eric, how did you get this job? Do you fill some affirmative action quota or something? You’re saying some actress gives a performance where she has to be happy AND sad? My god, the RANGE! People go through break-ups all the time, there’s nothing new, nothing different about that. You want to know what is new and different? Hunting down your father in the meth-infested Ozarks while simultaneously taking care of two younger siblings. BOOM. That is acting.
And please, Williams had Ryan Gosling to work with. No wonder she was so good; she had one of the smartest, best looking and most capable actors in the business helping her out! You know who Lawrence had? Meth. That’s who helped her out. (Not really, I don’t think. I doubt she did actual meth. Just saying she was alone for most of the film and carried it just fine by herself).
Eric: See, this is exactly why you’re wrong. You say that there’s nothing special or different about break-ups, but really, what makes drug use so damn interesting? “Oh my god, they’re addicted to drugs! Oh my god, it’s a big deal!” Blah blah, blah blah. We’ve seen movies about drug use over the years and I get it, it’s hard. And the world around those drugs is hard. But the bottom line is that it’s drugs. We know the story we’re going to get. Sure, Lawrence’s performance was strong, I’m not denying that, but it was the drug issues surrounding her life that helped her illustrate that problem. Because of that, it wasn’t on the same emotional level that Williams achieved.
Williams was a broken woman. Blue Valentine wasn’t just about the end of a relationship that once was “happy” and now it’s “sad,” but it was about removing yourself from a situation where you relied on the other person to live. There weren’t any other outside factors like drugs influencing their problems. It was just the simple fact that those characters fucked up. And now, they — and the people around them, including her daughter — must deal with the consequences.
Oh, and SORRY for having an excellent actor to work with. God forbid we pair couples that work well together in movies!
Sam: Damn it Eric, you’re like ordering shrimp at McDonald’s – just wrong. Williams and Gosling got everything that happened to them because of what they did. Everything that was brought down on them was their fault. Lawrence faced something not because of her own doing but because she HAD to do it. And I think dealing with internal problems is much less deserving of award-recognition then dealing with outside foes. Who the fuck wants to watch some one navel gaze when they can have Aragon facing down a thunderous mountain of orcs? Or the picture to the left?
But I digress. What truly matters is that we have two wonderful performances by two very lovely actresses. Let’s take a break from bickering and enjoy them looking their very best here (Lawrence) and here (Williams).
And don’t think because I turned the subject to boobs that you’re off the hook, Eric. You’re still an ignorant slut.
Until next time dickwads, here’s another picture of the lovely Jennifer Lawrence.
