The 94th edition of the Oscars will clear up critics and experts who cannot agree on their predictions about who will be the winner in the category of the best actress this year.
A hotly contested feud between Jessica Chastain (“The Eyes of Tammy Faye”), Olivia Colman (“The Lost Daughter”), Penelope Cruz ( “Madres Paralelas” ), Nicole Kidman (“Being the Ricardos”), and Kristen Stewart (“Spencer “).
The final screening of the Hollywood Academy left Lady Gaga out of the final list of five candidates for her role in “House of Gucci”, a decision that caused considerable controversy among the public.
JESSICA CHASTAIN, A STRONG CANDIDATE
The Californian actress Jessica Chastain, with her third nomination after opting for “The Help” (2011) and “Zero Dark Thirty” (2013), is the only one of the actresses in the contention that arouses a certain consensus of the critics as deserving of the Oscar 2022.
And she has achieved it for “The Eyes of Tammy Faye”, in which she brilliantly interprets that televangelist who was very popular between the 70s and 80s.
The interpreter blended in with Faye in a film that is a very personal project in which a character that overwhelms the viewer in both comic and dramatic scenes is strongly grasped.
Chastain leads the race for this disputed statuette after being honored for her performance at the Screen Actors Guild Awards (SAG Award, in English) and, recently, at the Critics Choice. But the first prize she got for this work was the Silver Shell at the San Sebastian Festival (Spain).
PENÉLOPE CRUZ, THE SPANISH BET
Penélope Cruz returns to the Oscars with her fourth nomination thanks to “Parallel Mothers”, which the Hollywood Academy has especially liked despite not having been chosen by Spain as the representative in the category of best international film.
Cruz premiered at the Oscars in 2007 with “Volver” and in 2009 she won the award for best-supporting actress for her role in “Vicky Cristina Barcelona”, directed by Woody Allen. Her third nomination came in 2010 for the musical “Nine.”
Halfway between the genre of suspense and drama, the Madrilenian makes the most of the character of Janis, a pregnant photographer who connects in a special way with a teenager in a hospital.
A journey through the female psyche for which Cruz won the Volpi Cup at the Venice Film Festival and, among others, the award for best actress from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association.
OLIVIA COLMAN LOOKS FOR HER SECOND STATUE
The British Olivia Colman is one of the greatest female figures of current interpretation and her nomination no longer surprises the most seasoned, as she has managed to establish herself in the Hollywood universe.
Colman will seek his second statuette, after winning the Oscar with “The Favorite” (2019) and being a candidate for “The Father” (2021).
Directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal in her behind-the-scenes debut, the British actress stars in “The Lost Daughter” as Leda, a literature teacher who meets a young mother on a Greek island who will take her on a journey through her memories and reflect on the motherhood and the taboos that surround it.
Colman’s performance in “The Lost Daughter” led him to victory at the Spirit Awards, one of the most prestigious independent film awards on the circuit, and no one rules out that he could repeat at the Oscars.
NICOLE KIDMAN, THE VALUE OF EXPERIENCE
Nicole Kidman has been present at the Oscar ceremony previously with “Moulin Rouge” (2002); “The Hours” (2003), with which she won the statuette; “Rabbit Hole” (2011); and “Lions” (2017).
Now she becomes Lucille Ball, one of the great icons of American television, in “Being the Ricardos”, a film that delves into the conflicts and ins and outs of her relationship with her husband, the Cuban Desi Arnaz ( Javier Bardem).
Kidman combines the value of experience and having bagged the recognition of the -come to less- Golden Globes 2022. She does not start as a favorite, but it would not be a supine surprise if she wins her second Oscar.
KRISTEN STEWART, ONLY STRENGTH OF “SPENCER”
The film “Spencer” has only managed to sneak into this edition of the Oscars returned to normal with Kristen Stewart’s nomination for best leading actress.
The actress puts herself in the shoes of Lady Di in this biopic, directed by the Chilean Pablo Larraín, which narrates the moments in the life of Diana of Wales since, at the Sandringham residence, she decides that her marriage to Prince Charles is finish.
Despite being her first nomination, Stewart will know how to deal with the responsibility, having reoriented her career with notable roles in recent times, which have moved away from the role of Bella Swan that gave her popularity in the “Twilight” saga.