- Cate Blanchett: Elizabeth: The Golden Age
- Julie Christie: Far From Her
- Marion Cotillard: La Vie En Rose
- Angelina Jolie: A Mighty Heart
- Ellen Page: Juno
Cate Blanchett
Cate Blanchett is possibly one of the hardest working actresses with four pictures released in 2007.At the beginning of the year she starred alongside Brad Pitt in Babel and then earned an Oscar nod for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Notes on a Scandal with Judi Dench.This autumn she reprised the role of Elizabeth the first that shot her to stardom in 1998.Elizabeth I’s rule is being challenged by King Philip II of Spain who wants to restore Catholicism to England.She is prepared to defend her empire and go to war. But she is struggling to balance her royal duties with her unexpected feelings for Sir Walter Raleigh.
Unfortunately the film did poorly at the American box office fairing slightly better here in the UK. However despite it's poor showing in cinemas Cate Blanchett has been nominated for a Best Actress Oscar for her role.
Julie Christie
Julie Christie, the British movie legend, is the only British actress to be nominated in this category.
Christie achieved success in the mid sixties but during the twenty first century she has worked steadily starring in Troy, Finding Neverland and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.
In Away From Her Christie stars as Fiona who, along with her husband, must face the fact that her forgetfulness is Alzheimers.
She is moved into a nursing home and for the first time is almost five decades the couple under-go a separation.
But her husband is devastated to discover that during the ‘no visitor’ for the first thirty day policy Fiona has forgotten him and turned her attentions to another man.
The actress has done well on the critics' awards circuit picking up sever Best Actress awards. She also won the recent Golden Globe for her performance.
Julie Christie could further this success as she is the favourite to win the Best Actress after nominations were revealed yesterday.
Marion Cotillard
Marion Cotillard is the third international actress to be nominated in this category for her role as singer Edith Piaf in La Vie En Rose.
The film, directed by Olivier Dahan follows the life of Edith, the Little Sparrow, between 1916 and 1963 from her time as a street singer, to concert halls, to fame.
The music biopics always do well when the awards season comes around and this year appears to be no different.
This movie is a sweeping melodrama with Marion Cotillard giving her heart, body and soul to the role as the troubled singer whose body is ravaged by alcohol and drugs.
Marion Cotillard has already received Best Actress Award from the Boston Society Film Critics and the LA Film Critics association for her role.
Cotillard also finds herself in the Best Actress category at this year's Oscars and may be Christie's main rival for the award as the pair have shared the critics awards so far this award season.
Angelina Jolie
Angelina is the first American to be nominated in this category for her role as Marianne Pearl.
As of late Jolie has been seem somewhat as box office poison with The Good Shepherd, Mr and Mrs Smith, Alexander and Sky Captain and the World of tomorrow all failing to set theatres alight.
But her performance as Marianne Pearl in Michael Winterbotom’s A Mighty Heart has achieved critical acclaim.
The film is based on Marianne’s account of her wall Street Journal reporter husband Daniel’s kidnap and murder in the Middle East.
Despite good reviews for her performance Jolie has been overlooked at the Academy Awards for Best Actress despite many critics tipping her to be in with a fighting chance of winning the award.
We will next see her star alongside James McAvoy and Morgan Freeman in Wanted.
Ellen Page
Ellen Page is the real success story of 2007 with her role in Juno. Despite being cast in Hard Candy it is her current role that has captured the attention of film audiences.
Juno is a clever sixteen year old girl who, after her first sexual experience, discovers that she is pregnant.
What follows is a string of adult decisions for the young over the welfare of her and the baby.
She decides that she will have the child adopted and finds childless couple Mark and Vanessa who are longing for a child.
Page is terrific in the role as this film surprisingly handles the delicate subject of teenage pregnancy and adoption in a very grown up manner.
Page is perhaps a surprise nomination for the Best Actress Oscar at just twenty years old but obly has an outside chance of winning the award.
Tip to win - Julie Christie for Away From Her
FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw