Susan Hayward in "I Want To Live!"

Susan Hayward won the Oscar for playing Barbara Graham in I Want To Live!

I Want To Live! is a magnificent film that I just love - the shady black and white exterior of the jazzy nights of the 1950s are so brilliantly mastered in the film. It actually takes you back to the 50s better then most movies do then most films of the same time tried to do. The true story of real life murderess Barbara Graham who helped assist the murder of a old woman - in reality, Graham was guilty, but in the film, she is largely portrayed as being innocent. The journey of her life as wild woman to desperate prisoner is fantastic.

Susan Hayward plays Graham - she is at first a regular gangster's moll in a world full of jazz music and bongo dancing. Hayward is so incredible in the beginning, yes, she may look way older then her friends but Susan Hayward is the kind of actress who can make this kind of exaggerated acting a thing of mastery. Barbara is in many ways, just a prostitute who falls in with the wrong crowd...if that makes sense. Going from what the movie wants us to believe, she is totally innocent, just associated with the killers, so going on that, Hayward is completely captivating conveying Barbara's innocence.

But, her high point is really when Barbara finally realizes her reality while in jail - she becomes a desperate woman, unleashing all of her anger and frustration onto everyone at any cost. The final moments of Barbara waiting for a call for her execution is the best moments of Hayward's entire career. She took a shrill, extremely unlikeable character (in many different ways) and made her completely engaging with the audience. She can be fun, sad, challenging, terribly loud - but at the end, we fill for her. It's a magnificently brilliant performance that Susan Hayward carries with all the qualities that were exactly required.

Deborah Kerr in "Separate Tables"

Deborah Kerr received her fifth Oscar nomination for playing Sibyl Railton-Bell in Separate Tables.

Separate Tables could easily be all over the place, dry, uninvolved, but instead it is a terrific, even wonderfully entertaining movie about discovery, romance, and betrayal at a sea-side English hotel. The film is luminous because it feels like the breeze that continually flows through the hotel, it's never stuffy and always feels fresh. It's an ensemble piece where all the actors have the chance to show something of their character.

Deborah Kerr plays Sibyl Railton-Bell, the repressed, virginal and incredibly depressed daughter of a fancy domineering woman. Deborah Kerr has never been an actress who has been able to impress me, even in her fanatical turn in Black Narcissus, she is way too controlled for her own good. Here she plays the always interesting and even showy role of an extremely lonely spinster who is tries to reach out to an odd major played by David Niven. Her mother Gladys Cooper warns him to stay away and tries to smear his reputation.

As with every Deborah Kerr, I have found to expect either shrill overacting or bad underacting - here she perhaps go her further then ever at overplaying constantly. We know Sibyl is a repressed character and doesn't know exactly how to handle herself in public, but Kerr almost constantly makes her edgy, like she's about to jump up and down and start crying. This type of character (repressed and lonely spinster) is appealing to me, but it's Deborah Kerr who makes her too much to handle. While all the other actors have quite impressive scenes that show off their abilities, Kerr spoils hers by never ringing true. I really don't know overall what to make of it, as Kerr never impresses me, but here it's sort of just pathetic that something didn't work out.

Rosalind Russell in "Auntie Mame"

Rosalind Russell received her last Oscar nomination for playing Mame Dennis in Auntie Mame.

I would go as far as saying you really have to have a taste for this kind of witty screwball comedy (if their is such a thing) to fully appreciate Auntie Mame. Having been established on the stage, it's painfully obvious here on the screen - every actor lives for a one-liner, at every turn, everyone is wisecracking and sorry to all the fans out there, I don't like it. The story follows a woman and her nephew from the 20s up through the depression, as she tries to show him the more zany side of life.

Rosalind Russell plays the eccentric Auntie Mame Dennis - she is truly the definition of eccentric. She does things suddenly and without hesitation, she is popular and charming, she likes to be the center of attention but never an annoyance. She is always happy, maybe sometimes shows disappointment, but is always looking for the bright side of any cloud. The character is just too perfect, and that's exactly the point - Mame is looked at as a inspiration for everyone around her. The problem for me is it's too much - Russell makes the fatal mistake of not transitioning her stage acting to film acting.

She is constantly overplaying the eccentricity of the character, and again, for the film it somehow fits perfectly, but that doesn't mean it's impressive. Also, the hilarity of the character is just strange - Russell follows this really perfectly, giving a strange, stagy performance that relies on the viewer to make up their mind on how they will react to her shenanigans and shallow performance. A bright moment here and there can barely save her.

"Actress In A Leading Role" 1958

The last year of the 50s:

1958

And the Academy selected:

• Susan Hayward in I Want To Live!
• Deborah Kerr in Separate Tables
• Shirley MacLaine in Some Came Running
• Rosalind Russell in Auntie Mame
• Elizabeth Taylor in Cat On A Hot Tin Roof

"Actress In A Leading Role" 1986: My Ranking

---

5. Sigourney Weaver in "Aliens"
- It's a popular performance and widely praised, and it's one of the few widely praised performances that I see nothing in. She takes the part and adds a touch of clarity of it, but that alone isn't something I see worthy of an Oscar.

4. Jane Fonda in "The Morning After"

- Jane Fonda takes the awful material and turns it into her own great vehicle. She turns in a great performance that shows her ability to turn anything into gold.

3. Sissy Spacek in "Crimes Of The Heart"

- Sissy Spacek is a genius at her craft, I've said it once and I'll say it again. She is the standout of the cast (at least for me) and finds the witty balance between comedy and drama.

2. Kathleen Turner in "Peggy Sue Got Married"

- It's a hard performance to judge because on one hand she has alot going against her, the material in general, but Turner is to wonderful to not praise. Her performance is like a sweet candy that never gets old.

1. Marlee Matlin in "Children Of A Lesser God"

- She stands out this year for her loud, yet quiet performance that lasts long after the film is over. Her chemistry with William Hurt, her way of communicating herself on screen, and her overall effect makes her the true standout of this group.

---

Honorable Omissions: Farrah Fawcett in "Extremities".

Jane Fonda in "The Morning After"

Jane Fonda received her last Oscar nomination for playing Alex Sternburgen in The Morning After.

Everything you have heard about The Morning After...is true. The film is full of plotholes and dialogue that can easily become exhausting - you really have to keep up with it or it will completely loose you with the murder mystery story. A messy, sloppy, alcoholic actress wakes up in an unknown man's apartment and realizes the man has been stabbed to death. Not knowing what happened, she flees but it's only a matter of time before things start to change and she could be the next to die.

Jane Fonda plays the boozy actress Alex Sternburgen - she is beautiful, despite her visceral alcohol problem. We don't get much of a backstory besides that, but once the film is set into motion, it doesn't matter that much because Fonda plays the best of her character; her nervousness, her worries, her charming personality that still exists even though she has many troubles - she does a perfect job of establishes a real person. Alex is so unsure of everything, except she knows she couldn't have killed the man - it's not in her nature, as she says.

Fonda knows how exactly to play the character without going over the top which could have been very easy with a stereotypical character like this. Instead she plays the shabbiness in a much more subtle way, never taking it over the line of it being unbelievable. She plays the charm of Alex in a much more over the top way, yet it all works - obviously she knows what to do with her character, but Jane Fonda turns Alex into a three dimensional character; a character you can relate too easily, not some prime and proper diva who has a drinking problem, she takes it way beyond that. Her performance is terrific in how well she manages to overcome the limitations of The Morning After and actually give a magnificent performance.

Sigourney Weaver in "Aliens"

Sigourney Weaver received her first Oscar nomination for playing Ellen Ripley in Aliens.

Aliens is certainly a surprising film to see an Oscar-nominated performance coming from. It's certainly interesting and certainly entertaining, but Aliens is not the type of movie I am impressed by. It has all the great qualities of a good sci-fi film, but it's hardly something to consider for many awards. A simple story of the survivor of the original Alien, who goes back on the planet where her ship was attacked by unknown lifeforms. Soon, the same ole routine is set into motion and Ripley is stuck on board with a young girl who may or may not be real.

Sigourney Weaver plays her original character Ellen Ripley - she is a strong, intelligent, fierce woman who knows everything she needs to know and then some. Weaver immediately mixes Ripley with a combination of space feminist and sarcasm. It's an odd mix because in a science fiction thriller/horror film you don't expect to see such a character who can turn a one-liner into gold while someone is being murdered by an alien. Weaver holds a steady line throughout - having played the character already, she has her own previous experience to go on. However, it is hardly impressive.

It's more of a popular performance to like - I'm not one of them. I like tough ladies as much as the next person, but when you constantly play up tough without any hesitation and never a doubt of anything other then how she can handle the screen with a fierce superiority. Ripley is already a character who knows everything, so why does everyone doubt her? Still some kind of female prejudice in the distant future, especially considering she's someone who has already been through something like this before. Overall, Sigourney Weaver is okay at playing the tough side of Ripley, and she can be entertaining with her 'bitch' one liners, but other then the performance does not impress me.

Kathleen Turner in "Peggy Sue Got Married"

Kathleen Turner received her first Oscar nomination for playing Peggy Sue in Peggy Sue Got Married.

Peggy Sue Got Married tries it's best to coast on it's fascinating concept - a woman is transported to her high school days just as she is about to face a long needed divorce. It really doesn't have too because the film is fine on it's own right, becoming a great creation of fantasy and warmhearted drama & comedy that makes the film entertaining. With the exception of Nicholas Cage, the film is almost perfect - making a lasting impression.

Kathleen Turner plays the title character, Peggy Sue. Even though she was very young and still very sexy at the time of the filmmaking, Turner is wonderful as the 40ish wife who is exhausted by her husband. He is annoying and cannot connect to her at all, and she is finally tired of all his crap. But, the entire performance builds up to the excellence of the flashbacks where Peggy Sue gets to go back and live out her high school days again - a chance to change her life so she won't have to suffer such an exhausting existence later in her life.

What's so wonderful about her performance is how Kathleen Turner can hit comedy just as well as drama - she can be funny, sad, hopeful, everything you could want. When she has a touching moment, it's all believable; no matter what my previous statements were, Peggy Sue Got Married wouldn't work had Kathleen Turner not been up to the challenge of such challenging material that requires her to be extremely charming, but not annoying. And unbelievably, she fills Peggy Sue with it all - there's never a moment where I was unimpressed with her choices, her husky voice seems extremely odd for a teenager but she thankfully makes up excuses for her voice being so withered. Overall this is a great, enjoyable performance full of life, fantasy, dreams, hope, comedy, and unbelievable wit. An impressive performance all around.

Sissy Spacek in "Crimes Of The Heart"

Sissy Spacek received her fifth Oscar nomination for playing Babe Magrath in Crimes Of The Heart.

Crimes Of The Heart certainly has a way with annoying it's viewer endlessly with enough Southern values to drive them crazy however it's still a charming piece of work. With the help of three of the great actresses of that era, the film becomes better then one might expect. It is annoying and mostly full of over the top dialogue, but still there is a charm about it that keeps the viewer engaged in the story. The story of three sisters: the oldest sister who is turning into an old maid, the middle sister who has tried to make it in Hollywood, and the youngest sister who has just shot her abusive husband.

Sissy Spacek plays the youngest sister, Babe Magrath. She is a mostly kooky character who suffers from a facade of eccentricity that she uses to hide her real loneliness. When she shoots her husband, it's a moment of relief and tension - as she offers him lemonade basically right after trying to kill him. Sissy Spacek decides to make Babe kooky, but not crazy, always aware of her situation and her relationships with her sisters. They all love each other, but like all siblings, it takes them awhile to actually show it.

Babe is such a character on her own, Sissy Spacek really just has to find the perfect balance of black comedy to hold throughout her performance. Her random craziness is really just her own way of dealing with her own insecurity and self-loathing that forever haunted the girls' mother. Spacek's performance isn't necessarily funny, it's more of a charming performance that she tries many things with. Sissy Spacek gives a nice, illuminating performance the fills the screen with eccentric and electricity - she is fantastic at showing the many shades of an already complex character.

Marlee Matlin in "Children Of A Lesser God"

Marlee Matlin won the Oscar for playing Sarah Norman in Children Of A Lesser God.

Children of A Lesser God may not be the perfect film it sets out to be, but it is certainly an entertaining film that establishes a great commentary on the disabled and romance. One could accuse it of being dated, yet to me it doesn't seem that way - it has many elements of a typical 80s film, but it just transport you back to that time. The story of a bright, up and coming teacher who helps the deaf learn how to speak. He becomes intrigued by a fiercely intelligent former student who now works as a janitor at the school and the two begin an unabashed love affair.

Newcomer Marlee Matlin plays Sarah Norman, the intelligent deaf woman. When she first appears, she is angry and throwing things down - this note is continually kept in Matlin's performance, she plays a distantly quiet person with a huge amount of fierce loudness and an always present sense of sensuality. This is what makes the performance react so well, she can be one with herself without ever speaking a word. Sarah is a distant woman who realizes she doesn't want to be hurt by the world because of her condition, everything we need to know, Marlee Matlin shows it.

It's amazing how well the performance actually is due to the somewhat limitations of it. She takes a simple role, and does wonders with it - by turning Sarah into a kindred spirit, living in her own stubbornness, yet being met by William Hurt's real love for her. She can be offensive to everyone around her, or incredibly loving to those who she knows really cares for her. Matlin turns Sarah into a complex character herself and amazingly plays her with a raw toughness, awareness, and sweetness. It's a very beautiful performance full of life and wonderful surprising moments.

"Actress In A Leading Role" 1986

Moving right along to another year:

1986

And the Academy selected:

• Jane Fonda in The Morning After
• Marlee Matlin in Children Of A Lesser God
• Sissy Spacek in Crimes Of The Heart
• Kathleen Turner in Peggy Sue Got Married
• Sigourney Weaver in Aliens

"Actress In A Leading Role" 1998: My Ranking

---

5. Gwyneth Paltrow in "Shakespeare In Love"

- It's controversial for a reason: she's simply not good. I'll admit the role does have the potential for greatness but Paltrow is not able to deliver it.

4. Emily Watson in "Hilary and Jackie"

- Boring doesn't even begin to describe it - she is muddled, almost unwatchable in her part. One of the blandest performances ever nominated.

3. Cate Blanchett in "Elizabeth"

- I seen many variations of Elizabeth, and Blanchett's seems to be the one that doesn't hold the same imperial feeling that say Glenda Jackson and Bette Davis were able to have. She never reaches the greatness of a true 'Elizabeth' performance.

2. Fernanda Montengro in "Central Station"

- The performance is affecting without being too overly sentimental and pushy on the audience. Her performance is not one that makes a huge impression, but one that leaves me intrigued and successfully fulfilled.

1. Meryl Streep in "One True Thing"

- The detractors of Meryl Streep are really something else, if anything she is the most versatile actress (forget her recent ventures) ever to hit the screen. Here she takes the sap-crap material and turns it all into gold, she is touching and heartbreaking throughout her performance & stands out this year completely.

---

Honorable Omissions: Angela Bassett in "How Stella Got Her Groove Back" and Katrin Cartlidge in "Claire Dolan".

Emily Watson in "Hilary and Jackie"

Emily Watson received her second Oscar nomination for playing Jacqueline Du Pre in Hilary and Jackie.

Hilary and Jackie is an uninspired, uneventful biopic never brought to life. Stuffy and not able to breathe in it's own uppity material. The story is fine: real life musically inclined sisters who lead two different lifestyles are brought together through unfortunate circumstances.

Emily Watson plays the famous cellist Jacqueline Du Pre, a woman who could stun people with her sound. She also happens to be a very self-possessed woman who loves her music...and her sister, a love for her sister that is never really fully communicated and extracted on the screen. But, Watson tries to fill in the blanks making Jackie's arrogance a bit understandable - everyone seems to love her, and she herself can't seem to transfer that love to anyone. It's the best part of her performance, that she plays the part so coldly - there is really no sympathy you can feel for her until the end when she gets sick.

The problem is Watson plays the eccentricity of her character so unrealistically that it never works for me. Part bubbly, part harden bitch, that the combination becomes unbearable, and that's the thing, I don't think it's so much the character but more of Emily Watson's fault. And those scenes of over-emoting on the stage when she is performing is also a bit too much for me. It satisfies a certain area of acting that I am not one to love. Overall, it's an unsatisfying, strangely short performance that is full of overacting that doesn't work and Watson's own inability to connect with the audience.

Gwyneth Paltrow in "Shakespeare In Love"

Gwyneth Paltrow won the Oscar for playing Viola de Lesseps in Shakespeare In Love.

It's kind of bad that Shakespeare In Love has the reputation it does because when you look at it from a stand point, it's actually a very well made, witty movie - just because it happened to sweep the Oscars in 1998 shouldn't mean it's automatically a bad movie. The story of William Shakespeare, struggling to find his true voice in the theatre and only finds a muse when he stumbles upon a dreamlike stage lover.

Gwyneth Paltrow plays the stage muse Viola - she is full of life, a loving woman who has been struck down by the times around her since women were not allowed to appear on the stage at the time. She forcefully has to disguise herself as a man in order to perform in Shakespeare's newest play. Paltrow immediately shows Viola is a woman who longs to be an actress; she is nearly obsessed with the theatre and wants nothing more then to one day, maybe appear in one herself. The fire of creativity is bursting within here and that's what continually draws her closer and closer to Shakespeare.

Gwyneth Paltrow's most obvious problem is her voice - it is screechy, fake sounding, and worse, distracting. How can you believe what she says when she sounds like she's reading the phone book with an English accent? Paltrow is convincing in showing some kind of longing for a new life, but when it comes time for a dramatic moment, she relies on her own beauty to help intensify the inner sadness of the girl. It's an interesting choice for an actress, but there is no way Gwyneth Paltrow captures that charm-coasting acting that so many stars could get by on easily. She is charming, but it's done it such a forced way - in a lot of ways, I think the writing helped her intensely, they are making the character of Viola something wonderful, Paltrow is not.

Fernanda Montengro in "Central Station"

Fernanda Montengro received her only Oscar nomination for playing Dora in Central Station.

Central Station is a life-affirming, nice little movie that is okay for watching every once in awhile, but certainly not one I love. I like how it handles it's character, but I don't necessarily feel connected to them or the material. It's not a huge problem, but with the entertainment value lacking the unattributed story doesn't make me wanna sit through it again. It tells the story of a bitter old woman who works as a letter writer for people at Central Station in Rio De Janeiro. The problem is, she doesn't mail the letters and lives a sour existence until she helps a young boy find his father.

Fernanda Montengro plays Dora, the nearly hostile old woman. What she establishes so early is that Dora is not a likable character, which is also something I admire, but not love. While that certainly makes Dora interesting, it doesn't make me want to sit and watch her and an exhausting child battle it out for 2 hours. Dora is constantly trying to distance herself from the child and he attaches himself to her, leading to very fascinating results however. Her best moments come when Dora becomes a much more reflective character who gets caught up in great situations, like the relationship with the truck driver.

It's not that I'm impressed by Montengro's performance today, but I'm more indifferent to it. It's a nice, subtle performance that has it's great moments full of bewilderment as well as realism, but not one that I deeply care for or would want to see several times. Still, it's a great performance that she handles very well, and even if I don't understand Portuguese, I can understand how she feels...the majority of the time.

Cate Blanchett in "Elizabeth"

Cate Blanchett received her first Oscar nomination for playing Queen Elizabeth I in Elizabeth.

Elizabeth is no different then the countless period dramas of the same league. It tries to be different, having a more cynical and straight-forward attitude then most period dramas, but that doesn't stop it from being stilted and extremely slow & boring. It more or less follows how her council keeps trying to marry her off and her romance with Lord Robert Dudley.

Cate Blanchett plays Elizabeth, from young playful girl to passionate tough woman. When I think of Elizabeth, I immediately think of Glenda Jackson and Elizabeth R. It's not just my own personal bias shining through, it's the fact Glenda Jackson was the type of actress who could play the fierceness of Elizabeth and yet clearly show her vulnerability. Cate Blanchett doesn't do any of this in Elizabeth - when she's playful, she's playful, that's it; there is no arc from beginning to end. And when Elizabeth becomes a hardened woman, she is nearly stone-faced for the majority of the time, and it works for some reason.

She's not bad in the conventional way, and most of it can be blamed on the film itself. Blanchett was trying something no other had tried, and that's making the story and material much more modern then that past attempts. Downplaying the rigidness and overplaying every tough gesture she can think of. I like how she at least tried it because it's a showy part and not everyone can play it totally convincing, I just do not like her performance for some reason. Maybe it's because I've seen it all before (and would see more of her nearly 9 years later) and Blanchett doesn't seem to fit the part completely correctly.

Meryl Streep in "One True Thing"

Meryl Streep received her eleventh Oscar nomination for playing Kate Gulden in One True Thing.

One True Thing couldn't be anymore sentimental if it tried - yet it's a great mix of lite comedy and high drama. It doesn't feature the eye rolling, gooey family schmaltz that plagues most mainstream family films. It also benefits from having great actors playing the leads, obviously intelligent actors who know how to handle such material without turning it into standard TV material. The story of a dedicated career woman who returns home for her father's birthday party. She ends up staying longer then she thought when she finds out her mother is sick with cancer.

Meryl Streep plays the mother, Kate Gulden. She is your typical domineering mother, she likes to be in control of the situation, but is often very comforting and loving. She may annoy her daughter, but she is still incredibly lovable. This can be all traced back to Meryl's smart approach to the character - she doesn't make her too unlikeable or too likable, she finds the correct and beautiful balance. She is mostly a ghostly figure, being spoken about mostly - only when Streep is on screen does the film truly electrically pop. She is interesting and heartbreaking at the same time.

When her illness fully takes shape, so does Kate's emotions. Everything that was somewhat hidden in the beginning is finally shown fully with a mix of dignity and grief fighting against each other. Meryl Streep creates a fabulous performance practically from nothing, and not taking the easy way out and playing on the audience's emotions either. It is a terrific understated performance that she really nails without trying too hard - but obviously she was, I can only imagine how lackluster the performance could have been from the other approach.

"Actress In A Leading Role" 1998

Moving right along to another year:

1998

And the Academy selected:

• Cate Blanchett in Elizabeth
• Fernanda Montengro in Central Station
• Gwyneth Paltrow in Shakespeare In Love
• Meryl Streep in One True Thing
• Emily Watson in Hilary and Jackie

"Actress In A Leading Role" 1961: My Ranking

---

5. Piper Laurie in "The Hustler"

- She mechanics her way through the movie, moving her head at the right moment and using her odd voice to full use, though it's not very good and doesn't feel right.

4. Audrey Hepburn in "Breakfast At Tiffany's"

- Audrey Hepburn is at her best here, using her bland charm to it's best use. She beautifully portrays a difficult character and makes it all worthwhile.

3. Sophia Loren in "Two Women"

- It's a performance that still holds power in the second part even though I've seen it several times. The beginning feels a little rough but Loren surely makes up for it later.

2. Geraldine Page in "Summer and Smoke"

- It's an irresistible performance that Page handles with relative ease and beautiful poise. Her theatrical style could be consider overacting, but not by me.

1. Natalie Wood in "Splendor In The Grass"

- Natalie Wood is utterly heartbreaking and unforgettable in another tough part, that again, she handles wonderfully. She connects to the character in a shattering way and creates the illusion of this tormented girl brilliantly.

---

Honorable Omissions: Harriett Anderson in "Through A Glass, Darkly".

Natalie Wood in "Splendor In The Grass"

Natalie Wood received her second Oscar nomination for playing Deanie Loomis in Splendor In The Grass.

Splendor In The Grass is a fascinating, incredible film about teenage angst and hopeless dreams during the desolate time before the depression. I've seen alot of movies that doesn't know how to send the character's emotions (especially teenager's) to the audience successfully, but every character in Splendor has their own set of principles and personality. The story of a rich boy and middle class girl falling hopelessly in love with each other - they do what they think is best for their families, but ultimately have no idea how to be themselves.

Natalie Wood plays Deanie, the sexually confused, yet ner-do-well teenager. Natalie Wood is often criticized as being a very mannered actress who didn't really know her craft entirely well - well I'm not one of those people. Yes, she has been bad in some things, but she is absolutely mesmerizing in the role of Deanie. It's a very, very complicated part to play, where Wood really has to bare herself emotionally on screen - something she had never done on screen before, at least not in this way. Sex is a thing that confuses and intrigues Deanie at the same time, she can neither grasp it or understand it.

Wood finds an incredible balance of naive and self-conscious that plagues Deanie throughout the film. It could honestly go any which way, but Natalie found that the girl is hopelessly confused and the pressures of society and the effects of heartbreak can drive her mad. She suffers from desperation and happiness, the only things Deanie seems life is worth living for. It's a captivating, powerful, interestingly realistic performance full of vitality and intense emotions.

Sophia Loren in "Two Women"

Sophia Loren won the Oscar for playing Cesira in Two Women.

I really don't like Two Women - it meanders after awhile, never focusing on one thing at a time, always changing paces from harrowing to lite, especially there in the beginning. Still there is a great feel to the film, like being trapped in the Italian warzone with the characters - if you look at it from that perspective, then Two Women accomplishes what it set out to do. The story of a Rome woman who escapes allied bombs to the countryside, traveling to the village where she was born with her daughter.

Sophia Loren was at the point in her career where she needed to prove herself as an actress and the role of Cesira was obviously the opportunity for her to do so. Cesira is a typical strong woman - she is proud, determined, nonsensical lady who takes great pride in herself and her teenage daughter. It's obvious from the beginning that Sophia Loren is going to exaggerate the behavior of Cesira as much as she could. It's not annoying considering Cesira is a typical strong Italian woman and obviously Loren knew how women would act like this.

Actually, Loren's performance doesn't really become a true magnificent piece until the second half of the film where the mother and daughter face solider confrontations and rape. The incredible realism she shows is probably what actually won her the Oscar - you can almost feel her pain and torment coming off the screen, and all of the kudos goes to Sophia Loren. I feel the writer tried to turn Cesira into a stereotypical suffering character, yet Loren turned it around and put a totally realistic take on the character. She can be loud, yet still subtly effective at the same time; she creates a fascinating performance from a rather simple and unadorned character. She may overdo some aspects of her performance, but she still manages to become completely outstanding.