6. Kristen Scott Thomas - Only God Forgives
Only God Forgives recently debuted at the Cannes Film Festival to a very divisive reception. Many seemed to hate the film, describing it as a blood-soaked fetish flick that was heavy on stylized gore and wafer-thin on substance, while others (albeit a seemingly smaller group) appeared to appreciate the aesthetic extremes the film purportedly indulges itself in. Both sides of the critical divide did seem able to agree on one thing though: Kristen Scott Thomas gives one hell of a performance. The film, which is the second collaboration between Danish director Nicholas Winding Refn and actor Ryan Gosling (Drive, the pair's previous film, came out of Cannes to much hullabaloo and buzz), centers on a man (Gosling) who runs a boxing gym in Bangkok, Thailand. The boxing gig though is nothing but a front for more illicit activities ran by man's brother and mother. When the protagonist's brother is killed, his mother orders him to avenge his brother's death in the most exacting and merciless way as possible. Ms. Thomas plays the blood-lusting mother, and her role is apparently quite the eyebrow-raiser. Thomas, who hasn't previously been associated with such nasty genre fare in the past, is said to utter some remarkably crude dialogue in the film that would have never even entered into the mind of some of her previous characters. This sort of inversion of an actor's or actress' persona is sometimes rewarded by the Academy, as is the unusual sight of woman playing villainous roles, so Ms. Thomas has some reason to be optimistic. Still, I think we can say given the reported amount of extreme violence that appears in the film and its mixed response from critics, the film's chances of mounting any Best Picture campaign are moot. If Drive, as beloved and hyped as that film was, could only manage a measly sound nomination, I don't expect Only God Forgives to do much more, which may be an ominous sign for Kristen Scott Thomas' chances at an Oscar nod. Remember, Albert Brooks had a wealth of critical support and backing for his terrific performance as a nefarious character in the much more vaunted Drive, only to find himself empty handed come Oscar nomination morning. I'm sure Ms. Thomas hope things shake out a little differently this time.