If Jennifer Lawrence wins a second Oscar before her 26th birthday, its going to start looking an awful lot like favouritism. Every non-franchise performance that she does seems to get a nomination these days, and I for one would be fairly miffed if she won again for Joy. Joy is a really entertaining film and Lawrence does very well in it (especially considering all the different ages that she has to play), but mop inventor Joy Mangano is not a role that really stretches her abilities. Its a strong character in another quirky David O. Russell film. The Academy shouldnt just award the same people for churning out the same sort of thing year on year, they should recognise the pinnacle of performances that stretch famous thespians to impressive new levels. Thats not what Joy did for J-Law. Thats why itd be nicer to see Charlotte Rampling win, as the ultimate sign of approval for her career-resurrecting turn in the mesmerising marriage drama 45 Years. You could also argue that Brie Larson and Saoirse Ronan pushed themselves further than Lawrence this year.
