Ranking The Academy Award For Best Actress Winners' Performances From The Past Decade
2. Olivia Colman - The Favourite (2018)
The Favourite is a period drama that upturns the genre and allows a natural humour to flow, as opposed to stifling it with corsets and on the nose dialogue. Step up Olivia Colman, who is just as comfortable in a comedic role as a dramatic one.
She portrays Queen Anne with such a sense of loss as she does with bewilderment, that you never know quite where anybody stands with her. She seems ruled over by Lady Sarah (Rachel Weisz), confined by her unilateral control over her emotions.
However, as the plot unfolds, we do see there is another side to Anne. One of bitterness and anger, twisted by the monumental losses she has suffered. The final scene in the film is one of a traditional monarch exerting her control over a servant and reminding Abigail (Emma Stone) of her place.
Such a performance is hard to see given in the same way by another actress, as Olivia Colman dominates every scene she is in. Her nuanced and almost savage take on Queen Anne led Colman to winning the Oscar, BAFTA and Golden Globe.
Her competition was strong in 2018, with Glenn Close, Lady Gaga, Melissa McCarthy and particularly Yalitza Aparicio all delivering very worthy performances. However, there is a quiet depth to Colman's performance that saw her over the line to win.
Verdict: Deserved.