Up until the rapturous reception of Julianne Moore’s performance in Jesse Eisenberg’s latest The Debut, this year’s Best Actress race has been boring, to say the least. So boring actually, that many people have been rooting for Inde Navarrette to win, mainly out of enthusiasm in a non-enthusiastic year for women, but also out of lack of someone else to root for.
Yes, there was Olivia Wilde -who’s having a career best year quote unquote– in The Invite. Also, we have Anne Hathaway in one or two of her recent films. But still nothing ignited as intense of a reaction, both positive and negative, as Navarrette’s performance as freaky Nikki in Obsession. Why is that? For starters, Navarrette is relatively young, so this brings to mind the JLaw Silver Linings Playbook season all over again, and everyone has nostalgia for a fresh-faced unknown actress finding herself at the center of the universe with a low-budget horror movie that, against all odds, broke box office numbers, made a gazillion times more than its budget, and created a cultural phenomenon on its own with capturing some of the morbid side effects of modern dating. All of this isa recipe for success, or at least food for thought, when one wants to analyze how the Gen Z/Gen alpha mindset works (at least, us for us older generations).
It doesn’t stop at that. With rumors of Navarrette turning down the role of Charlene -famously played by Ashley Judd- in the infamous Heat sequel, Heat 2, to play Rogue in the Untitled X-Men movie and weird career choices that are borderline populist rather than artistic-driven, at least that’s what filmtwt thinks. Navarrette’s nomination, if it happens, will be a popularity nomination, one that is based on her youth, underdog narrative, and slightly controversial public figure entanglements.
Everything changed with Eisenberg’s The Debut premiere at Telluride. Moore, an already critical and audience darling, blew everyone away with her performance as Mona Friedman. Receiving a mid-movie applause and getting all critics and filmtwt enthusiasts go rabid with excitement, the race now has become saucier than ever, because finally, there are two equal forces of intrigue, and the wonder about who is going to snag it, can’t escape people’s bets and expectations. Yes, it’s too early to judge who’s getting in for a nomination without even the earliest award precursors to drive award enthusiasts’ anticipation forward. But seeing as Moore is not new to getting critical and award recognition, it’s safe to say her chances are much higher than Navarrette’s in being a part of award connoisseurs’ conversations.
Moore plays within type, an age-appropriate part that tackles a very crucial topic for women worldwide: what if a mid-life crisis savior for a woman with little life experience, turns into a life-threatening situation that might obliterate anything in her wake? Moore, as expected, aces the part. She eats it. Let’s not forget that this is not the first time Moore steals a show as well. This role has been specifically written for her by Eisenberg, who already has the blessing of the award bodies after his highly successful run with A Real Pain.
No one forgets how she swept all awards for Still Alice, and another TV role sweep for Game Change. Moore is an audience darling, one of the most prolific, daring actresses of her generation, but also a sweetheart. She can look like a warm schoolteacher in real life, and yet play a complex, risqué role such as in Map to the Stars and Savage Grace. She worked with some of the best directors in the world, dead and alive. She has the experience and the comeback story that never fails to charm award voters.
It’s unfair to pit those two women against each other, especially when Navarrette’s lack of artistic prowess and experience would be put against ageism in dealing with the more veteran Moore. In a corny world, they would both be paired in the Variety Actors on Actors, where actors compliment one another, kiss, and hug at the end of the day and it becomes rarely about acting and technique but mutual hemorrhoid inducing praise. There’s also the argument for the Academy -and most American award bodies- dismissing horror as a lower art genre. Not to mention that considering Obsession high art horror would be too big a stretch, even if I am one of its biggest applauders, and its biggest shot is Navarrette getting her Oscar nod which would take her to a whole other level of superstardom.
Somehow it’s strange to observe the industry -and some journalists’- fascination with Navarrette. Makes a woman writer like me wonder; is youth really that gold of a currency in Hollywood? And if it is, would that be her ticket to a career turn bigger than she even anticipated with the mega, unbelievable success of the small-scale movie she randomly starred in?
