Home Featured Content

10 Great Performances From 2013 That Are Unlikely To Receive Oscar Recognition

This has been one of the best awards seasons of recent memory, with an array of fantastic films each vying with one another and each deserving of significant prizes. The acting race has arguably been the most exciting to watch, especially in the leading categories, where there are at least 6 or 7 actors (or more) who could rightly stake their claim to a nomination. However, there are many great performances this year which will probably go unnoticed by the Academy for one reason or another.

Adele Exarchopoulos – Blue is the Warmest Color

Recommended Videos

MV5BMTg2NTQ1NDkwNF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwOTA3NDYyMDE@._V1_SX640_SY720_

Had the bad press and shit throwing been kept to a minimum, it would have been highly likely that we would have seen Blue is the Warmest Color nominated for more awards than it perhaps will end up receiving. The language barrier is not a good enough excuse anymore when it comes to Academy Award nominations, take last year for example when Amour (the 2012 Palme d’Or winner) picked up significant nominations including one for Best Actress for Emmanuelle Riva.

This year, Adele Exarchopoulos should have been in with a significant shout as Adele in Abdellatif Kechiche’s 3-hour love story, but sadly it seems increasingly less likely that it will happen. Both Exarchopoulos and co-star Lea Seydoux are integral to the construction and success of Blue is the Warmest Color. If one thing was out of balance in their relationship then the whole thing would have fallen apart. So it’s a good thing that both performances are stunning. Exarchopoulos more so though by virtue of the fact that she is barely off screen for the whole three hours and as a relatively inexperienced actress, her performance is utterly transfixing and deeply impressive.

The commitment on her behalf, not just for the sex scenes, but for the entire emotional roller coaster that we experience is extraordinary, confounding and heartbreaking. Had the production stories not rolled out in the press like they had then we probably would have seen a lot more awards love for this one. Sadly, that won’t be the case.