• February 2016
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• Must List

Femme Finale

Oscar glory is just an envelope away for these five films and the women behind them.

In 1973, edith Head, the legendary seamstress who designed Grace Kelly’s iconic wedding gown, received her eighth and final Oscar in the field of costume design. She is the most awarded female in the academy’s 88-year history, and arguably the most chic.

As producers, screenwriters, actresses, costume designers and more, females are finding the formula for success at nearly every stage of the filmmaking process—and doing it with gumption. Before Chris rock rolls out the red carpet Feb. 28, watch these five women-led films with winning potential.

 

45 Years

The stoic beauty Charlotte Rampling shares the screen with her compatriot Tom Courtenay in this story about a couple approaching their 45th wedding anniversary. The veteran British actors, whose careers each span more than half a century, deliver effortlessly intimate performances of their characters struggling to comprehend a life- changing letter.

Starring: Charlotte Rampling

 

Carol

Two women in 1950s New York form an unexpected and unconventional relationship in this adaptation of Patricia Highsmith’s novel The Price of Salt. Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara lead an all-star cast that includes Kyle Chandler and Sarah Paulson in this story about changing attitudes in the face of cultural norms.

Starring: Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara  
Written by: Phyllis Nagy
Costume design by: Sandy Powell

 

Brooklyn

A young Irish immigrant sets sail for America, enduring a hellacious journey but ultimately immersing herself in the immigrant stronghold of 1950s Brooklyn, N.Y. Led by actress Saoirse Ronan, who turned heads at the age of 13 for her Oscar-nominated performance in the 2007 film Atonement, Brooklyn illustrates the struggle to bridge the truth of one’s past with the realities of the present.

Starring: Saoirse Ronan

 

The Danish girl

Last year’s Best Actor winner, Eddie Redmayne, plays opposite actress of the moment Alicia Vikander in this story inspired by one of the first gender-reassignment surgeries. The Danish Girl is set in 1926 Copenhagen, Denmark, and its timely yet sensitive subject matter benefits from Vikander’s powerful portrayal of a wife coming to terms with the fact that her husband is no longer the man she married.

Starring: Alicia Vikander
Production design by: Eve Stewart

 

Room

Brie Larson portrays a mother who goes to extraordinary lengths to raise her son in the darkest and most dire of environments. Trapped in a windowless room, this mother-son duo attempts to live a fulfilling life before deciding to embark on a daring escape.

Starring: Brie Larson
Written by: Emma Donoghue

 

 

More Marquee Momentum

1. It’s her third nomination in five years. Will Jennifer Lawrence nab a second Oscar for Joy?

2. The almost king of the world: After four prior acting nominations, will Leonardo DiCaprio finally score a little golden statue for The Revenant?

3. The academy awakens: The technical nominations are strong with Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

4. The one to beat: All eyes are focused on Spotlight to take home Best Picture.

5. Straight outta the envelope: Will summer’s surprise hit Straight Outta Compton be this year’s upset? 

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