BEST OF 2015 -The Supporting Ladies

I’ve taken care of the best movies for the most part, so let’s focus on the performances.  In this piece, I am going to talk about the supporting women of 2015.  Vets, newcomers, and breakouts alike shined in 2015 and it was tough to narrow it down to just five.  But I had to, and here are the five best performances by an actress in a supporting role.

5 – JANE FONDA in “YOUTH” – Fonda is in “Youth” for about fifteen minutes, but boy does she kill it.  Coming into the movie like a hurricane, Fonda is ferocious as a friend and former actress of Mick’s (Harvey Keitel) who crushes his world and career with one conversation.  She steals the scene, and almost the whole movie.

4- OLIVIA COOKE in “ME, EARL, AND THE DYING GIRL” – I wasn’t a very big fan of this Sundance winner, but I was fan of Olivia Cooke.  Playing a high school girl dying of cancer, she mends Rachel’s weakness, vulnerability, and strength perfectly and makes you root for the friendship between her and Greg (Thomas Mann).  It is one of the breakout performances of the year.

3- JENNIFER JASON LEIGH in “THE HATEFUL EIGHT” – Quentin Tarantino’s epic Western has a terrific ensemble, filled with mostly men.  But in the large group of men, it is Jason Leigh who stands out amongst them all .  She becomes the disgusting, vile, terrifying murderer who is filled with secrets, which grabs the viewer and takes you on a range of emotions.  Tarantino writes great women in his films and Jason Leigh takes the opportunity and runs with it.

2- KATE WINSLET in “STEVE JOBS” – It takes a great actor to read Aaron Sorkin’s dialog.  It takes a great actor to go toe-to-toe with one of the best actors working today, Michael Fassbender, acting at his highest level.  Kate Winslet is that great actor, and she is as good as ever and Jobs’ “work wife” and the only person who can get through the cruel and brilliant Jobs.  Her and Fassbender are incredible together and she helps us empathize with the him.  It is her best work since “Revolutionary Road” (2008).

1 – ALICIA VIKANDER in “EX-MACHINA” – Alicia Vikander has had one hell of a 2015.  Starring in four films and being great in all four, Vikander has had the best year of 2015.  My introduction to her was in Alex Garland’s haunting sci-fi thriller and she made quite the impression.  Vikander is mesmerizing playing a robot with artificial intelligence who may be more than meets the eye.  In a film graced with excellent performances by Dohmnall Gleeson and Oscar Isaac and a mind-blowing ending, Vikander is what you remember when you leave “Ex-Machina”.  It’s a chilling, eerie, first-rate performance and the birth of star.

Agree or disagree with this list?  What was your favorite supporting actress performance of 2015?  Comment below or hit me up on Twitter @kevflix or on Facebook at Kevflix.

Images courtesy of YouTube.