Now, no one can deny that Judi Dench delivered an amazing performance as Armande, but I feel that Lena Olin was unfairly snubbed. Her portrayal of Josephine Muscat, an abused woman forging her own path, was nearly flawless, and I never once strayed from believing her.
Don't move! You're surrounded by armed basterds!
Ahhh, you're talking about one of my favourite actresses. I wholeheartedly agree with you @SnS, and it seems that Ms Olin is constantly overlooked when it's time to hand out awards.
Regardless what you may think of the films themselves, and maybe it is because of her eclectic choice of roles, Lena Olin's performances in such films as "The Unbearable Lightness of Being" and "The Reader" were very deserving of more recognition then she received.
We can only hope that her talents will be more appreciated in the future.
That wasn't very sporting, using real bullets.
Lena Olin was FANTASTIC in this. So was Dench, no doubt, but Lena delivered one of her best performances (and she has given so many of them). Vulnerable, real, endearing... just a joy to watch. By far my favorite supporting character of the film.
Let me go on a tangent for a bit and say I have to echo the above poster's sentiments that Lena seems to be repeatedly overlooked. She's one of my all time favorite actress, personally, which makes her being snubbed all the more frustrating to me.
She was stellar in The Unbearable Lightness of Being (the fact she wasn't nominated for THAT performance was a crime!), Romeo Is Bleeding, The Ninth Gate, Mr. Jones, Havana... just about every movie she's in she never fails to impress. She even elevated blah movies like Awake to me. And she was just as effective in her role in Alias.
I'll make a special mention of her performance in Enemies: A Love Story. I seriously can't gush enough about Lena in that film. One of the most passionate, scene-stealing, fiery performances I've seen. I recommend that movie to everyone if only for Lena's portrayal of the hot-blooded, tragic Masha. I would've loved if she had won the Oscar that year, but she was unlucky that she was up against Brenda Fricker's performance in My Left Foot.
I hope Lena will eventually win an Oscar in the future, it's never too late.
Where does fantasy end and reality begin?
Completely agree. Lena Olin was a gem in this movie, but then she is always is.
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