A pair of critical darlings rounds out the top five this year. Dame Judi Dench is someone for whom the maxim “better than ever” seems unlikely yet that statement is decidedly accurate with Philomena. As the titular lead, Dench demonstrated a rare vulnerability that cleverly played against her onscreen persona over the past decade, particularly in the role of M in the James Bond franchise. Dench’s subservience as Philomena Lee was every bit as engaging, though. For Julie Delpy, she also changed gears a bit in Before Midnight. After being a romantic fantasy since the release of Before Sunrise in 1995, she added depth to her character, Celine. In the process, she exemplified the manner in which real life romance is much trickier than a whirlwind fling. In creating a version of Celine that was less lovable, Delpy exhibited a wide range of emotions that reinforced exactly how and why we fell in love with her the first time in the mid-90s.

Our sixth and tenth place selections have something in common. Adèle Exarchopoulos and Léa Seydoux are the lead actresses in Blue Is the Warmest Color, one of our favorite films of the year. Even during our voting for Best Actress, we experienced difficulty in determining which performance was better. As a group, we were more inclined to like Seydoux more since she received a few votes in the category 2012 for her performance in Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol. While Seydoux was even better in an extended role as un-tortured artist Emma in Blue Is the Warmest Color, we as a group preferred Exarchopoulos. The Parisian native is a revelation as a sexually curious woman named Adèle who knows she is gay yet sleeps with a couple of guys anyway. Adèle constantly frustrates and disappoints her lover, Emma, creating heartbreak in the process. Both women are amazing actresses who should find a lot of work in Hollywood (if they are so inclined) over the next few years. We simply preferred Exarchopoulos a bit more in Blue Is the Warmest Color. The fact that each woman received a nomination speaks volumes about their onscreen chemistry as well as the overall quality of the movie.

The final three nominees this year are Amy Adams, Emma Thompson and Brie Larson. Adams’ portrayal of Lady Edith Greensly, a persona within a persona, left our staff in stitches throughout American Hustle. Thompson was fantastic in Beautiful Creatures. No wait, that doesn’t sound right. I apologize. I meant to say that Thompson’s portrayal of vaunted author P.L. Travers was pitch-perfect. The character was persnickety throughout the movie yet somehow evolved from annoying to endearing as her backstory was slowly revealed. Thompson’s subtly nuanced acting resonated with our staff once we appreciated the childhood psychological damage that was being unearthed. Larson, our ninth place nominee, was the face of Short Term 12, an honest evaluation of the generosity required to mentor at-risk youths. As Grace, Larson carried the project with her genteel but forceful nature and her innate goodwill. Larson has been a voting staple in Best Supporting Actress yet now has earned a selection in Best Actress in her first real attempt in the category. This is where she belongs in the future.

Other actresses who barely missed a nomination this year were Julia Louis-Dreyfus for Enough Said, Amy Seimetz for Upstream Color, Jennifer Lawrence for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Greta Gerwig for Frances Ha, Lake Bell for In a World… and Jessica Chastain for Mama.

2014 Calvin Awards
Calvins Intro
Best Actor
Best Actress
Best Album
Best Cast
Best Character
Best Director
Best Overlooked Film
Best Picture
Best Scene
Best Screenplay
Best Supporting Actor
Best Supporting Actress
Best TV Show
Best Use of Music
Best Videogame
Breakthrough Performance
Worst Performance
Worst Picture

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