This is a star performance through and through.
Save this article to read it later.
Find this story in your accountsSaved for Latersection.
[Lights cigarette, jabs the air with it, making smoke trails in the air.]
I said, ya want fun?
Here we go, people!
Yes, all of these characters were men.
She just does it.
Theres nothing funny, sexy, disarming, adorable, or daring about the look on Nadias face here.
She mightve just been jabbed in the heart with a needle.
The pain radiates through every part of her.
The terror and sadness are overwhelming.
And then, moments later, shes back to being the wisecracking dame we know and love.
The key might be the sense of Nadia relinquishing control without realizing thats whats occurring.
This is a character who, in life, makes things happen.
When shes acted upon via death its sudden and startling, but then its over.
This is a moment that we have to live in, along with Nadia.
A new realm of possibilities has been opened to Nadia.
Now she can truly stand outside of herself and her world, a spirit wandering between the winds.
Maintaining continuity of thought and feeling within a single moment is difficult when youre pretending to be someone else.
Thats why actors study to make it learn how to do it.
Its a more complicated proposition when youre staying in character in time-lapse.
And yet, the result doesnt feel fragmented.
This scene is a terrific example of the multitudes that Lyonnes performance contains.
This moment is probably the closest that Nadia gets to complete annihilation.
The Other Contenders
This was an exceptional year for leading performances.
Just because you dont see sweat doesnt mean youre not watching a master at work.
The character doesnt just have a personality; she has a vibe and a silhouette.
This is a star performance through and through.
If fun is for suckers, kudos to Natasha Lyonne for seeing what marks we were.
Eligible contenders had to have premiered between June 1, 2018 and May 31, 2019.
