By [With 2022 all wrapped up and we’ve had time to let the previous year sink in, it’s time for our fifth annual Golden Cages Awards! Over the next two weeks, the staff at Flixist will be announcing the winners in sixteen different categories that range from all different genres and categories before ultimately revealing what our best film of 2022 was. So sit back, relax, and come join us as we take one final look at 2022 and see the notable movies the year had to offer.]
The race for Best Actress is going to be fierce at the 2022 Academy Awards. While all five of the nominees deserve recognition for elevating their films to new heights (maybe Ana de Armas the most as Blonde is awful), everyone is looking at Michelle Yeoh and Cate Blanchett in particular. The two have been in their respective industries for decades and have starred in a number of groundbreaking productions, yet don’t have quite the mainstream appeal you’d expect. That’s definitely changing this year.
As for the Golden Cages 2022, despite my best efforts to vote for Michelle Yeoh a bunch, Cate Blanchett has walked away with our coveted prize. Even if I’m seemingly an Everything Everywhere All At Once fanboy, I cannot deny the gravitas and power that Blanchett brought to the forefront in Tar. When watching the film with my mother, I turned to her at one point and said, “This performance is so good, you almost believe the bullshit Lydia is peddling.”
Truly, Blanchett transformed into her role as the power-hungry lead conductor. Watching interviews with her -especially the very insightful “Actors on Actors” from Variety-, you can tell how committed Blanchett was to getting this right. She might be a powerful figure in real-life, but Blanchett is not a quietly manipulative and self-obsessed witch. That she is able to sell you this fantasy of her being a truly awful person is incredible.
If Blanchett does manage the academy award win, she’ll have two Best Actress awards under her belt. Honestly, I’d be fine with that outcome even as a Yeoh fanatic. Ever since I saw her in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, I understood Blanchett’s appeal. She can be calm and collected when the mood calls for it and then erupt into fury when things get out of control. Her full range is on display in Tar, not to mention the absolutely incredible single-take she does during the Julliard scene.
So, congratulations to Cate Blanchett for receiving the Golden Cages 2022 Best Actress award. If things go right, this won’t be the last time that Blanchett and Yeoh square off.
