Best Actress 2013: Jennifer Lawrence, Serena

Christopher Kyle (K-19: The Widowmaker, Alexander) adapted Ron Rash's 2008 novel Serena, set in the North Carolina timber industry during the Depression Era.  Angelina Jolie and Darren Aronofsky were attached, before Susanne Bier and Jennifer Lawrence took over.  The Silver Linings Playbook star loved working with her leading man so much, she asked Bradley Cooper to reteam with her on this new venture.  Their age difference makes them such a weird pairing, but what are you going to do?  He played a business baron and her role is described as a wife with "Lady MacBeth" type tendencies.  It sounds like a great role for Lawrence, but my skeptical side starts to creep out too.  Not sure why.  This could be Twin Peaks First Season Good, or it could be Snow Falling on Cedars.  (I don't know why I selected those two films as comparative examples; Serena isn't set in the PNW)  The Dannish Bier is known for her Oscar-winning In a Better World, as well as directing more mainstream American stars in films like Things We Lost in the Fire and the remake of her own film Brothers, the latter of which was quite good.  She's a pretty prolific director and used much of her own team for Serena including cinematographer Morten Soborg and editor Pernille Bech Christensen.  Producers on the film have worked on everything from Unknown, to Killing Them Softly to Good Night, and Good Luck., to We Own the Night, and The Road.  Rhys Ifans, Toby Jones, and Sean Harris (the ginger from Prometheus who goes apeshit) are also in the cast.  Serena filmed a year ago in the Czech Republic, including Barrandov Studios in Prague.  It will release sometime this year.

Lawrence is at a very interesting point in her career.  We don't know if she is going to win Oscar (money is on her, though).  At this point, it mostly depends on whether the AMPAS think she's too young or not, and if Harvey Weinstein can convince enough voters that she has arrived and is ready.  Did her recent SNL monologue hurt her chances?  Did she really seem to care?  No!  And, that's what I love about her.  SHE DOESN'T CARE.  She could get kicked out of Hollywood, and she would probably figure out something else to do.  If she loses, she came awfully close her second time around at only age 22.  She has shown remarkable range, but there is still an inkling of "can she do more?"  Winter's Bone showed that she had raw talent.  The Hunger Games proved she could carry a huge franchise to major financial success.  Playbook revealed a versatility.  She gives great, off-the-cuff, down-to-earth interviews.  She just doesn't care what anyone thinks.  Now, that could be mostly due to age and where she's from, or it could also be something indeed genuine.  Only time will tell.  But, if there's more in her (which I think there is) and she demonstrates decent taste in choosing scripts, she'll be given many more chances to win.  With three more Hunger Games and who knows how many X-Men, this girl is set through her twenties.  Couldn't have happened to a cooler chick.

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