Kieran, here. With this week's wide release of the, it could well be a entering a second era of peak Kate Winslet. Winslet was on a career high with six Oscar nominations, four before her thirtieth birthday. Then things slowed down considerably. Yes, she had that awards run for Mildred Pierce and she was Globe nominated for her turns in Carnage and Labor Day. However, the consensus these past few years is that Winslet has been in a bit of a slump. If her Steve Jobs work does indeed land Winslet a seventh nomination, it'll be thrilling to see her return to the ceremony.
It's been seven years since Winslet last nomination for The Reader (which she won). In honor of one of our favorite actresses/shampoo-bottle-Oscar-speech-rehearsers let's look through her list of nominated performances, and rank them. Heavenly Creatures and Holy Smoke!, two of her best, are missing, but that's another story.
6. Little Children
(Best Actress, 2006-Lost to Helen Mirren in The Queen)
Her turn in Little Children is an excellent example of how Winslet is rarely uninteresting to watch on-screen, even when she happens to be miscast. Todd Field makes good use of her highly-charged eroticism and her gift for conveying inner turmoil. Unfortunately, the screenplay forces her to tell more than show.
5. Titanic
(Best Actress, 1997-Lost to Helen Hunt in As Good as It Gets)
The pendulum swing in terms of regard for this performance and film is very mercurial, either great or terrible depending on who you talk to. I think it's a handsome film and a sturdy performance from Winslet. She was just shy of her twenty-first birthday when she filmed Titanic. Though she would go on to top this performance, it remains a clear marker for her progression as an actress and her ability to project maturity beyond her years.
4. The Reader
(Best Actress, 2008-Won)
There's so much baggage associated with this unfairly-maligned performance. Whether it's gripes about the performances she beat, The Reader's perceived usurping of The Dark Knight and/or WALL-E's spot on the Best Picture roster or that Winslet dared to win an Oscar and be excited about it. This performance and the film that houses it are way more complicated, interesting and worthy of honest discussion than detractors give either credit for. Here's hoping time eventually turns the tide on this one.
