Jolie Met with Applause at NYFF

Tom O’Neil wonders if Angelina Jolie will finally make the Oscar cut after having been snubbed last year for A Mighty Heart, which many felt was a shoo-in. At the NY Film Fest, however, Jolie’s performance was met with cheers:

Audience response: huzzahs galore. Clint has not only crafted another fine film that’s going to garner widespread attention and admiration, but it’s not an ensemble film like his last best-picture nominee, “Letters From Iwo Jima,” or, to a lesser extent, his last best-pic winner, “Million Dollar Baby.” It’s all Angelina all the screen time.

You only care about this movie because you buy her performance as a heroic, real-life woman, circa 1930, who battled L.A. police when they locked her up in an insane asylum when she refused to accept a mysterious boy as her missing son. Four of the last five best-actress winners ‚Äî and seven of the last 10 ‚Äî portrayed real women. And it’s a big, showy role at that, full of big crying scenes, booming declarations and righteous strutting. Oscar voters love all that.

Some have said she’s top of her game in this and others disagree. O’Neil thinks that this time, with subject matter and Clint, Angelina has her best shot yet. What do you think?