'Hey yo, the stars up...'

A line from, 'Long Hard Times to Come' the theme from the series Justified by Gangstagrass is the lead title of this piece. Saturday night I saw the film, Winter's Bone, the Best Picture, winner of the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance, directed by Debra Granik and starring Jennifer Lawrence. Looking back at the summer releases, this has been a powerful year for women in the film industry. Categorized by genre, my genre, here are their rankings:

1. Jennifer Lawrence as Ree Dolly in Winter's Bone. This is a raw stark portrait of the 'have nots,' the forgotten, the white disenfranchised America that has been left behind... the crumbling dwellings, the jumbled rust heaps, the suspicion, the miscreants that lie burrowed deep in the hollows of the Ozarks; the burden of living is a way of life. Jennifer Lawrence's, Ree, is the embodiment of resilience; tough, and wise beyond her years, because you have to be to get by in a society that is riddled with secrets, Lawrence's performance lights up the screen and blows away more accomplished actors. In fact, the movie is so good, so distinguished, that at some point you believe you are watching a documentary. A tip of the jockey cap to John Hawkes, the Jewish merchant, Sol, from Deadwood, who as Teardrop should garner awards for a spectacular performance.

2. Tilda Swinton in Io Sono L'amoure.
Aesthetics and the riveting music of Pulitzer Prize composer, John Adams, bolster this labor of love from director Luca Guadagnino, and Tilda Swinton. The film is a guilty pleasure. Sons and daughters. Italian fashion. Sly homage to Hitchcock. And a resurrected Marisa Berenson. What's not to like? Swinton's 30 second performance in Broken Flowers, a personal favorite, surpass the controlled studied portrait of Emma Recchi, but this vehicle, it's splendor, erotic charisma, and transformation is more than good enough.

3. Annette Bening. 'The Kids are All Right' doesn't go anywhere without Bening's Nic. She's the straw that stirs the drink. There is a scene in this movie, where Bening has just made an unpleasant discovery...her face is a classic study of desiccated shock; she is one of the best actors in the industry today and in the spring this performance should add to her already bulging display case of professional hardware.

Next: Part 2...the 'Girls who kicked summer Ass.'