THE FINAL FOUR: "Adaptation" v. "August: Osage County"

I *almost* wish that the bracket had been different, because I feel like a better fight would've been August v. She-Devil and Adaptation v. Kramer. Stylistically, Meryl's performance in August is actually closer to what she does in She-Devil: unhinged, unrated, self-indulgent. It's Big Dick Energy but with a most womanly rage, fermented in years of resentment and handed a cocktail of bourbon and Xanax. This is Big Acting, and it's done right.

AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY

​ADAPTATION

...Even just looking at the photos from Adaptation my stomach starts tingling. I ask myself, was it really that good? And the answer is a resounding YES.

But so was August! Meryl went to NEW DEPTHS of ugliness for August. She laid herself goddamn BARE. It was loud and big and ugly and unforgivable and vulnerable and gut-wrenching and heartbreaking. NO ONE ELSE could have done what she did in August with as much nuance and conviction. 

But Meryl did all those things in Adaptation, and she did it with much less yelling. Does that really make it "better acting?" 

Not always, maybe. But in this case, it does. 

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...Looks like I'll be getting Adaptation v. Kramer after all.