Monday, Feb. 16, 2009
Melissa Leo, Frozen River
A who's-she in a what's-that movie, Leo, 48, has been bouncing around for decades, giving good performances noticed by nobody except smart casting directors. She took full advantage of a rare lead in first-time writer-director Courtney Smith's quietly devastating drama of a single mom who gets drawn into a scheme smuggling illegal workers from New York State into Canada. Punishingly anti-glamorous, the role is an attention-getter for an actress who's always deserved more. She won't vault from anonymity to Oscar winner, but her work should prod directors looking for a terrific actress to cast in a lead role into thinking, "What about Melissa Leo?" Odds of winning: 12 to 1