A close vote for Best Actress of the 1990s had Kathy Bates in Misery edging out Hilary Swank for Boys Don’t Cry and Frances McDormand for Fargo.

Our decades series continues with Best Actress of the 2000s. In the end, our staff voted Marion Cotillard for La Vie en Rose just barely ahead of Charlize Theron for Monster.

Most pundits feel Best Actress is between Sandra Bullock for “The Blind Side” and Meryl Streep for “Julie and Julia.” Both won Golden Globes and they tied for the Critics Choice Award. But Bullock won the SAG, and Marla Seidell predicts an Oscar will cap off Sandra’s banner year.

Sandra Bullock has passed Meryl Streep to become the frontrunner for Best Actress. Kit Bowen writes on the tight race for the award and Bullock’s incredible comeback.

Strong female characters highlight “An Education” and “Coco Before Chanel.” While the British “Education” could be nominated for several Oscars, including Carey Mulligan for Best Actress, the French “Chanel” might be in line for score and costume Oscars. Christa Youngpeter compares the two films.

Sandra Bullock’s career started with promise with films like “Speed” and “While You were Sleeping,” but had languished for years as she starred in several flops. That changed in 2009 as roles in box office hits “The Proposal” and “The Blind Side” netted her nominations for both Golden Globe Best Actress awards.

Brad Pitt may headline “Inglourious Basterds,” but the Quentin Tarantino flick has fantastic performances from Diane Kruger and Melanie Laurent. Both women should get Oscar consideration, says Mallory Pickard, for their portrayals of femme fatales in Nazi Germany.

It seems as though every year there is a deluge of Holocaust-themed films that come out during Oscar season. This year, no fewer than six films meet that criteria. Lilit Marcus of Jewcy.com examines this phenomenon.