1. Emma Stone (2)- Stone moves past Amy Adams for two reasons: A. Adams biggest year in recent memory (2013 with American Hustle and some great scenes in Her is one more year in the rearview) and B. Stone was great in The Battle of the Sexes here in 2017. While that wasn’t a top 10 film it’s still more than Adams could contribute to her list of archiveable films in the last year
  2. Amy Adams (1)- As I said above Adams drops one spot here this year but Arrival was only last year and being great in a top 10 film just adds so much to the resume for my purposes here- so despite doing nothing of note in 2017 she doesn’t fall far.
  3. Marion Cotillard (4) There’s really nobody to take her spot and she hasn’t fallen as hard as Chastain
  4. Margot Robbie (new)– I thought Robbie was superb in I, Tonya and unlike Krieps, and Hawkins (who also had a big 2017) she has been really good in a top 10 level film in the past 5 years (Wolf of Wall Street).
  5. Saoirse Ronan (new)- Her rise here mirrors Robbie. She’s superb in a top 10 film from 2017 (Lady Bird). Brooklyn from 2015 helps her resume as does her few scenes (which are key) in Grand Budapest from 2014
  6. Jessica Chastain (3)- I’m probably being unfair because at this point when writing I haven’t seen Molly’s Game. That will be remedied soon but until then I have nothing for her in 2016 and 2017 and her last notable performance in a top 10 film was interstellar in 2014
  7. Greta Gerwig (5)- She was the writer/director of Lady Bird which is wonderful but it doesn’t count here.
  8. Michelle Wiliams (9)- Williams backs up a big 2016 (Manchester by the Sea and Certain Women) with some solid work in Ridley Scott’s All the Money in the World. It also helps round out her accomplished accent work.
  9. Natalie Portman (10)- I did catch Annihilation and though it’s 2018 I’m not a big a stickler for staying to the year in review for the acting lists. Portman is superb.
  10. Scarlett Johansson (6)- Her big year here was 2013 (Her and Under the Skin) and I really look at the last 5 years for this exercise (with more emphasis on the later years) so Scarlett will fall off this list without something in 2018

****Honorable mention

  • Elle Fanning- Fanning was on the HM last year and adds The Beguiled in 2017 to basically stand in place here
  • Jennifer Lawrence– Lawrence is great in mother! but I couldn’t find a spot for it in my top 15 of 2017 or so and we’re one more year removed from American Hustle– her only other archiveable film in the last 5 years
  • Charlize Theron– Theron still gives the best female performance of the last 5 years in Mad Max: Fury Road even if there’s literally nothing else here
  • Isabelle Huppert- Elle, Things to Come, Happy End and then Louder than Bombs in 2015. It’s been a great run for Huppert.
  • Cate Blanchett– Blue Jasmine in 2013 and Carol in 2015 keeping Blanchett float here

*****fell off last year’s list

  • Rooney Mara (HM)
  • Alicia Vikander (HM)
  • Tilda Swinton (HM)
  • Kristen Stewart (HM)