Girl Week 2017: My Favourite Female Performances of 2017

Hello peeps. I'm back with another entry for Girl Week 2017, the blogathon hosted by Dell at Dell on Movies that's all about girls. On Monday I talked out my mom and I's favourite mothers in movies (apparently I was/wasn't off topic), today I'm talking about those ladies who stole my heart with their performances.

I'd like to point out that there's plenty of movies I'm yet to see, Ingrid Goes West and Lady Bird only to name a few, so with that in mind, here are my favourite performances of this year so far, in order of watching date.

Dafne Keen as Laura, Logan

20th Century Fox

If you ask me, this young lady absolutely stole the show in the final chapter of the Wolverine trilogy.  She plays a young mutant who asks Logan for help. She doesn't speak much, but she doesn't need it, she does pretty much all with her eyes. She has so much energy and force, and she conveys Laura's fragility and overpowering strength beautifully, often at the same time. 

Melanie Lynskey as Ruth, I Don't Feel at Home in this World Anymore

Netflix

Before seeing this quirky dark comedy, I had only seen Melanie Lynskey in Two and a Half Men (and in some other movie I think) and I used to think she was okay. She plays a depressed nurse who unwillingly becomes a vigilante, and she just nails it. She is very likeable, funny and innocent, she manages to keep the character very realistic and brings to it the right amount of drama and humour. 

Gal Gadot as Diana Prince/Wonder Woman, Wonder Woman

Warner Bros. Pictures

For me, she already owned the role in Batman v Superman, but with such little screen time, she just couldn't shine. It's a whole different story in Patty Jenkins's movie. It's her own movie this time, and she makes sure everybody knows it. She has such a strong presence and her performance here is just brilliant. She conveys Diana's naivety and strength, and her emotions at the end feel so real, it's heartbreaking. 

Zendaya as Michelle, Spider-Man: Homecoming

Sony Picture Releasing

I never saw her before this so I didn't know what to expect from her, but I definitely liked what I saw. She plays a quirky student who hangs around Peter Parker, some sort of hipster girl who hates everybody. Her character serves no real purpose (and it's a shame), she's basically there only as comic relief but she made it work. Her performance isn't particularly strong, but she is very funny. To be honest, she delivers the best lines in the film and she is the most memorable thing about it.

Lily Collins as Ellen, To the Bone

Netflix

There's been a lot of controversy around this movie, with many stating that it promotes and glamorises anorexia and eating disorders. I didn't think so. Anyway, Collins plays a young woman suffering from anorexia who joins a group home to heal. The character could have used more depth but Collins manages to deliver Ellen's emotions, inner struggle and suffering. 

Zoe Kazan as Emily, The Big Sick

Amazon Studios, Lionsgate

I watched this romantic comedy knowing absolutely nothing about it, not even that it was a rom-com (I hate them, just in case you didn't know), but I ended up loving it. What I loved even more was Zoe Kazan. She plays a grad student who falls in love with a Pakistani-American stand-up comedian. She is asleep for quite some time (her character goes into a coma), but that didn't prevent her from being great. She has such a charming and at times awkward presence, the energy she brings to the role is unbelievable. Her performance is very sweet and touching. And probably my favourite of the year so far. 

What are your favourite female performances of the year? Please let me know in the comments below, I'd love hearing from you.