Best Actress

My top choices in the order I would place them on my Academy ballot if I were allowed to vote:

NAOMI WATTS, The Painted Veil


ISABELLE HUPPERT, Gabrielle


PENÉLOPE CRUZ, Volver


MAGGIE CHEUNG, Clean


HELEN MIRREN, The Queen

Runners-up in alphabetical order:
Annette Bening (Running with Scissors)
Judi Dench (Notes on a Scandal)
Julia Jentsch (Sophie Scholl - die Letzten Tage [Sophie Scholl: the Final Days])
Meryl Streep (The Devil Wears Prada)

Apologies to Gong Li, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Kirsten Dunst, whose films I still haven't seen.

Related:
My Best Actress picks for 2005
My Best Actress picks for 2004