Is it already Oscar season?? Almost. The Golden Globe nominations are out. And they are only 50% predictable. The most disappointing part was the lack of best director nominations for women. Shocking. Especially considering how great 2019 was for women directors. Booksmart, Hustlers, The Farewell, to name just a few. And all of those films have nominations and excellent reviews, not to mention success in the Box Office. This post is mostly dedicated to Jennifer Lopez because it really was a great year for her, and good for us because we got to see her shine, most memorably as Ramona in Lorene Scafaria’s summer breakout hit. From the time she enters the stage (of both the film and the club) she commands the audience’s attention and is fully aware of it. While Constance Wu is an excellent actor, it’s really hard to share a scene with Lopez’s Ramona. She is confident, plotting, tough, and seemingly impregnable. Her years of practicing dance give her an advantage to the grueling training she had to endure for the role, and her comfort as a stage persona is evident. While the movie was entertaining and well paced, it was mostly a vehicle for Lopez to flex her talent. This is not her first rodeo. She broke into the scene with 1997’s “Selena” and went on to steal scenes in “Out of Sight” and “Money Train,” to then star in Hollywood successes like “The Wedding Planner,” “Enough” and “El Cantante” (I personally thought she was great in “The Cell”). But she became mostly known for her signature dance moves, sold out stadium shows, and highly publicized romances. This is why this role was made for the JLo I grew up singing along to, admiring in music videos, and watching stand up to bullies in movies. She embodies a wholly original character who while flawed, represents a post #metoo heroine who beats the good ol’ boys at their own game. Well, at least for a little while. Can one argue the morality of her (based on a true story) deeds? Of course. But for a woman living on the edge, trying to support her family, with little training or skill, survival may not always look like a holiday Hallmark card. Lopez plays the role so well that you truly believe, despite the star’s aforementioned notoriety, that she is the hardened yet deeply perceptive (imperceptibly) aging exotic dancer who rules the club. So all of this to say, I hope that JLo gets the appropriate accolades for a role that culminated for her after 25+ years in the industry, and as a Latina woman who had to fight for her shot at success. In her recent SNL opening monologue (hers was the best show of the season), she dropped some examples of her success and said “And I’m not bragging, that’s just, you know, gossip.” But I say, where there’s smoke there’s fire, Ms. Lopez, and you continue to set the world ablaze.