His quietly devastating performance in Alexander Payne's «Nebraska» is both a career highlight and a showcase that won him the best - actor award at Cannes and has made him a formidable entrant in a brutally tough category at the Oscars. (thewrap.com)
The actress, a London theatre stalwart who was terrific earlier this year in the Old Vic revival of Six Degrees of Separation, gets her breakout screen opportunity with this role and runs with it, in the process eclipsing arguably the film's most thoughtful, quietly devastating performance - that of Jim Broadbent playing the geologist, Tom, husband to Gerri, who is, in turn, Mary's abiding friend. (theartsdesk.com)
Quite possibly the most devastating performance of the year, Lupita Nyong» o's work in 12 Years a Slave is all the more impressive considering it's the actress» first feature film role ever. (collider.com)