All the Academy Awards nominees for Best Actress have given outstanding performances… on the surface. They spoke their lines believably, developed an interesting character, got the voice, the walk, the look. Perhaps most extraordinary, these superb actors received direction with enough objectivity to improve a character's portrayal, rather than destroying it.

No wonder the Oscar nominees are so greatly admired. Yet only a tiny minority of them have gone all the way, changing their CHAKRAS. The takes the greatest talent, and a rare kind of courage.

What does it mean to shift that deep, playing a part? Nothing within you feels the same. Imagine a length of beige cloth that you are dying green. Most people would be satisfied with a cloth that looks green. But you will not be satisfied with some simple dunk in the vat. You find a way to do the ultimate transformation. Consequently, the cloth changes so completely that if you held the most powerful microscope in the world up that cloth, the most minute fibers would glow bright green.

Well, okay, here comes something easier to imagine: What happens when an aura reader like me turns movie critic? I can read the deepest possible shifts within an actor. And that's just what I will do in the article, with an in-depth critique of Penelope Cruz's performance in "Volver." Here are links to the photos I used in the article:

Photo 1 - As Herself

Photo 2 - In the Movie

Since I can read auras from regular photographs (and could teach you to do the same, incidentally), it becomes easy to compare the aura of an actress just being herself… to her still shot from the movie, where she is in character.

Did I see the movie? Partly. Because I was on a return flight from Japan and had recently seen way too many movies, I didn't give it my full attention and turned to that fascinating sport of trying-to-sleep-on-a-plane. So I might have to return to "Volver." Certainly, Cruz is always fun to watch, that much registered.

But here I promise to be wide awake and not jet-lagged as I read from photos. As always, I will ask the question: Who can transform all the way? Here is what I find about Penelope Cruz in the movie:

Root chakra -- How her personality projects when she enters a room

As herself: Sex has a lot to do with the persona of Penelope Cruz. A womanly, almost maternal, emotion nature also projects very strongly. Meaning no disrespect, I find that Cruz sends out a great deal of masculine energy, highly attractive to men. To combine both this androgynous vibration and what is clearly a female body—this combination is like having a slot machine come up all cherries. This woman is born to fascinate susceptible viewers almost beyond endurance.

In the movie: Protective and strong, motherly and fierce, Penelope is powerful in this role. A complete change of aura.

Sex chakra -- What would she be like as a lover?

As herself: Penelope has clearly struggled with her sexuality. The conflict is not about sexual orientation, because she is very much heterosexual in her sexual chakra (despite projecting that androgynous energy in her personality). It's more that she has suffered from being a sex object, has healed a great deal from her past yet hasn't overcome it, so it haunts her still. Often, performers who are famous as sex symbols aren't personally nearly as engaging as the energy they project. I find that Penelope is still learning how to open up her feminine energy circuits without becoming a victim.

In the movie: She's sending out a call all right, with sexual charisma targeted to dazzle the audience. Yet, deeper down, I hear the whisper of the regular Penelope Cruz sex chakra, with ambivalence and perhaps some fear of intimacy. Therefore, I'd count this as a partial change of aura.

Solar plexus chakra -- Handling power, what is her pattern at the time of the photo?

As herself: She's a good girl, with the power circuitry of someone who is still young and finding her way. Although this auric plight is a genuine struggle within her, it is actually advantageous for her career. Not projecting much power adds to her desirability as a female sex symbol.

In the movie: She's pretending to be strong. But the real Penelope shows beneath, with her very human insecurities. It's a very partial, though poignant, change of aura.

Heart chakra -- How does she handle emotions?

As herself: Emotionally, Penelope is simple, given to one main emotion at a time. Primal emotions, like love, jealousy and helplessness, can be really intense for this woman. Nuance and subtlety are not her thing. If I find that she conveys a heart chakra with the subtlety of a Streep or a Dench, I may fall off my chair here at the computer, as I research this article.

In the movie: In the particular photo I'm seeing, Penelope is projecting protectiveness. The one-note portrayal is powerful in its way. But it is not a change of aura.

Communication chakra -- Truthfulness? Talent? What shows here?

As herself: Communication has been a major growth area for this star. She has had to overcome shyness, much like Nicole Kidman. Not a natural performer, nor an oversized ego, Penelope's throat chakra is much like that of people you'll meet in everyday life. Neither the quality of communication nor the size of aura projection is notable. However, there is one strong exception: When in the grip of a primal emotion, she can blast it loud and clear.

In the movie: Penelope is trying hard to emote. There is no change to her aura.

Spirituality chakra -- How does she connect to God?

As herself: A lovely spiritual connection shows here, pure as a lamb of God. Combining that childlike purity with that gorgeous body, no wonder Penelope Cruz is an inspiration to watch on any screen.

In the movie: The actress is trying so hard to act. But the way she's concentrating actually closes down her spiritual connection. This doesn't seem like an acting choice, more like a consequence of her personal discomfort deep down with being an actress.

Soul expression chakra -- Deep down, how does the person feel as a human being?

As herself: Don't wish to be Penelope Cruz right now. This chakra suggests that she isn't enjoying the lifestyle as much as you might think. Not actively miserable, she is obeying a lot of "shoulds," rather than paying attention to what really thrills her soul.

In the movie: There is a change of aura here, about enjoying herself before the camera. She's acting. She really is, whatever her inner qualms about playing a part. The change of aura, however, concerns how the process of acting affects her, not the character being portrayed.

Summary:Even in the realm of international stardom, Penelope Cruz is exceptionally gorgeous. This aura reader finds many problems with her performance in Volver, however. First, it's a clear contradiction to project a big sexual come-hither from the sex chakra at the same time as sending Earth Mother out through the root chakra. Admittedly, this can be exactly what plenty of men find desirable, but for an acting performance, such a mixed message!