List of Fives Part Fifteen
Five Truly Great Angelina Jolie performances:
Say what you will about her, she is a damn fine actor.
Here's Five to prove it.
1. Gia. I think this performance brought Jolie to the attention of the world. Her large expressive eyes convey the loneliness and emptiness this young woman must have felt throughout her troubled life. Angelina bares her soul in this performance. She portrays Gia Carangi from her beginnings in Philadelphia to her shocking end. (Carangi became one of the first women to die of AIDS related complications.) Gia was considered by some to be the first supermodel and led a fast, hard life filled with fame, fashion and drug abuse.
2. A Mighty Heart. This film centers less on the kidnapping and brutal death of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl and more on the valiant effort made by his wife, Mariane, to secure his release and, eventually, to carry on in his name. There is one scene in particular that just shocked me. For much of the film, Mariane is the center of strength. The couple's mutual friends rally around her and at times lose faith. Only when Mariane is alone, after learning of Daniel's murder, does she break down. It is as powerful as it is terrifying. In that moment, we worry not just for Mariane's health, but the health of the child she carries with her.
3. Mr. and Mrs. Smith. I know there is some controversy about this film because of what happened between the two stars off the set. But, when it comes right down to it, this film is just fun to watch. Angelina Jolie, like her co-star, is not above spoofing herself. She seems to recognize that people like her in the "sexy, sensual chick-with-gun" persona and she plays it to the hilt here. She also has some comedic moments that prove she can, pretty much, do it all. It's just a cute film. If you watch the "unedited" version, be warned. The "love scene" is a bit racier than the theatrical release.
4. Girl, Interrupted. The film for which Jolie won her Academy Award. And she deserved it. Believe me. She is riveting in this film. When her character, sociopath Lisa Rowe, first appears on screen, every one else fades into the background. It stops being a film centered on Winona Ryder's character and ends up being the main focus. Jolie's character is hypnotic and frightening and manipulative. Ryder knows she should avoid her but she can't. And neither can we. Outstanding performance.
5. Beyond Borders. This film changed my opinion of Angelina Jolie forever, both as an actor and as an individual. (It was during the making of this film that Angelina adopted her son, Maddox.) The story is simple, a New York socialite becomes involved with the medical service group Doctors Without Borders and that involvement transforms her. The film takes us to the Somalian border, to Cambodia and the horrors of the Khmer Rouge, and to war-torn Bosnia. It's a powerful lesson on the wake of the suffering in war and how we, as human beings, can make a difference, even when we think we can't. It's a very moving, heart-breaking film and Angelina is perfect in it.
If you want action only: skip the first Lara Croft and go with "Cradle of Life." The action sequences are better and it also stars Gerard Butler. Yum. "Wanted" is okay; Jolie is in "chick with gun" mode. It seems to be a popular motif for her. I think there is another one called "Salt" coming next Summer.
Say what you will about her, she is a damn fine actor.
Here's Five to prove it.
1. Gia. I think this performance brought Jolie to the attention of the world. Her large expressive eyes convey the loneliness and emptiness this young woman must have felt throughout her troubled life. Angelina bares her soul in this performance. She portrays Gia Carangi from her beginnings in Philadelphia to her shocking end. (Carangi became one of the first women to die of AIDS related complications.) Gia was considered by some to be the first supermodel and led a fast, hard life filled with fame, fashion and drug abuse.
2. A Mighty Heart. This film centers less on the kidnapping and brutal death of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl and more on the valiant effort made by his wife, Mariane, to secure his release and, eventually, to carry on in his name. There is one scene in particular that just shocked me. For much of the film, Mariane is the center of strength. The couple's mutual friends rally around her and at times lose faith. Only when Mariane is alone, after learning of Daniel's murder, does she break down. It is as powerful as it is terrifying. In that moment, we worry not just for Mariane's health, but the health of the child she carries with her.
3. Mr. and Mrs. Smith. I know there is some controversy about this film because of what happened between the two stars off the set. But, when it comes right down to it, this film is just fun to watch. Angelina Jolie, like her co-star, is not above spoofing herself. She seems to recognize that people like her in the "sexy, sensual chick-with-gun" persona and she plays it to the hilt here. She also has some comedic moments that prove she can, pretty much, do it all. It's just a cute film. If you watch the "unedited" version, be warned. The "love scene" is a bit racier than the theatrical release.
4. Girl, Interrupted. The film for which Jolie won her Academy Award. And she deserved it. Believe me. She is riveting in this film. When her character, sociopath Lisa Rowe, first appears on screen, every one else fades into the background. It stops being a film centered on Winona Ryder's character and ends up being the main focus. Jolie's character is hypnotic and frightening and manipulative. Ryder knows she should avoid her but she can't. And neither can we. Outstanding performance.
5. Beyond Borders. This film changed my opinion of Angelina Jolie forever, both as an actor and as an individual. (It was during the making of this film that Angelina adopted her son, Maddox.) The story is simple, a New York socialite becomes involved with the medical service group Doctors Without Borders and that involvement transforms her. The film takes us to the Somalian border, to Cambodia and the horrors of the Khmer Rouge, and to war-torn Bosnia. It's a powerful lesson on the wake of the suffering in war and how we, as human beings, can make a difference, even when we think we can't. It's a very moving, heart-breaking film and Angelina is perfect in it.
If you want action only: skip the first Lara Croft and go with "Cradle of Life." The action sequences are better and it also stars Gerard Butler. Yum. "Wanted" is okay; Jolie is in "chick with gun" mode. It seems to be a popular motif for her. I think there is another one called "Salt" coming next Summer.
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