Morvern Callar was enough evidence for me.
But wasn’t she also excellent in In America?
Haven’t seen it, but I was also blown away by her performance in Control.
Let’s not leave out Synedoche, New York, as well.
Perhaps not Top Ten, but close.
@Dada — Psssh. Def top ten.
Okay, fine.
Eleven.
yes. i remember really liking a made for tv version of jane eyre, and i couldn’t quite understand why i liked it so much more than other versions…. years later i realized that was samantha morton that made that whole movie
I like her acting, she handles her roles quite well, but I rarely care for the movies she’s in. Morvern Callar was literally pointless, Code 46 was one of the major reasons I call Michael Winterbottom "hit and miss ", Synecdoche, New York was cloisteringly and thickly and sickeningly cerebral (which means it was good, I just didn’t like it)… all of these criticisms having to do with the movies themselves, not Morton’s participation in them.
Chloe Sevigny seems to be in roughly the same situation, where she is a good actress in mostly really off-beat and unexpected movies, but typically I like the roles and characters she chooses more. I do not necessarily think that either is “right” or “wrong” or “better” than the other, but though both actresses interest me in the movie just on the fact that they are in them (“Hmmm, must be … different.”), Sevigny sends the movie higher on my to-do list than Morton.
—PolarisDiB
Polaris —
I disagree with you about MC, but you should really check out Control. She carries the whole movie, which is pretty good to begin with. One of the best performances by an actress in my recent memory. I haven’t seen Code 46, but I wasn’t crazy about Synecdoche either. Mostly it depressed the hell out of me.
Eh, Chloe Sevigny is a bit of hipster fluff. She can do cute and quirky, but she doesn’t give off the same depth and complexity that Morton does. I dunno, maybe I just haven’t seen her in enough.
Samantha Morton is fine and all, mature and sensual in her wanton mood, but I think in 10, 20, 50 years time, nothing will change and we’ll still be praising the Franco-Anglophone armies like no time has passed since Cinema was first created as if they’re of the highest critical significance in order for someone to enjoy a performance, a cinematography and and and…
I hate best lists but if I were to say something about my dear Morton, she’s definitely one of the best currently working actresses across the globe. Yes, I can swallow that down….
….but don’t limit her in a top 10 and then I’m the one who’s been accused by everyone here of being a “broken record” on certain matters….the broken record is the Franco-Anglophone army of cast / directors / screenwriters etc but most importantly…..critics and academics.
That being said, she was the best thing in The Libertine and her worst performance (albeit due to the film’s quality) is by far in Minority Report…
I don’t know about top 10…I’m not really into ranking actors, though, so…
But, she’s amazing in Woody Allen’s Sweet and Lowdown, which is probably my favorite movie that she’s been in.
^ Yeah, she was also great there but that was a supporting role…..I’d say it’s her number 6 powerhouse performance, if only because she doesn’t participate as much as in Callar and In America (and others)
Check her out in Under the Skin.
She’s a wonderful actress…and she’s certainly not afraid to make seemingly odd choices…MORVERN CALLER, SWEET & LOWDOWN, IN AMERICA…even her creepy role in MINORITY REPORT.
Yeah – a good actress from what I have seen, but I don’t think she has been in a great film yet. In fact, she looks very much identical to somebody I know who lives just down the road from me, so this effects my judgement of her performances.
Ironically, in my opinion, the only truly great films Chloe Sevigny has been in are also the ones where she is in a supporting role.
She has a grounded sensuality about her that’s unique to go along with her acting chops.
Morton was the only thing about that POS JESUS’ SON that made me happy that I rented it. Wasn’t she also in MARIE ANTOINETTE?
Most great Anglo-American actors and actresses tend to appear mostly in mediocre films (i.e. Robert Downey Jr. Helena Bonham Carter, Geoffrey Rush, Colin Firth, Dustin Hoffman, Daniel Day Lewis, Sean Penn, etc.)
You could say that about any actor. Great films don’t pay as much as mediocre ones.
Why do most tend to limit Morton in a supporting actress figure?
Morvern Callar for what it’s worth is one of the greatest 2000’s films….that goes to all who said Morton hasn’t played in a great film yet (I won’t accept Woody Allen’s fancy…)
Maybe we should do the Actors Cup next year to raise such issues, popularity here and quality of performances, to the fore
an actors cup is a great idea as we have discussed before
dibs on James Garner and Bud Spencer
Lovely in Mister Lonely
Both mentions of Minority Report and Jesus’ Son reflect back to what I was saying about good roles, bad movies.
—PolarisDiB
I’ll cosign the actors cup idea. :)
Maybe we should do the Actors Cup next year to raise such issues
Didn’t anyone notice the problem of Franco-Anglophone dominion? Let alone the Japanese “tsunami”!
(no pun intended)
Love Samntha Morton. Capable of comedy and drama. Hated to see her held back by health problems. I think she had a stroke back in ’06 that kept her from working.
Agreed, Kate.
I like the way she looks at other characters, and the way she watches her surroundings. I have no trouble believing that her character is in a contemplative mood.
In that context, she’s especially gifted at playing the “quiet girl,” considering that in real life she’s quite a pistol.
Furthermore, if you go far enough up the family tree, I believe we find that Ms. Morton boasts both English AND French ancestry.
There’s no getting around the plain fact that such status renders her beyond awesome.
Code 46, people. one of my favorite Michael Winterbottom films.
Yes, Sonja. I think it’s his best film behind 24 Hour Party People.
Actually, that’s apples and oranges, so never mind. In any case, I think Code 46
is greatly under-appreciated.
a friend of mine didn’t like the “rape” scene but eh, i thought it important to the relevance of the film. it’s no blade runner but still a dreary picture of the future.
Kate
Thoughts?