Directors Rate your top ten contemporary actresses! (1 Viewer)

[Vickie_M]

Walter, thanks for the information about Gas Food Lodging.

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[Jennifer Lopez is] a good actress who has been in some excellent films...
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What would you recommend as an example? Out of Sight comes to mind as solid, but unspectacular. The only other thing with her I've seen is The Cell, which was terrible.

I disagree about The Cell (I agree with Ebert's 4-star review) and I think a lot more is happening in Out of Sight than perhaps you're giving her, and it, credit for. I think she was spectacular in Selena, which itself is not a great movie, but her performance elevates it. She had a small but crucial role in Mi Famila, which is an excellent film besides. She was very good in Blood and Wine, and excellent in a good movie that will never get the credit it deserves, Angel Eyes (which had the misfortune of coming out at the same time her "J-Lo" phase started and the backlash began, as well as being horribly, woefully and criminally mismarketed).

I didn't like Maid In Manhattan or The Wedding Planner, but her characters came off as sweet and likable in both. I haven't seen any of her other movies (U-Turn is the only one on my Must See At Some Point list). None of her upcoming movies look very promising (except for maybe Jersey Girl, but she's only in that for a few minutes) so maybe her days of good acting in interesting, quality films are behind her. That phase was much too short.

As much as I defend Jennifer, I do wish that she would get that World Domination thing out of her system. She has the talent to be a great actress, but it seems as if the "star" thing has gotten in the way of both her good sense (in choosing roles), and people's perception of her *acting* ability (quite apart from her star power, meaning, from now on, no matter how good the movie or the acting, she probably won't get credit because she's a joke to everyone. And yes, she brought most of it on herself).

 

[Angelo.M]

Interesting. Took a minute to find Ebert's review; I don't agree with his opinion of The Cell. For my money, the movie was a lot of style, and zero substance, and I found Lopez cringe-inducing (D'Onofrio as well, to be fair). Out of Sight was entertaining but vastly overrated; seemed to me like there was less going on than meets the eye.

But, bringing this back to actresses, without commenting on the (popular) sport of Jennifer-bashing, I don't disagree that there's some acting talent there. I'd be willing to give her a chance in a film I was interested in. The media hype doesn't mean anything to me.

 

[Scott Weinberg]

My list changes every few months, but here are the actresses I've been most consistently impressed by in recent months:

Cate Blanchett - Her work in Heaven is something special. Galadriel's purty.

Kate Beckinsale - Stately, charming and very lovely to look at. I dig 'er accent too.

Keira Knightley - When knew her when, eh guys? She's had a great year and I predict bigger things soon.

Scarlett Johansson - If you thought she was impressive in Ghost World or The Man Who Wasn't There, you'll love her in Lost in Translation. Plus she did Eight Legged Freaks...a movie I really dig.

Jennifer Jason Leigh - No specific reason. I've always thought very highly of JJL.

Zooey - For years I've loved seeing her in little 'pop-up' roles here and there. After All the Real Girls we should be seeing even more of her. Love those big baby blues too!

Maggie G. - Another one I suspect we'll be seeing a lot more of over the next few years. Maybe she and her brother could do the Wonder Twins movie.

Kirsten Dunst - Cutie patootie. Her performances vary from excellent to absent, but she's got some skills.

Helena Bonham Carter - She's just so cool. If you haven't seen the HBO flick she did with Michael Keaton called Live from Baghdad, go give it a rent.

Jennifer Connelly - Of course. After The Oscar, after The Hulk, after all this time...we all still love Jenny. I hope her new baby is great, but we need Mommy back in some new movies!

Jamie King and Claire Forlani - - Each of 'em got to play lady sidekicks in stupid action flicks this year...but good GAWD they're good-looking ladies!

Fairuza! - I saw that somebody else mentioned her above. I think she's great.

Mia Kirshner - Hey, nobody else mentioned her yet, which means she's mine all mine. Her eyes make me feel all hip-mo-tized.

Jaime Pressly - Never gonna win an Oscar. But I'll see anything she's in. Guess why. Ditto Denise Richards.

Audrey Tautou - The face of an angel. Apparently I'm one of the few who thought her Dirty Pretty Things performance was pretty darn good. Keep her away from Hollywood and she'll have a great career.

Marg Helgenberger - The best of many good reasons to watch C.S.I. She's like that one mega-hot soccer mom that every neighborhood has.

Lisa Raye - She's in Bollywood/Hollywood. You'll love her.

Sofia Vergara & Roselyn Sanchez of Chasing Papi - Ay caramba indeed.

...of the high-end mega-stars...

I think Nicole Kidman is a classic throwback to old-school movie stars, is a damn good actor, and is almost painfully beautiful. I've kept an eye on her since Dead Calm and it's nice to see her as Hollywood royalty these days.

Jodie Foster is obviously a great talent and she's "smart-girl sexy".

Ditto Julianne Moore. If she's in a flick, I'm going to see it. (Well, I see everything...but you get the point.)

I seem to be in the minority these days, but I love Cameron Diaz's huge toothy smile.

Meg Ryan is still adorable and Michelle Pfeiffer is still underrated in my book.

 

[Kirk Tsai]

A lot of good ones mentioned here, except the greatest actress of our time, Meryl Streep.

 

[JonZ]

I forgot about Kirsten Dunst and Debra Kara Unger :frowning:

 

[Brian Kleinke]

I'll refrain from posting my list for fear of being mocked

I'll agree with JonZ that Anna Paquin is adorable

I have the strange feeling I'm 4+ years younger then the rest of you :frowning: (I'm 24) seeing as these lists all would be what I'd expect from a friend who is 28

Brian

 

[SteveGon]

Yep, I'm only 28.

And I'll also agree that Anna Paquin is downright adorable.

 

[Vickie_M]

Oh my, after seeing these gorgeous pictures from the Emmys tonight, I was reminded that no one chose her yet!

 

[Nick Sievers]

I was considering her, but outside of Ghost World and American Beauty I have no real interest. Like the pics, not to shabby.

 

[JonZ]

Yea Thora looked great.

"I was considering her, but outside of Ghost World and American Beauty I have no real interest"

I think those are the only 2 films Ive seen her in as well.

 

[Nick Sievers]

I've seen most of her films , I just don't dig Monkey Trouble and Now and Then all that much. I must get around to seeing The Hole though, like most i'm a sucker for Keira Knightley.

 

[Denny Colt]

Are you all blind?

MAGGIE CHEUNG

ZHANG ZIYI

VICKI ZHOU WEI

And my already-mentioned personal goddesses Helen Bonham Carter, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Anna Paquin.

 

[JonZ]

Back off son, I saw her fist

 

[JohnRice]

Reese Baby!

Cate Blanchett

Leelee Sobieski

Ellen Pompeo (really only one good role so far, but I'm hopeful)

Scarlett Johanssen

Joan Allen

Rosario Dawson (She amazed me in 25th Hour, so once again, I'm hopeful)

Nicole Kidman (used to not care for her at all, now I can't get enough)



That's all I can come up with right now.

Oh yeah. Sexist supreme here. I would be thrilled to see almost any of them naked.


BTW, regarding Jennifer Lopez and Angel Eyes, even though vickie hates me with the fire of 1000 suns, I am also a big fan of this one. I wouldn't put her in my Top 10, but she is a fine actor. She plays her role in AE with a great deal of finesse. Of course, I think Jim Caviezal is even better in it, which makes for a fine film.

And regarding The Cell, I also thought it was all flash the first time I saw it. I rented it again a couple years later and got an entirely different impression. There really is something philosophical going on there. Unfortunately, the flash tends to blind you to it.

 

[Chris_Richard]

Jennifer Jason Leigh
Helena Bonham Carter
Kate Winslet
Emily Watson
Sarah Polley
Cate Blanchett
Anna Paquin
Samantha Morton
Zooey Deschanel
Scarlett Johansson

Those are probably the top 10 that get me to see a film just because they are in it. It is pretty much in order how long I've been following. I've been a JJLeigh fan forever and I was just blown away by Johansson last week after seeing Lost in Translation.

A couple not mentioned that recently impressed me recently:
Evan Rachel Wood (loved her in Once & Again and Thirteen)
Lauren Ambrose

Steeve - Yes Sophie is the hottest thing on the planet, but she need to act more.

 

[Vickie_M]

even though vickie hates me with the fire of 1000 suns

Do I? I forget why. Nah. All I ever REALLY remember is that you love Bliss as much as I do. And now that I know that you too like Angel Eyes and The Cell, I'll be even more quick to forgive and forget the next time you piss me off.

(I agree completely about Jim Caviezal. He is the true heart of Angel Eyes)

 

[videobruce]

You can surely tell the age of the respondents here.
I doubt anyone is over 30!

 

[JohnRice]

Actually, I'm 39 and I think Vickie has a year, or possibly two, on me.

I kind of took the thread to mean up and coming actresses, though a couple of mine are hardly new.

 

[Scott Weinberg]

I'll be 32 in December...

 

[Brian Lawrence]

You can surely tell the age of the respondents here.

I doubt anyone is over 30!

Huh?

Jennifer Jason Leigh
Helena Bonham Carter
Emily Watson
Cate Blanchett
Joan Allen
Nicole Kidman
Marg Helgenberger
Jodie Foster
Julianne Moore
Juliette Binoche
Kathy Bates
Frances McDormand
Holly Hunter
Emma Thompson
Catherine Deneuve
Charlotte Rampling
Angela Bassett
Sigourney Weaver
Michelle Yeoh
Sophie Marceau
Diane Lane
Kristin Scott Thomas
Meg Ryan
Meryl Streep


Assorted names picked from above lists here, none of these ladies are teenyboppers, by any means. Your post reads an awful lot like a threadcrap. I see no mention of what your favorite actresses are, or of your age.


A quick search through the profiles reveals that at least 11 of us are over 30.