list-o-mania
from the cluttered wishing to be categorized brain of Nathaniel R
Compiled in September 2005 using a complex mathematical formula [snort] involving number of films, clarity of obsession, quality of work, and other *undefinables* (such as previous films, awards show appearances, publicity, tv, & stagework) that influence me even though the list is meant to be about 2000 through summer 2005 only for more on the workings of this list -check out the introduction
Actresses of the "Aughts" 50-41 |
50 Naomi Watts
Travel back in time with me to 2001. Four years ago David Lynch put this then-unknown actress through a schizo-ringer in Mulholland Drive as Betty/Diane. She delivered with both naive pluckiness and damaged intensity. Just about everyone (well, barring the Academy) was ready to anoint her as a Great New Actress. For her next trick, Naomi became the hardest working actress in showbiz. Unfortunately, to these eyes, she's turned out to be a one trick pony. Her lead work in The Ring (2002,2005) was at first fine and then sort of phoned in. Ditto her bland if intense guilt in We Don't Live Here Anymore (2004). Her fractured 21 Grams (2003) acting was like the second half of the Mulholland Drive gig only delivered with less inspiration-- It was all heavy-breathing miserabilism. The lone bright spot post 2001? In I Heart Huckabee (2004) the filmmaking was smart enough to lampoon her already overly familiar intensity, getting one of its biggest laughs from that trademark quivery Watts explosiveness "Fuckabees!!!"49 Charlotte Rampling
Few performances this decade have been as completely successful and enveloping as Rampling's in François Ozon's French psychological drama/mystery Under the Sand (2001). Rampling had her place in the sun that year, with César and European Film Award Actress nominations (plus that FilmBitch medal that I'm sure he's very proud of ;)). She also nabbed lots of "career recognition" media coverage for her lengthy career (40 years in the business) and impressively international filmography (60+ films from the US, England, France, and Italy). Her most memorably follow up (to date) since then? The 2003 thriller Swimming Pool.
48 Marisa Tomei
Though she may always be remembered for her surprise Best Supporting Actress Oscar win for My Cousin Vinny (1992), and the strangely virulent backlash that followed (strange because the performance was really good and the Academy has made many deeply embarrassing choices over the course of their history). But Ms. Tomei has proven herself worthy of work all throughout her sporadic career. In the past few years she has been a solid comic presence in The Guru (2002), a sympathetic romantic point-of-interest in Alfie (2004), and most of all... in In The Bedroom (2001) a true stunner. She proved herself (again) worthy of the prefix "Academy-Award-Winner" by delivering a knockout performance swelling with remorse.47 Brittany Murphy
Is it OK to love a movie personality whilst refusing to acknowledge that 1/2 their filmography exists? Maybe it's deinal. I'm not actually going to see films as critcially reviled as Little Black Book (2004) or Uptown Girlsand Just Married (2003). But when I do steel myself to see one of her invariably not-for-me movies, like Riding in Cars with Boys (2001), Don't Say a Word (2001), 8 Mile (2002) or Sin City (2005) I happen to quite enjoy her shaky nervous exuberance. Now if only she would start appearing in good movies...46 Miranda Richardson
I have sat up in the theater every time I've chanced upon this powerful actress since I first saw her in icy unhinged mode in Dance with a Stranger 20 years ago. The big roles that she used to 'wow' in have been dissipating since her final Oscar nomination for Tom & Viv (1994). Nevertheless, she still makes the most of whatever comes her way. She offered great voicework for the last great animated villianess (Mrs Tweedy) in Chicken Run (2000), a tiny spot of relief in the dreadful Phantom of the Opera (2004), and spot-on support with a minimum of fuss (i.e. great but not concerned with stealing her scenes) while opposite Nicole Kidman in The Hours (2002). There are a lot of good actresses in the world. There are very few who could take on one of the most challenging roles in recent history (her three-part role in David Cronenberg's Spider, 2003) and deliver something so unimproveable and haunting.
45 Viola Davis
I didn't catch this acclaimed stage actress amongst the teeming cast of Traffic (2000), but by the time her film breakthrough came in three big films in 2002 (Far From Heaven, Solaris, and Antwone Fisher) I was a wide-eyed convert. I preach Viola Davis whenever I get a chance. Unfortunately I haven't gotten much of a chance. She will FINALLY be in another movie later this year, the 50 Cent biopic Get Rich or Die Trying.44 Julia Roberts
The world's most famous actress presents me with something of a problem. While I have enjoyed her from time to time (Most notably in 1997's My Best Friends Wedding) and fully understand the appeal of those giant eyes, too-loud laugh, and killer smile I can't ever call myself a fan. I find her too limited in her range and too over-celebrated to muster any enthusiasm about vocalizing her peak-times. What exactly do I consider her triumphs this decade? Easy question. She's undeniably a Movie Star in Erin Brockovich (2000) and also pretty damn unexpectedly good in against-type work in Closer (2004). The rest of her stuff? I'm neither here nor there on The Mexican (2001), but find her almost unwatchably self-satisfied and/or dull in Full Frontal (2002), Mona Lisa Smile and Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2003), and Oceans 11 (2001)43, 42, 41
"The Christopher Guest FUN-PACK"
Jennifer Coolidge, Jane Lynch and Catherine O'Hara
I kept shuffling these very funny ladies around between approximately #52 ~ #39. But they kept magnetizing to each other. So, I finally gave up and just made it one big mockumentary love-in at numbers #43 through #41. I've listed them alphabetically here but you can put them in whatever order you'd like to imagine them in. If you look at this purely from the Christopher Guest filmography perspective Catherine O'Hara is obviously your MVP here having contributed in 2003 arguably the second best performance in any Guest film in A Mighty Wind (the best ever came from Guest himself in the 90s film Waiting for Guffman). O'Hara has a showcase role in Best in Show (2000) as well. In this particular decade she isn't doing a lot of interesting work outside of his occassional mockumentary, though.
That may give the advantage (rank-wise) to hardworking Jane Lynch or Jennifer Coolidge. Outside of the Christopher Guest films they have made vivid funny impressions in films like 40 Year Old Virgin (2005) and Legally Blonde (2001) respectively. Christopher Guest has yet to elevate either actress into the kind of top tier work he gives O'Hara in his ensembles but we hope he does so in his next film since both have given his last two films inspired moments. They were the most welcome new players in the Guest troupe in Best in Show (2000) as an are-they-or-aren't-they? type of working couple, Coolidge munching on popcorn and hilariously 'waiting for a message...from myself', and Lynch waxing rapturously about her work with dogs. In A Mighty Wind (2003) Coolidge was reduced to a cameo but still got one big guffaw and Lynch soared as a 1/2 of a musical married couple who evangelically spoke of the virtues of worshipping color.
<<< (60-51) previous page >>> next page (40-31)
Top 100 Actresses of the Aughts So Far
(Compiled in Sept & October 2005)
100 -91 / 90-81 / 80-71/ 70-61 / 60-51 / 50-41 /
40-31 / 30-21 / 20-11 / 10-6 / 5-1
In Anticipation of Best of the Decade Lists in 2010
