Though the film is certainly too long and its slow burn is perhaps a bit too slow, you can’t argue with star power. Streep is excellent as Priestly, and both actresses imbue their initially fraught relationship with a lot of pathos. Streep, previously a proponent of method acting, actually gave up this acting style after “Prada,” because she was tired of acting like an “ice queen” all the time. Though the role may have taken a toll on Streep, her and Hathaway’s chemistry remains riveting, and even gave us this classic Meryl Streep sketch at the Oscars. Dennis Quaid plays Streep’s love interest in the film, and it really is one of his best roles. He’s charming, funny, and a compelling foil to Streep’s perpetually on-edge character, Suzanne.
Ritter was never nominated for a lead role, but on a half dozen occasions, her supporting work was considered worthy of being nominated. In a way, maybe it’s fitting such a perfect complementary actor ended up not winning, though she was certainly deserving. We now move on to the actors who had five nominations without a win. All three in the five-timers club are no longer with us, so there shall be no eventual winners here. Finney was considered one of the best actors of his generation, wowing from the ‘60s all the way up through the 2000s. “The House of Spirits,” based on Isabelle Allende’s novel, isn’t any better.
The film chronicles 45 years of the lives of a family living in South America. Despite strong performances by Streep and Irons, the characters just don’t connect with the audience or each other. It’s a shame that these two talented actors haven’t made a better film together, but with a long career like Streep’s, they can’t all be winners. We can’t in good conscience put Hoffman and Streep’s collaboration any higher up on the list because of Hoffman’s abusive behavior while filming. Hoffman felt entitled to use on-set cruelty to evoke the real anguish of a collapsing marriage, but his approach to method acting crossed the line. While filming one scene, Hoffman slapped Streep across the face hard enough to leave marks.
Priestly is initially a cold and rather terrifying character who Hathaway’s Andy later comes to realize actually has more of a heart than she lets on. Gummer and Streep starred alongside one another once again in “Ricki and the Flash,” where they also played mother and daughter. In this film, Gummer plays a depressed divorcee and Streep plays her unpredictable wannabe rockstar mother. Though “Sophie’s Choice” is considered an iconic movie among Streep’s filmography, it’s a ridiculous film. The reveal of Sophie’s trauma near the end of the movie is overwrought even considering the profundity of the tragedy.
The film is one of Streep’s most exciting roles, and it’s also one of Cage’s all-time best performances. Together, they produce something that is truly surprising and difficult to describe unless black411 blog you’ve witnessed it yourself. Though she’s not nearly as tall as Child was, she’s able to reanimate this beloved, larger-than-life figure with humor, depth, and as always, a deep sense of pathos.
She won three of those races, making her an individual from the selective three-clocks club. Notwithstanding, there’s a one of a kind drawback to Meryl’s Oscar rule. Streep also has 18 Oscar failures on her hands, and holds the record as the greatest acting washout of all time. Streep’s misfortunes straddle 39 years, including 15 as Best Actress and 3 as Best Supporting Actress. Her first misfortune for “The Deer Tracker” happened four decades ago, making way for a remarkable Oscar trajectory brimming with ups and many, many downs.