Sunday, March 25, 2012

A Jessica Chastain Appreciation Post

Today is the lovely Jessica Chastain's birthday. This time last year, so few of us had heard of her. And then, out of nowhere, she starred in more than enough films to last an actor a decade. Sure enough, she's became my favourite actress, and I've endeavoured to see her in as much as possible. So let's take a look at the performances of hers that I've seen (there's some that haven't reached us here), and where they stand against each other.

6) Sally Ann in Stolen Lives (2008)


Admittedly, I only watched this movie because I'd heard that she was in it. And because the DVD slip said that there was a man called "John Hammm" (no jokes) in it. You probably can't expect great things from a movie which can't even spell it's headlining star right, but the film isn't too bad. It is just a very standard straight-to-DVD made-for-TV feel kind of movie. If I'm being honest, I can't really remember Jess all that much in it because her role is so small, but she was pretty cute.

5) Pam Stall in Texas Killing Fields (2011)


Here's another film which I only watched because Jess was in it. While the film isn't amazing - again, a very standard 'based on a true story' crime flick - she actually surprised me. I don't think we can really say that she has a 'type', but if she did, she's playing against type here. In a pretty small, largely undemanding role, she plays a tough cop, who ain't gonna sweet talk you (her first scene is basically her rattling off demands in the most no nonsense way), and then we also have a scene of her beating someone up. She's sure having fun when she can, but she's just not in the movie enough, sadly.

4) Mrs O'Brien in The Tree of Life (2011)


This film is probably my favourite one of hers, but it isn't my favourite performance. Mind you, that's not to say that she was bad - she was beyond perfect as the angelic, doting mother. Her character was basically an angel who was sent to Earth to teach her offspring the way of grace, and she does that by gliding through it glowing with kindness and love. Next to the awe-inspiring cinematography, her performance was what kept me watching the entire time. It was a masterpiece in the act of subtlety, which is something Jess is pretty skilled in, especially in the case of the next choice...

3) Rachel Singer in The Debt (2010)


Amidst the buzz for her performances in The Help, The Tree of Life and Take Shelter, her extraordinary work in The Debt went by mostly unnoticed. It's a shame, because her performance is absolutely breath-taking. Her character goes through several changes: from being a young Mossad agent with little experience, to going head to head with the Surgeon of Birkenau, to everything that happens after it. She fills it with complexity, heart and emotion. What I love the most is her final scene, where she has succumbed to the drink to try and override her guilt and regret. She shows so much pain on her face, even though she's given such a short time to show it.

2) Celia Foote in The Help (2011)


When I read The Help, Celia Foote was my favourite character. Because of that, I was a little scared that the actress playing her would screw it up and make her become a cartoonish blondie. Luckily, the actress playing her was Jessica Chastain, who did a perfect job. I once heard someone say that it was 'easy to do what she did in that movie'. It is quite the contrary. Celia is a character that could have become a cartoonish blondie, meaning her backstory wouldn't mean anything. Yet, Jess plays her realistically, and it is heart0t-breaking seeing what is actually going on with Celia. If I could, I'd give Celia a huge hug.

1) Samantha LaForche in Take Shelter (2011)


I'd probably give this performance the top spot just based on her reaction at the very end of the film. Yet, there's an entire film's worth of evidence to show why this is her best performance to date. Most of it has to do with Michael Shannon's performance, which is arguably the more dramatic part. Jess has the task of reacting to his meltdown, which she does perfectly. I can't really see too much more than that - you just have to see her performance to believe it.

What's next for her?


I still have to see Coriolanus (which is directed by and stars my favourite actor Ralph Fiennes) and Wilde Salome (release date pending), along with her early starring film Jolene. 2012 is set to be another big year for her, with a voicing gig in Madagascar 3; another Terrence Malick film; an interesting looking project called Tar; Mama, which has her donning a black wig; star-studded Prohibition-era film Lawless (formerly known as The Wettest County); and Kathryn Bigelow's Osama Bin Laden thriller Zero Dark Thirty, which she's filming in India at the moment. She's a busy wee lassie, isn't she? Thank goodness, though. I couldn't imagine movies without her.

Are you a fan of Jessica Chastain? What are your favourite performances of hers thus far?

24 comments:

  1. Aside from being arguably the sexiest actress working today, Chastain is very convincing and thorough in every role she plays. Though I feel all the characters in THE HELP were awful and badly written, Chastain was the only one I found momentarily bearable. And she's amazing in TAKE SHELTER. And THE TREE OF LIFE. Case closed.

    ReplyDelete
  2. "You probably can't expect great things from a movie which can't even spell its headlining star right"

    I'll give you a better one than that: the credits for the 1971 horror film "The Blood on Satan's Claw" not only misspelled the name of one of the actors in it, but also the name of the production company. The credits of the film itself, not just the DVD slick.

    ReplyDelete
  3. She's the best! Love your top 3 and I would keep them in that order.
    A Happy Birthday to Miss Chastain indeed!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I hope she had a very good birthday, filled with all the vegan treats in the world!

      Delete
  4. Genuinely an amazing actress and truly does appear to come out of nowhere. Rather like Darth Sidious waiting for the right time to come out of hiding and shock the world (okay bad joke).
    On another note, she kind of looks like a mix of Bryce Dallas Howard and Julia Roberts...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. She looks like Bryce Dallas Howard, just with lighter hair. What is ironic is that her real name is Jessica Howard. Awkward...

      Delete
  5. Ohh, She is amazing and on Top of that a Great Actress too. I am yet to see her in a movie where she does not look convincing. I like your ratings as well, I will probably rank them in exact same sequence. Though I doubt if it will be possible for anyone to have a year like 2011 she had, here is to hoping that she will keep them coming !!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I don't think will be any such movie. Her 2011 was epic - no-one could top that!

      Delete
  6. Awesome post Stevee! I've seen most of it and her work in The Help and Take Shelter remains my favorite one. I really want to see Texas Killing Fields because of her, I love it when such delciate looking woman play badass and tough characters.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! She is really awesome in Texas Killing Fields - it is just a shame that she isn't in it more.

      Delete
  7. yay! my favorite from her was take shelter too!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Splendiferous post!! I soooooooo need to see Take Shelter (I had already assumed you'd done a Jessica Chastain post, haha :P )

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Haha, I thought it was about time that I had. I mean, I'm pretty much her biggest fan.

      Delete
  9. I'm with you Stevee in that Chastain was really good in The Tree of Life but I didn't really begin to love her until I saw her in The Debt. I haven't seen The Help yet but I also really liked what she did in Take Shelter even though her role was fairly minimal for the most part.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I loved her when I saw The Tree of Life, but that was heightened when I saw The Help. But she was awesome in The Debt!

      Delete
  10. You have to see Jolene. . .her most amazing role by far. She plays a character within a 10 year age span and the subtle nuances she gives to her character along the way is nothing short of amazing. I am so excited to see what she has in store for the rest of this year.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm going to try and track it down - I've heard that she is really brilliant in that one!

      Delete
  11. I REALLY want to see 'Coriolanus' but it's not playing anywhere near me, bummer! I do agree she's VERY talented, hence her meteoric rise. I also love that dress she wore to the Oscars in the picture you put at the top.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I don't even know when Coriolanus is out here :'( And her dress at the Oscars was brilliant. I know a place where you can buy a replica of it - if only I were as beautiful as her, I'd so buy it!

      Delete
  12. If you are not afflicted with high school cholesterol you can
    keep Using a factor that makes them a slow acetylator.


    Take a look at my blog; cure without medicine cholesterol high

    ReplyDelete
  13. hypnotic drugs like benzodiazepines are oft tend to lead take down doses for bosom problems, Piece
    the women are more in all likelihood Victimisation it in higher doses for
    assuagement of weather condition like headaches or arthritis.

    Clinical research indicates that nutrients may aid to handle Parkinson's disease institute out that the dopamine can besides movement the demise of the cells that give rise it.

    Here is my blog post ... Shoal Creek parkinson's disease specialists

    ReplyDelete

You mustn't be afraid to dream a little bigger, darling.

LinkWithin

Related Posts with Thumbnails