Cate Blanchett - one of the most admirable actresses alive. A look at her filmography reveals the versatility of her acting and also the daringness with which she chooses her projects. Cate has been in many movies that I love or like, most importantly the Lord of the Rings trilogy, in which I saw her for the first time. Just like the whole magnus opuum of a film, what Cate did in it is pure magic, and I am literally dying to see her in the prequels The Hobbit 1 & 2.
There seems to be a source of infinite energy hidden inside Cate Blanchett, aside from the obvious immense pound of talent and that enchanting mixture of fragility and strength. I think she has evoked every possible feeling in me already, except from dislike. Though most of her characters and films tend to be more serious, I was pleasantly surprised by her performance in Bandits, co-starring Bruce Willis, and the one in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. This woman can do anything - not even playing one of the most beloved musicians of the world seems to be a big task for her, as she easily outshone each of her many male teammates in the Bob Dylan biopic-thingy I'm Not There.
Nevertheless, I would say that my favourite performance of Cate's (hereby I don't mean the best, but my completely subjective favourite) must be the one in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. First of all, I started taking ballet classes because of that film. It inspired me, my life, in countless ways, and a lot of that is thanks to Cate Blanchett who made her character and the whole story come alive. Not by herself, no, the movie didn't rely on her, but still it wouldn't have been the same without. Objectively seen though, I think that the best of Cate's performances I've seen yet was the one in I'm Not There. She was simply the most perfect choice to play Bob Dylan, maybe I'd go as far as saying that this one's the best performance of an actor I've ever seen... but I feel I'm not ready to say this about any performance.
Still, there's much more to explore of Cate's work, and following the tradition of my first LAMB 101 post on Kate Winslet, I have put together a list of five of this actress's films that I want to see before a certain date (not including films released after today):
Cate Blanchett films I've seen:Hanna - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull - I'm Not There. - Babel - The Aviator - The Lord of the Rings 1-3 - Bandits
Cate Blanchett films I have to see before Christmas 2012:(In chronological, most-anticipated/"curiosifying" order)
5. Robin Hood (2010) Ridley Scott
Why? A friend of mine told me she found this movie fantastic, and even though our tastes differ at times, I think I'm actually going to like this one. I mean, it's Robin Hood! With Cate!
Why? Many people have recommended it for Cate's great performance (though this probably counts for all of these films), and... that's it, I think. I also like the title. My only fear is Katie Holmes, whom I've never liked in anything.
3. Coffee and Cigarettes (2003) Jim Jarmusch
Why? Because it sounds crazy and eclectic enough to not just be a depressing modern black-and-white movie. And because everyone says Cate's segment is their favorite.
2. Notes on a Scandal (2006) Richard Eyre
Why? I watched the making of a long time ago and thought it sounded extremely intriguing. Okay, maybe I have a weakness for films like this - they are just so interesting, psychologically - but I've actually heard that this one is supposed to be very good.
1. Elizabeth (1998) Shekhar Kapur
Why? There are countless reasons: Indian director, Cate's breakthrough, acclamation, period drama and so on. I should have seen this one a long time ago.
+ BONUS: Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007)(In case I like the first film, which is... likely).
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