Robbie continues his Essentials list with this week focusing on Gwyneth Paltrow;
Gwyneth Paltrow is lovely, isn’t she? A fabulous actress who got to kick some ass earlier this year in Shane Black’s Iron Man 3. But this week she’s dating a sex addict whose taking a 12 step process to recovery and just happens to be Avengers co-star Mark Ruffalo in Thanks for Sharing. To celebrate, I’m going to take you through the highlights of Gwyneth’s career.
Have you seen these Paltrow pictures?
Practically the film that shot her to fame, Paltrow stars as Tracy Mills, wife to Brad Pitt’s Detective Mills as he and partner Detective Somerset (Morgan Freeman) investigate murders planned by a sadistic serial killer, all related to each of the seven deadly sins; gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, pride, lust and envy. An incredibly well made thriller constructed beautifully by David Fincher, with Pitt and Freeman giving great lead performances.
Paltrow herself is very good, considering this was one of her first famous films.
Now I’ll bet most of you have never heard of this one. I’m sure a lot of you flocked to the cinema to see The Master last year and regularly revisit Boogie Nights on DVD, but this is where director Paul Thomas Anderson started. John (John C. Reilly) is broke, until the day Sydney (Phillip Baker Hall), a gambler in his sixties, notices him and takes him to Reno. Under his tutoring, John soon becomes a successful small time gambler, until he meets Clementine (Paltrow), a cocktail waitress and part time hooker. It’s certainly a lot smaller than PTA’s other films and not quite as ambitious, but is a good hour and 40 minutes of entertainment, with fantastic performances from Paltrow, Hall and Samuel L. Jackson. As far as directorial debuts go, this one is a hit
Another Anderson film but this time it isn't Paul Thomas, but rather the work of Wes Anderson, a wonderful director with a vivid imagination. Royal Tenenbaum (Gene Hackman), having left his children in their adolescence, is determined to get his wife Etheline (Angelica Huston), and make up with his children; Chas (Ben Stiller), a genius in international finance and overprotective father following the death of his wife; Richie (Luke Wilson), a former pro tennis player who suffered a major nervous breakdown; and Margot (Paltrow), a playwright and Royal’s adopted daughter, who is a visibly depressed woman, and ignores her husband (Bill Murray). Now whilst I don’t think its Anderson’s best (Moonrise Kingdom was beautiful), it’s certainly fantastic. A great blend of humour and emotion, The Royal Tenenbaums boasts a wonderful cast, including the likes of Danny Glover and Owen Wilson, and a beautiful style of direction.
I’m probably going to have a ton of Saving Private Ryan fans up my arse but screw it, I love this movie. A fictional telling of how Romeo and Juliet was written, William Shakespeare (Joseph Fiennes) is a down on his luck writer desperate to write something entertaining. However, he is soon inspired by a beautiful woman named Viola (Paltrow), who dreams of being an actress, however it is forbidden. Dressing as a man, Viola auditions for the play but Will sees through her disguise and they begin their love affair, despite her being promised to Lord Wessex (Colin Firth). Once again, the film features a great supporting cast, including Ben Affleck, Geoffrey Rush, Martin Clunes and Judi Dench.
The film bagged Oscars for Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress for Dench (Who only appears in the film for a total of 16 minutes) and of course, Gwyneth picked up Best Actress, and weeped through her speech. It is indeed a marvellous film, and a lovely period piece.
I’m sure I’ve missed a lot, such as the Iron Man films (which I’m sure everyone has seen), and acclaimed hits that I’ve yet to see, like The Talented Mr. Ripley for example. But these are my recommendations the beautiful Gwyneth Paltrow.
Did your favourite of hers turn up in the list? If not, let us know your favourite in the comments below!
Thanks for Sharing is in cinemas now
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