Eva Green is one of the most beautiful actresses in the world. I’d happily have you fight me on that but I urge you to find one person who doesn’t look at the exquisite French actress and gasp in awe. But yes, aesthetically she is stunning and she has proved her mettle repeatedly by exuding this enormous talent that is breathless in everything she is in. Whether it’s films in her native tongue or starring in mainstream blockbusters, she has those incredible fetes that truly capture the character that she is portraying. In her new film, 300: Rise of An Empire out on DVD now, she is battling against Lena Headey's Gorgo as a Greek Artemisia, on a war path with her many armies. But let's have a look at her best work.
Ok. Ok. So the film itself may have strained the premise rather thinly but you can practically smell the talent here. Paired alongside the always talented Ewan McGregor, Green is simply absorbing as Susan, an epidemiologist who is tracking a disease in its first states when she falls in love with Michael. The disease, however, disrupts the world around them and she finds that the public are losing their senses thus the control of their emotions. Able to convey the general frustration that comes with a loss you thought would never happen, Green exudes this glorious range of panic and determination as well as tenderness with McGregor that delights on screen.
When Daniel Craig, not aesthetically in keeping to the traditional gorgeous slickness of Bond, came pounding to our screens as the famed spy, many many hearts went a flutter (and our pants just disappeared with Craig’s). Casino Royale, directed by Martin Campbell, brought all the clichés of everyones favourite ladies and villain killer to the 21st Century with a high-stakes poker game and a sinister plot (that made no sense when you think about it). Eva Green was the illustrious Bond girl with a bit more bite than just humping Bond at first sight and Green was exuberant, calculated and mysterious all at the same time.
I love this film. I love this film so much but it gets little to no recognition. It should. It’s brilliant. I love it. But enough about me. Franklyn tells the story of a universe running parallel to our own London in a place called Meanwhile City; a metropolis that is governed by faith and religion. Preest is a masked vigilante who is trying to find his nemesis. The film also shows three other lives. Esser, a desperate father looks for his homeless son. A heartbroken thirty year old is trying to find his first love while Emilia is planning her next suicidal art project. Green is unforgettable as Emilia and outshines the cast with her turning and twisted complexity.
Starring alongside Matt Smith, the Doctor, Eva Green stars in this somewhat disturbing film. Womb, otherwise known as Clone, revolves around a woman, Rebecca, who is bereaved when her husband is killed after living a fairy-tale romance for years. However, her life is turned into madness when her consumed love gives her the idea to bear her husband’s clone. From childhood to adult, Rebecca is now conflicted (or clone-flicted, am I right?) with the child she loved and the fully grown man that is the exact image of her husband. It’s all wibbly wobbly. Yes, that premise does seem a bit crazy but the chemistry between the pair entwined with Eva Green’s portrayal of a tormented Rachel is elegant to watch.
Orlando Bloom winces his way through a lot of the franchises he is in, usually pawned onto the straight-edged character with little depth and wispy voices. So it’s only natural for the impeccable Eva Green to rise above Bloom in this stirring, impressive film, even if Bloom breaks free to some sort of greatness here. It is based around the Crusades that were made infamous during the Middle Ages that has separated Europe and The East for a long time. Bloom stars as Balian, a blacksmith who is brought into war after the loss of his family and faith. Green stars as Sibylla, a mother and a wife in an unhappy marriage who is still strong, beautiful and unforgettable.
What Do You Think?
Are these the best Eva Green films?
Can you think of better ones?
300: Rise of an Empire is out on DVD today