Jessica Chastain Receiving Her First Award...(of Hundreds?)
Saturday, September 3, 2011 at 4:21PM Though we've been as curious as any cinephile about the overnight sensation* that is Jessica Chastain (see previous post), allow us to register vaguely mild surprise that it took just 109 days in the public eye in a major way (starting with the Cannes premiere of The Tree of Life) before she's already standing at podiums thanking people for giving her shiny things! In this case the Gucci Women in Film prize.
In reality this is Chastain's second award, one click of research indicates that she won a best actress festival prize in 2008 (Seattle International Film Festival) for a film called Jolene though that didn't see the inside of movie theaters until late 2010 (Have any of you seen it?) But what a whirlwind these past few months must have been.
Madonna presents the Gucci Women in Film Award to Jessica Chastain
What a summer. It starts with a Cannes trip alongside Brad Pitt and three months later she's part of a $100 million hit and Madonna (that's right, Madonna) is handing her trophies. From Brad Pitt to Madonna all in the same summer. Hopefully her eyes have adjusted to travelling in these blinding megawatt circles.
This news hit me courtesy of luxury style expert Jessica Michault who is trying to make us all jealous with her tweet droppings. Consider this one:
And for what it's worth Ms. Michault thinks Keira Knightley is Oscar-worthy in A Dangerous Method. Not that luxury fashion experts vote on Oscars but they do hobnob with those who do.
*"overnight sensation" is nearly always an oxymoron. Obviously Jessica Chastain put in a lot of acting hours prior to this weird explosion of film releases...
Jessica Chastain, Madonna, Oscars (11), Venice, film festivals
Reader Comments (8)
Talkin' about awards, have you read this article from Awards Daily about "Albert Nobbs": http://www.awardsdaily.com/2011/09/glenn-close-caps-career-with-understated-nobbs/
Sasha says great things about Close's performance (she says this role is Glenn's own "Sophie's Choice") and she loved the whole film - she's also predictiong Janet McTeer to be nominated for Best Supporting Actress. Will this finally be the time for Glenn to get the Oscar she so-deserved at least since "Dangerous Liaisons"?
I was fascinated to discover that Jessica Chastain played Ophelia in that poorly received Othello production with Philip Seymour Hoffman and was in the pilot for that new version of Dark Shadows the WB made years ago.
I saw her in The Help and The Debt within 24 hours. It's kind of amazing. I'm personally hoping Woody Allen casts her in one of his next movies. It seems like she needs more roles that give her the chance to be funny like she is in The Help, and Allen has shown an affinity for casting the pretty it girl of the moment (Freida Pinto, Greta Gerwig) in recent years.
I would hardly call SIFF (Seattle) a small festival. We're no Sundance, and we're not at the beginning of Oscar season, but with over 400 films from around the world in a little over 3 weeks, we're certainly important.
And we were officially the first on the Chastain train. :D
we can definitely give you FIRST on the train props, yes!
Indeed, it's a wonder Chastain has time to make of these 100s of movies although I realize some were made in previous years like Tree of Life. I went to a prerelease screening of Tree of Life at the Varsity Theatre in Toronto and there was Jessica at the end, appearing for a Q & A (on crutches, having injured herself on a dirt bike moments after landing home from Cannes. And she was there for Sissy Spacek's Hollywood Walk of Fame unveiling, supporting her The Help co-star and hanging out for awhile with Jack Fisk, Spacek's husband, and art director of her two Terence Mallick films (the most recent one not yet released).
I saw the film, Jolene, and was actually repelled by Chastain's performance (perhaps that was the point). But I doubt it; however soap-opery, epically pretentious and self-indulgent the film was, i still think we, as an audience, were suppose to like Jolene, even a little. Alas, I had nothing but disdain for this dimwitted woman-child, and I found myself resenting Chastain's acting as a result. In fact, having to remember this campfest is akin to dredging a pond for a body. Since then, I have seen The Tree of Life and The Help, where she gives adequate performances, but I am not on the Chastain band-wagon, yet. My first impression could not have been worse.
Then Johnny, you're as shallow minded as the morons that Jolene endured to survive. Try being a pretty woman, born into abuse, surviving it all your life, then dealing with what life gives you... regardless of the circumstances that prevent you from growing emotionally, regardless of how much you try. The story was written by an American master, and the film and Miss Chastain capture her, perfectly. You're probably one of those chauvinists that hates red heads anyway, so here's a suggestion that will help you in this dire economy and spare us from your idiot posts - stay away from any further Jessica Chastain films, do yourself and us a favor. I'm sure there's a new Taylor Lautner movie waiting for you just around the corner.
Hey Johnny, just checked, there is... and if you hurry, you can catch the next show!