Beauty Break: Keira Knightley
Thursday, March 27, 2014 at 11:02AM Here's Andrew Kendall to celebrate Keira Knightly who just turned 29. Happy Belated Birthday Keira
Keira at the Jack Ryan premiere
Considering that both Anna Karenina and Seeking a Friend for the End of the World were released in 2012 is it too soon for Keira withdrawal? Admittedly, I'm greedy -- in the demographic of late twentysomething / early thirtysomething actresses, she's the one most likely to get me to see a movie, no questions asked. (And, so, I fell prey to Jack Ryan which did little in the way of satiating that Keira shaped void.)
Keira lovers have three films to anticipate for 2014: the comedy Laggies debuted at Sundance; the historical drama The Imitation Game with Benedict Cumberbatch which already has Oscar buzz; and Begin Again, the significantly less intriguing name of the film once titled Can A Song Save Your Life that featured in TFE's "We Can't Wait" 2014 countdown.
It seems strange that she's only 29. [More...]
Despite period fatigue from audiences or general Keira antipathy, she's proven herself to be indelible in movies for several years now. Most importantly, she's been consistent muse to one of the more exciting directors of this century. What will she have to offer as she heads into her thirties? As we wait, let's look back on the career, a fine one, despite her first major role playing second fiddle to Thora Birch in the ghastly 2001 teen-film The Hole.
Yes, that jutting jaw gets much flack, but hers is one of the more arresting faces on screens right now. And what better way to celebrate that face than with a beauty break?
A nonuplet of Keira-pretty images below – featuring her nine best performances thus far.
Which of her 2014 roles do we think will be a worthy addition to this collection?
Reader Comments (15)
I am cautiously hopeful for The Imitation Game, depending on if it falls to the "brilliant troubled man and sometimes there's a woman who supports his brilliance every few scenes" disease that infects so many biopics.
I don't know if the pictures are meant to be ranked or not but either way I might still put Ruth at the top. She shone as such a relatively unlikeable character in the vastly underrated Never Let Me Go.
I LOVE her as Ruth in Never Let Me Go. So much fragility and deep-seated hurt.
She's wonderful in Atonement, The Edge of Love and Anna Karenina too - Keira is able to embody desire and sexuality with a magnetic, burning intensity that very few actors can do with her ease.
And, while certainly not a prestige movie, it's so hard to believe she was only 18 or so when she made the first Pirates of the Caribbean. That was a real charmer of a performance (less so the sequels, but nevermind them)
I wanted to mention the first Pirates as well. Great confidence without brashness.
It's Atonment & The Duchess for me,i so wished she had been nominated for both esp the latter,
For me - Anna Karenina and The Duchess. God, she was terrific in both. Sad she couldn't even get Golden Globe nod for either of these two.
This was a lovely way to start the day.
I think she can be hit and miss but overall I'm a big fan. So so wonderful in Pride & Prejudice and Never Let Me Go. And several other performances (not nom worthy in their respective years like those two) which are pretty grand.
LOVE her. Although I always found it odd that her first big hit was Bend it Like Beckham, and she was so good in it, and then she seemingly immediately earned a reputation as the go-to girl for period films.
I like her and think her best work is in Atonement and A Dangerous Method and (though she has two scenes I'm iffy about). Everything about A Dangerous Method is underrated, in my opinion.
I think she's kind of terrible in Anna Karenina though. It's like a collection of different characters with no emotional throughline.
Back to the question I must say I'm really interested in The Imitation Game, but I guess it's going to be Benedict's show.
I'm always surprised when people ridicule her jaw, because I envy her so much for it.
She's improving with every role I think so intrigued to see her latest stuff. She was great in Last Night, not so wooden.
i think she's getting more daring as an actor as she ages though the performances aren't as successful if that makes sense. Nevertheless I think this will lead to a kaboom moment when it all comes together and she'll be super-amazing.
Keira Knightley is one of my favorite actresses. I quite enjoy "The Hole," and I've seen it three or four times. My favorite performances are "Pride & Prejudice" and "Atonement." I also think she's great in "Pirates of the Caribbean" (I'm a big fan of all the ones she's in) and "Anna Karenina." She is good in "Love Actually," "Seeking a Friend for the End of the World," and "Last Night."
I wasn't a huge fan of her in "Never Let Me Go" or the film itself. I was really enjoying it when their characters were kids, but it wasn't as good after that. The book is way better, and I'm saying that having seen the film before I read the book.
"The Edge of Love" was a huge disappointment for me. Whoever made the trailer deserved an Oscar because it's one of my favorites of all time, but the film was a complete mess (mostly due to the script, which if I'm not mistaken was written by Keira's mother...), and I couldn't understand what anyone was saying, especially Keira (I have no idea what accent she was doing).
"Silk" was a bad movie, but I just she did fine it. I thought she was pretty good in "The Jacket" as well, which I did enjoy.
I own "The Duchess" but still need to see it, and still need to see "A Dangerous Method" as well.