Thoughts I Had While Staring at Posters for Penelope Cruz’s Upcoming Films
Monday, December 28, 2015 at 10:00AM
Manuel here. Every once in a while I like to check in on actresses I’ve been missing and see what they’re up to and what’s next. Last week, for example, I singled out Michelle Williams and was glad to see she has two promising films landing at Sundance. This week, I wanted to see when I’d get my next Penelope Cruz fix. Sadly, it looks like she’ll be spending 2016 doing press junkets for two comedies I have no real interest in.
Disjointed thoughts on these films, Cruz, and the actress’s post-Oscar career follow after the jump...
In Zoolander No. 2 she’s playing Valentina (“I’m with Global Interpol: Fashion Division”) and from what we see in trailers and posters alike, the comedic potential of the role begins and ends with her looks. And boobs. I will say I love her red motorcycle pantsuit which is giving me Britney meets The Bride vibes.
“I was a swimsuit model. I was never able to transition to your world because of THIS!”
In The Brothers Grimsby, the new Sacha Baron Cohen film about a pair of estranged siblings — one a professional assassin, one an idiot — Cruz plays the villain of the piece. At the very least she’s seen barking orders in the trailer, showing off a not very flattering haircut, so I assume/hope she'll be the Blofeld to Mark Strong's Bond-like character.
Watch the trailers below (and marvel at Kristen Wiig's wigs in the Ben Stiller film and see Cohen give Rebel Wilson a chance to play... another Rebel Wilson-like character):
These two high profile gigs give this actressexual pause as they flash me back to not so happy memories of Sahara/Gothika/Women on Top Cruz. You know, back when Hollywood didn’t seem to know what to do with the Spanish beauty.
It took an Almodovar vehicle and an Oscar nomination to turn Cruz into a respected actress. She followed this with a string of prestige pics that showcased her talent, earning a well-deserved Oscar for her work on Vicky Cristina Barcelona. There’s a Sliding Doors world wherein Cruz ended up starring in Lars von Trier’s Melancholia(a project she helped develop with the director) rather than appearing in Rob Marshall’s Pirates of the Caribbean sequel, but alas. I’d say she’s lost her groove since but then I’m sure motherhood has just taken priority and that may explain why we’ve seen so little of her since 2011.
Thankfully she may yet find herself back to projects that give her a chance to show off her dramatic chops. She’s set to reprise her role of Macarena Granada in La Reina de España, an unlikely sequel to Fernando Trueba 1998’s The Girl of your Dreams, which earned Cruz her first Goya award, and she’s signed on to play journalist Virginia Vallejo in Escobar alongside her spouse Javier Bardem (might it be their own Mr. and Mrs. Smith?). Then again, perhaps I’m being too hard on these two 2016 projects and on Cruz’s career choices, but I just like her gee-nee-uss to be on full display; maybe Pedro can write her another film soon?
Reader Comments (18)
Do not forget Ma Ma a film directed by Julio Medem (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSYc0uxoE4w) I have not seen or read the reviews but it sounds a great role for Penelope. This has already premiered in Spain but I think internationally arrived in 2016.
Ma Ma had a tepid reaction from critics in Spain. I saw it and found it too uneven: Some great moments with many embarrassing ones. But Penelope is really good on it, fully committed to the role and the director's vision. She has been nominated for the Goya this year.
But yes, her Hollywood career hasn't been great in the last years.
To have a really full blown Hollywood career she would have to be in the States more. With two young children and a husband who is himself an internationally in demand actor I'd guess that is probably not a situation that either would find convenient or very workable since they both have deep roots in Spain. Hopefully Almodovar will come up with something for her soon.
Love Penelope. I hope she gets a great role in the near future. Considering the lack of good parts there are, I'm just glad to see her working.
"Zoolander 2" looks funny
If Oscar winning American female stars have a hard time finding good roles - then it's a lot more difficult for someone like Penelope Cruz- her work in Spanish is more interesting
I think it's unfair to expect actors to only do prestige pictures. As a moviegoer I like watching obscure indie foreign films but I also get in a mood to watch something like Star Wars or Zealander. I imagine it's the same for actors. Even more, it is a job, and sometimes you take a job because it pays.
I'm more looking forward to another Supporting Actress Oscar Winner's return,Nat's one time nemesis The Zellweger,BJD3 & The Whole Truth with Keanu.
She's totally lost and her English seems to be getting worse on every movie. Same goes for Javier.
There are two factors you didn't mention, both of which partially account for the slide. First, Ageism: at 41, Cruz is in that sort of no-woman's-land where she's being passed over for a lot of the babe roles, but isn't yet old enough to transition into middle-aged character parts. Second, Politics: she and Bardem drew quite a bit of ire last year for their avowed support of the Palestinian cause, prompting many Hollywood figures (most notably Relativity chief Ryan Kavanaugh) to boycott them.
My family is from Grimsby so I'll probably see it. Zoolander 2, would be a big no from me. I didn't like the original.
She probably just wanted to make some quick bucks!
Isn't Penélope working on the new Farhadi film? I think I heard her say so during a recent interview, but don't know if it will come out during 2016 or if it's really happening though.
There are two factors you didn't mention, both of which partially account for the slide. First, Ageism: at 41, Cruz is in that sort of no-woman's-land where she's being passed over for a lot of the babe roles, but isn't yet old enough to transition into middle-aged character parts. Second, Politics: she and Bardem drew quite a bit of ire last year for their avowed support of the Palestinian cause, prompting many Hollywood figures (most notably Relativity chief Ryan Kavanaugh) to boycott them.
Her personal politics are irrelevant to her agency in Hollywood. Nathaniel R can insist on the whiteness of she and her husband but American White Supremacy does not recognize them as such therefore they are Other. Her ethnicity and accent are limitations in casting her in conventional white girl parts. There is also winning an Oscar usually causing people to calm down from being too ambitious after the fact when they feel they have worked so hard for the biggest career recognition of their profession. Only those who feel their wins are questionable or in the case of McConaughey insecure he is a one and done winner and nominee.
Cruz looks too young to be middle age despite her actual age. I see another Oscar nomination in her future for a supporting role with the showiest part in a prestige ensemble. It worked for her last two nominations. It'll work for her again.
I don't worry for her. She's terrific. Maybe she just wants some time off from Hollywood in order to focus on her family. Re: her age, if Hollywood can't think of anything to do with her, that's as clear as indictment of Hollywood's sexism and lack of imagination as I can think of. I'd love to see her back on screens in a big way, but in the meantime, we have the wonderful work she's already done to re-watch while we're waiting.
3rtful, do you ever just go "actually, no, not today"?
Glenn (My Not So Awesome Aussie Queen) Or The Resident Black Film Critic Who Is Not Black And Therefore Should Stay In His Gay Aussie Lane
You called?
Most spaniards think of "P" as a bad actress.. an utterly bad one. I'm not one of them, by the way... if you haven't seen 1998's "La Niña de tus Ojos" ("The Girl from your Eyes", not from "your dreams", in literal spanish) you really should. It's an amazing perfomance and the one that really started shutting up mounths of people, in Spain. Plus, it's a really great comedy, that was sadly overshadowed everywhere by the success of its Italian complementary film, "Life is Beautiful"... in "La Niña de tus Ojos", a cast of many of the best spanish comedians at the time gives life to the story, inspired by real events, of a spanish film crew and cast, shooting in Nazi Berlin, in the UFA studios, a german-spanish co-production and how the spanish crew is affected by the nazi environment, even worse than the post-war fascist Spain they just left for the shoot. Not a masterpiece but extremely recommended, I'd highlight Cruz and actor/director Santiago Segura (Guillermo del Toro's pal, you've seen him in Blade 2, both Hellboy films and in Pacific Rim, with cameos/supporting parts) as a gay designer, but everyone is really good and fun.
By the way, I'm a huge Zoolander and Sacha Baron Cohen fan, so yeah, I'm interested in both films, even if Cohen's doesn't look as sharp as Borat or The Dictator.
On the other hand, Maribel Verdú >>>>>>> Penélope Cruz. And Cruz is a really good actress... but Verdú is a woman that in another - and more fair - universe would have been nom'd for Amantes, La Buena Estrella, Y tu mamá también, Pan's Labyrinth and Blancanieves and probably would have 2-4 or these awards. I'd say she gave the best worldwide performance in these cathegories the years of La Buena Estrella, Y tu mamá también (better than any of the 5 Oscar nominees) and Pan's Labyirnth's... I wonder why american distributors didn't do even a single FYC with her name... the AMPAS corrected the injustice by inviting her to be a member.