by Nathaniel R
the actress at Venice a month ago
Happy 50th birthday to Naomi Watts, born on this day in England. Many of us think of her as an Australian actress since that's where she first emerged but she didn't move there until she was 14. The first two movies I personally saw her in were Flirting (1991) and Tank Girl (1995). Flirting really ought to be enshrined and preserved for eternity since it gave us early looks at four enduring careers. Naomi has a small role but the three principal players are Nicole Kidman, Noah Taylor, and Thandie Newton.
Naomi is so young in this clip of the girls "arriving" to a cross-school dance, that she's almost unrecognizable. She's the one in the pink with her hair up. But it's Nicole and Thandie that the cameras follow...
Why besties Naomi & Nicole haven't made another movie together is beyond our understanding but it's still fun to occassionally see them together at events. Last year at right about this time they were at a fashion show together.
But back to Naomi, solo.
Like many moviegoers I didn't sit up and take notice until David Lynch's failed TV pilot cum critically obsessed-over movie Mulholland Drive (2001). That surreal sapphic nightmare elevated her career to "in demand" status. Since then things have been wildly rocky for her in terms of success, even as high profile acting careers go. But for her birthday let's discuss her best work in the comments. Opinions probably vary wildly but here are my treasured handful:
05. King Kong (2005)
04. The Impossible (2012)
03. I ♥️ Huckabees (2004)
02. The Painted Veil (2006)
01. Mulholland Drive (2001)
Yours?