As you may know I recently started a podcast series about the films of Cate Blanchett, my favorite actor. Seven episodes in I thought I'd share with you some observations that I discovered talking with my guests - who include critics you know and like from this site - about her career...
1. The early 2000s were a rough time to be a Blanchett fan.
Charlotte Gray? The Shipping News? The Gift? She was making anti-Elizabeth movies, trying to get as far away as possible from her iconic breakout performance. She was working in different genres and with different directors, learning to be a great film actress. The results might not have worked at the time, but the experiences paid off later in her career.
2. No wonder she won the Oscar for The Aviator
Playing the Academy’s favorite actress, doing her voice and mannerisms and giving basically a Katharine Hepburn 1940s performance. They couldn’t resist. The part is a series of big scenes / set pieces for Cate/Kate. Every single one a showcase for Blanchett. Despite what anyone might have thought in early 2005, the other nominees didn’t stand a chance.
3. Tom Ripley is Matt Damon’s best performance
The Talented Mr Ripley (1999) remains his best film and performance. He never took another part as good as Ripley. Playing this psychopath was a stretch for Everyman Damon that he never tried again. 20 years on he hasn't bested it.
4. An Oscar nominated performance can be underrated
People seem to have forgotten about I’m Not There (2008). Is Jude Quinn ever mentioned as unique creation of Cate’s in the same breath as Jasmine French or Carol Aird? Never. Yet it’s not a gimmick, it’s not a trick. It’s a fantastic, lived in, stylized performance that should rank among her best.
5. Little Fish deserves to be seen
It was released in the US for only one week. It made less than $2K at the domestic box office. Yet Rowan Woods’ filmmaking is superb (why hasn’t he made another movie?). The performances from the all-Australian cast are uniformly exquisite, and it has Cate’s best romantic chemistry with a male co-star in Dustin Nguyen. Sorry Benjamin Button fans.
You can listen to the podcast at Sundays With Cate, or subscribe at Apple Podcasts.
Do you agree with these observations? If you've listened, tell us what you think.