The Actress Angelina Jolie, Part Three

The Actress Angelina Jolie, Part Three


Even though Angelina Jolie was getting critical acclaim, her next movie based on a video game is what shot her into international stardom.
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider was directed by Simon West (Con Air) and was of course based on the wildly popular Tomb Raider action adventure games.
What strikes me as odd about this movie now is that Angelina took on an English accent and Daniel Craig (007) took on an American accent.
The film also starred Christopher Barrie, also known as "Arnold Rimmer" in the BBC sci-fi comedy series Red Dwarf.
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider got mainly negative reviews when it came out, and went on to make over $300 million dollars worldwide.
And even though Angelina was nominated for several major film awards before this move, Tomb Raider got her a Worst Actress Golden Raspberry Award nomination.
But over $300 million dollars?
They can keep their negative reviews.



Then Angelina went on to form a dream duo with Antonio Banderas in 2001's Original Sin.
You would think a movie with Angelina and Antonio would be pure box office gold, but the film was panned by critics, even though Angelina's performance received positive reviews.



Then came Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life in 2003.
And even though the critics actually seemed to like it a little more than the original, it took home less with $274.4 million worldwide.
So if the critics hate it, it goes well, if the critics like it, not so much.



Next up was Beyond Borders, a film about aid workers in Africa that echoed Angelina's real-life interest in promoting humanitarian relief.
Not only did the critics not like it, but audiences didn't seem to care for it either.
Although the movie was nominated for two awards....The Political Film Society (PFS) Award for peace and (again) the Razzie Award for Worst Actress.
BTW, Brad Pitt's Seven Years in Tibet was also nominated for the The PFS Award for peace after it came out.

In 2004, Angelina starred with Ethan Hawke in the thriller Taking Lives.
She followed that with an appearance in the animated DreamWorks movie Shark Tale as the voice of Lola, an angelfish.



And then what amounted to a cameo in Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow.
The role may have been small, but the image of Angelina in the military outfit and eye patch has held on.
Then she appeared in Oliver Stone's film about the life of Alexander the Great, Alexander.



The Actress Angelina Jolie, Part Three, posted to http://angelina-jolie-pitt.blogspot.com/ on Sept 25th, 2009

The Actress Angelina Jolie, Part Two

In 1998, Angelina Jolie starred in a HBO film Gia, about the life of supermodel Gia Carangi.
If George Wallace got the critics attention, Gia won their respect.
Gia netted Angelina a Golden Globe award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television and a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries.
Angelina was also nominated for an Emmy Award.

After Gia, Angelina stopped acting for a bit and enrolled in New York University to study film making and she attended writing classes.
I think maybe part of the reason for her short break, was that she put so much of herself into the role of Gia.
Angelina used method acting and totally immersed herself in the part. That technique can give a great performance, but it can take a toll on the actor.

But Angelina came back in the 1998 gangster movie Hell's Kitchen.
Angelina played Gloria McNeary, and co-starred with Rosanna Arquette, William Forsythe, Angelina Jolie, Mekhi Phifer, and Johnny Whitworth.
And later in 1998, she appeared in the comedy-drama film, Playing by Heart with Sean Connery, Gena Rowlands, Gillian Anderson, Dennis Quaid, Ryan Phillippe and Jon Stewart.
For her role as Joan in the film, Angelina won "Best Breakthrough Performance by an Actress" from the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures.

1999 brought Pushing Tin, another comedy-drama that Angelina starred in along with John Cusack, Billy Bob Thornton, and Cate Blanchett.
In the film, Angelina played the wife of Billy Bob Thornton's character.
That was followed by The Bone Collector with Denzel Washington.
The film didn't do well with critics, but grossed $151 million worldwide.
Also in 1999 came the role of Lisa Rowe in Girl, Interrupted.
Even though the film starred Winona Ryder as the main character, Angelina's performance stole the show.
She pulled in her third Golden Globe Award, her second Screen Actors Guild Award and an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Then in 2000, Angelina got her first summer blockbuster, Gone In 60 Seconds with Nicolas Cage, Giovanni Ribisi, Christopher Eccleston (Dr. Who!), Robert Duvall and Will Patton.
A remake of the 1974 movie, the film wasn't loved by critics, but pulled in $987 million worldwide.
Thanks in some small part to Angelina Jolie as "Sway" I'm sure.



posted to http://angelina-jolie-pitt.blogspot.com/, Sept 16th, 2009