Joey Magidson
When you see Penélope Cruz in a film, you know you’re in for a vibrant and positively stirring performance. As I wrote here when I interviewed her a few years back, she often gets to do some of the best acting of a given year when she’s paired up with her favorite filmmaker, Pedro Almodóvar. Cruz gets to work with Almodóvar again and again, with results that consistently enthrall, to the point where, more often than not, they garner Academy Award attention. This week, she’s doing something a bit different with Olivia Wilde‘s new movie The Invite. In celebration of that flick and the performances within, we’re looking at the best work so far from Cruz.
In my review here of the film, this is what I had to say about the quartet, including Cruz:
The quartet of Penélope Cruz, Edward Norton, Seth Rogen, and Olivia Wilde are all terrific, doing absolute top tier work. Cruz and Norton are accomplished dramatic actors, so seeing them be the funniest they’ve ever been is an absolute pleasure. Rogen and Wilde have previously walked in both worlds, so it’s less surprising to see them ace these roles, though just as satisfying. That they’re essentially the only people on screen is all the more impressive, as it’s 107 minutes of just them. Cruz mixes a smoldering sexuality with a deep well of emotional understanding, which has Piña always feeling like the smartest person in the room. Hawk is a charmer and almost annoyingly optimistic, but these potentially punchable characteristics to Joe make him appealing to Angela, while they hide a past that gives him a genuine reason to be the way he is. As for the hosts, Wilde’s Angela is desperate to feel something and get out of her rut, which leads to both comedy and drama, while Rogen’s Joe just wants to be left in his rut. This dichotomy leads not just to some laughs, but a sense of realism that makes the jokes land, but the arguments sting as well.
Below, you can see my Cruz ranking. Obviously, her Almodóvar collaborations are prevalent on this list (Parallel Mothers and Volver leading the charge there), though I actually think the performance she won her Oscar for, in Vicky Cristina Barcelona, is her best overall work. Ferrari might be one of her most underrated performances, too, showcasing how she’s really come into her own even more so than she already had in recent years. Where does The Invite slot in? You’re about to find out, but spoiler alert…it’s a high spot.
Here now is my ranking of the best performances to date from Penélope Cruz. Take a look:
Honorable Mention: Blow, Everybody Knows, Official Competition, Open Your Eyes, and Pain and Glory
10. Vanilla Sky
9. Nine
8. Elegy
7. Broken Embraces
6. All About My Mother
5. Ferrari
4. The Invite
2. Volver
1. Vicky Cristina Barcelona
What are your favorite performances from Penélope Cruz? Let us know!
Comments
Loading…