Spring Break
Living in the age of Cate Blanchett
Adam Griffiths
Issue date: 11/29/07 Section: Entertainment
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Cate Blanchett is a woman of many faces.
The first reigning queen of what was once the greatest monarchy on the planet. The Lady of the Wood in what may be the most popular fantasy series ever. An Irish investigative reporter. A Scottish woman drawn into the midst of the French Resistance after her lover's death. A Jewish German prostitute during World War II.
The list grows annually, and with each role she tucks under her belt, Cate Blanchett reaffirms her position as one of the most prominent and acclaimed performers of all time.
For the second year in a row, the Australia native Blanchett is arguably dominating the fall's silver screen. Last month, she revived the Elizabeth role that earned the actress her first Oscar nomination in 1999, and now she's pushing the envelope again as one of many of the elite taking a turn in the Bob Dylan biopic, I'm Not There.
In a little less than 10 years, she's risen out of obscurity to one of Hollywood's most in-demand players. The now defunct Premiere magazine featured Blanchett on the cover of its October 2006 issue, recognizing her with other great modern icons including Sally Field, Annette Bening and Sofia Coppola. Esquire magazine propped her up with actors such as Denzel Washington and Robert Downey Jr. for next month's "Performances of the Year" cover story for her Dylan portrayal. Look no further than critics' reviews of her work for the reason why.
"Blanchett makes Dylan a cussed dude who uses his wit to wound" and "does a spectacular, soul-on-the-sleeve enactment of Dylan in his Don't Look Back media-put-on phase," writes Entertainment Weekly's Owen Gliberman in his review of I'm Not There.
Ten years ago, Rolling Stone's Peter Travers gave Blanchett similar praise for her embodiment of the Virgin Queen.
"Australian actress Cate Blanchett has a passionate fire and wit that command attention," Travers wrote. "Think of Princess Diana when British screenwriter Michael Hirst and Delhi-born director Shekhar Kapur show a girl forced into womanhood by the duties of royalty."
The first reigning queen of what was once the greatest monarchy on the planet. The Lady of the Wood in what may be the most popular fantasy series ever. An Irish investigative reporter. A Scottish woman drawn into the midst of the French Resistance after her lover's death. A Jewish German prostitute during World War II.
The list grows annually, and with each role she tucks under her belt, Cate Blanchett reaffirms her position as one of the most prominent and acclaimed performers of all time.
For the second year in a row, the Australia native Blanchett is arguably dominating the fall's silver screen. Last month, she revived the Elizabeth role that earned the actress her first Oscar nomination in 1999, and now she's pushing the envelope again as one of many of the elite taking a turn in the Bob Dylan biopic, I'm Not There.
In a little less than 10 years, she's risen out of obscurity to one of Hollywood's most in-demand players. The now defunct Premiere magazine featured Blanchett on the cover of its October 2006 issue, recognizing her with other great modern icons including Sally Field, Annette Bening and Sofia Coppola. Esquire magazine propped her up with actors such as Denzel Washington and Robert Downey Jr. for next month's "Performances of the Year" cover story for her Dylan portrayal. Look no further than critics' reviews of her work for the reason why.
"Blanchett makes Dylan a cussed dude who uses his wit to wound" and "does a spectacular, soul-on-the-sleeve enactment of Dylan in his Don't Look Back media-put-on phase," writes Entertainment Weekly's Owen Gliberman in his review of I'm Not There.
Ten years ago, Rolling Stone's Peter Travers gave Blanchett similar praise for her embodiment of the Virgin Queen.
"Australian actress Cate Blanchett has a passionate fire and wit that command attention," Travers wrote. "Think of Princess Diana when British screenwriter Michael Hirst and Delhi-born director Shekhar Kapur show a girl forced into womanhood by the duties of royalty."
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