Questions of this variety are drenched in subjectivity.
But if ever there was a ‘right’ answer to such a query, it has to be for this one. And it has to be Tilda Swinton, chameleon extraordinaire.
Swinton, along with the Streeps, Blanchetts, Winslets, Therons and Adams of this world have deservedly been discussed, repeatedly I’m sure.
Therefore, I will make a case for an actress who perhaps wouldn’t be the first name on the list, but is someone who has grown by leaps and bounds throughout her career and has evolved into a truly versatile performer.
I speak of Emily Blunt.
Blunt broke out in 2006 with The Devil Wears Prada and, since then, has put together an interesting and eclectic filmography.
To me, actors who have genuine mastery over comedy and drama are rare.
It’s the reason Ryan Gosling is one of my favourite working actors.
His seamless transition from a stoic, taciturn badass in Drive to a motormouthed, goofy dumbass in The Nice Guys is a testament to his skill as an actor.
I admire the likes of Theron and Adams, and to be fair to them, they have flexed their comedic chops from time to time.
But neither of them have the instinctive aptitude for comedy that Blunt showcased so early in her career.
By that same token, I don’t think Blunt can match Adams when the latter is at her dramatic best. But from my perspective, Blunt is mighty close.
The coming together of the two actresses resulted in an under seen but enjoyable film – Sunshine Cleaning (2008)
But I digress. As Blunt’s career advanced, she demonstrated her ability to seamlessly fit into various genres.
She was effortlessly charming in The Five Year Engagement and Salmon Fishing in the Yemen.
And wonderfully faux-stoic and vulnerable as an anxious mother in Looper, a film that marked her transition to an action star, culminating with her irresistible presence and authority in Edge of Tomorrow.
The latter years of the decade saw Blunt flexing her dramatic muscles, to great effect, might I add.
Commendable performances in Sicario, The Girl on the Train and The Quiet Place sharply brought into focus her skills as a dramatic performer.
And if that weren’t enough, she can sing! And she’s Mary Poppins y’all!
Over the last decade, Blunt has proven herself to be remarkably well-rounded, with admirable performances in dramas, comedies, actioners, musicals, thrillers and everything in between.
Besides, she’s also got that scarcest of qualities – the spark, allure and presence of a genuine movie star.
Questions of this variety are drenched in subjectivity.
But if ever there was a ‘right’ answer to such a query, it has to be for this one. And it has to be Tilda Swinton, chameleon extraordinaire.
Swinton, along with the Streeps, Blanchetts, Winslets, Therons and Adams of this world have deservedly been discussed, repeatedly I’m sure.
Therefore, I will make a case for an actress who perhaps wouldn’t be the first name on the list, but is someone who has grown by leaps and bounds throughout her career and has evolved into a truly versatile performer.
I speak of Emily Blunt.
Blunt broke out in 2006 with The Devil Wears Prada and, since then, has put together an interesting and eclectic filmography.
To me, actors who have genuine mastery over comedy and drama are rare.
It’s the reason Ryan Gosling is one of my favourite working actors.
His seamless transition from a stoic, taciturn badass in Drive to a motormouthed, goofy dumbass in The Nice Guys is a testament to his skill as an actor.
I admire the likes of Theron and Adams, and to be fair to them, they have flexed their comedic chops from time to time.
But neither of them have the instinctive aptitude for comedy that Blunt showcased so early in her career.
By that same token, I don’t think Blunt can match Adams when the latter is at her dramatic best. But from my perspective, Blunt is mighty close.
The coming together of the two actresses resulted in an under seen but enjoyable film – Sunshine Cleaning (2008)
But I digress. As Blunt’s career advanced, she demonstrated her ability to seamlessly fit into various genres.
She was effortlessly charming in The Five Year Engagement and Salmon Fishing in the Yemen.
And wonderfully faux-stoic and vulnerable as an anxious mother in Looper, a film that marked her transition to an action star, culminating with her irresistible presence and authority in Edge of Tomorrow.
The latter years of the decade saw Blunt flexing her dramatic muscles, to great effect, might I add.
Commendable performances in Sicario, The Girl on the Train and The Quiet Place sharply brought into focus her skills as a dramatic performer.
And if that weren’t enough, she can sing! And she’s Mary Poppins y’all!
Over the last decade, Blunt has proven herself to be remarkably well-rounded, with admirable performances in dramas, comedies, actioners, musicals, thrillers and everything in between.
Besides, she’s also got that scarcest of qualities – the spark, allure and presence of a genuine movie star.
There’s something about Emily.
Blunt is a far more versatile actress than Tilda Swinton. Mind you, I love every minute of Tilda on the screen. She's magnificent. But not for versatility. She's just unique. She's always quirky and fun to watch, but most off the time, she's just a strange woman in strange, almost surreal situations.
Emily Blunt made me hate her in Devil Wears Prada, I adored her in The Adjustment Bureau, and I never know what she'll do next.
She's versatile.
One of the reason why she doesn’t get much recognition as some others like Adams is because never truly submitted herself to the American and Hollywood culture . It’s not a case just for her but many European Actresses like Eva Green, Alicia Vikander or Marion Cotillard have suffered to get 1–2 ‘Blockbusters’ every single year because they try to stick to their roots. It’s great in a way but it inherently affects their career and their full potential is never really exploited. On the other hand many of the Aussies don’t have to suffer with same thing as they adopt the Hollywood culture and embrace it with both arms. The best Example is Nicole Kidman and the lastest example is Margot Robbie. All of them are great actresses but in terms of how many people consider them to be household names some names just pop up in everyone’s mind like Amy Adams, ScaJo or Jennifer Lawrence but Especially Europeans like Green and Blunt don’t get the front row when it comes to recognition.
Ultimately it doesn’t matter but in one way of another their talents get under-utilised especially when it comes to really mainstream movies.
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There’s something about Emily.
Thanks for Reading
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