35mmReviews

Another Tuesday, another Top Ten Tuesdays favorite list. Today, I've decided to post my top ten favorite Merryl Streep's films. Many movie reviewers consider her one of the best actresses in history, I DO consider her the greatest one. It's so impressive the way she transforms herself into every single role she performs. When she plays Julia Child... she IS Julia Child, when she plays Margaret Thatcher, she IS Margaret Thatcher. Definitely my top favorite actress, so worth to watch and evjoy every single minute of her performances.

The big question is... How can you choose her ten best films, when she's been nominated for every single important movie award on almost every single movie role she's performed in her professional career? Difficult! So, I tried to choose my top favorite ones. Hope you enjoy it!

10

Kramer vs. Kramer

Synopsis: Returning home late from work one night, a career-obsessed Ted Kramer is told by his wife, Joanna, that she is leaving him. After a lifetime of being "somebody's wife," she's going off to find herself, leaving Ted to care for their six-year-old son. Ted, while trying to hold down his job, gets to really know his son as few fathers do: cooking his meals, taking him to the park, understanding every need and fear. For the first time in his life he feels like a fulfilled parent. But then Joanna returns--and she wants her son back.

Personal Comments: Such a great film for its time, not just for the story, but especially, Meryl and Dustin's performances. Great classic! Worth for all its Oscars Awards received.

9

Doubt

Synopsis: It's 1964, St. Nicholas in the Bronx. A vibrant, charismatic priest, Father Flynn, is trying to upend the school's strict customs, which have long been fiercely guarded by Sister Aloysius Beauvier, the iron-gloved Principal who believes in the power of fear and discipline. The winds of political change are sweeping through the country, and, indeed, the school has just accepted its first black student, Donald Miller. But when Sister James, a hopeful innocent, shares with Sister Aloysius her suspicion that Father Flynn is paying too much personal attention to Donald, Sister Aloysius is galvanized to begin a crusade to both unearth the truth and expunge Flynn from the school. Now, without a shred of proof or evidence except her moral certainty, Sister Aloysius locks into a battle of wills with Father Flynn, a battle that threatens to tear apart the Church and school with devastating consequences.

Personal Comments: A very intelligent film that, in my personal point of view, was overshadowed by Meryl Streep's amazing performance. A great play, worth to watch!

8

The Hours

Synopsis: Spanning across various time periods in the 20th Century, a drama which revolves around three very different women: two of whom have been profoundly affected by the works of Virginia Woolf; the other woman is Woolf, herself. All three are battling with issues of freedom, responsibility and identity. As the story unfolds, they are negotiating their way through different depressive states: Virginia Woolf is struggling to write her novel "Mrs. Dalloway" in 1923, as she recovers from depression; Laura Brown is a depressed and pregnant L.A. housewife who reads Woolf's novel in 1951, as she plans her husband's birthday party; and, the exasperated Clarissa Vaughn is a book editor in modern-day New York, who is planning a farewell party for her AIDS-inflicted former lover, Richard--a famous author who had nicknamed her Mrs. Dalloway.

Personal Comments: Another amazing drama performed by such an amazing cast. Nicole Kidman was amazing on this film, but obviously, Meryl Streep's role was a key element. Even though, I personally believe the best of this film was, actually, its script.

7

The Bridges of Madison County

Synopsis: Robert Kincaid is a romantic drifter on his way to photograph an historic covered bridge for "National Geographic" magazine. When he stops at a farmhouse to ask directions, he meets Francesca Johnson, whose passionate nature has long been denied. Their innocent friendship evolves into a tender, torrid and unforgettable four-day affair which they carry in their hearts for the next 24 years.

Personal Comments: Such another amazing romantic drama, played by two of the best artists of all time, Meryl Streep and Clint Eastwood. It showed that Meryl has been the superb actress she is for over 30 years, but most important, that Clint Eastwood was the man for the role, bringing his romantic side to the story.

6

Sophie's Choice

Synopsis: A holocaust survivor and her lover befriend a young Southern writer when he moves into their Brooklyn apartment building.

Personal Comments: Stunning performance by Meryl Streep. Her first Oscars Award 30 years ago confirms that she's the best actress in Hollywood. Great film, superb cast, so worth to watch.

5

Adaptation

Synopsis: Despite the success of his first produced script, "Being John Malkovich," for which he received an Academy Award nomination for best original screenplay, Charlie Kaufman is plagued by insecurities, both in his career and his personal life. When he is hired to adapt "The Orchid Thief," a nonfiction book about a fanatical orchid breeder, John Laroche, he is completely stumped. Though, on the surface, the book is about Laroche’s flower poaching adventures in the Florida Everglades, on another level it’s also about the desire in all of us to experience passion. This longing plagues the book’s author, Susan Orlean and, Charlie realizes, himself as well. Charlie’s twin brother, Donald Kaufman, only makes things worse when he moves in with Charlie and announces he’s going to be a screenwriter too. As Charlie battles his severe case of writer’s block, Donald cheerily types away on a script about a serial killer with multiple-personality disorder. Donald’s script immediately sells, making him the “hot” new writer in town. As if Charlie wasn’t feeling bad enough, Donald is also getting laid regularly, while Charlie can’t even get to first base. Then, one day, Charlie has a last ditch inspiration. He’ll use his own dilemma as a framework for the script about Laroche and Orlean. But as the words start to flow, and the story takes shape, Charlie inadvertently sets in motion a chain of events impacting on the lives of all the characters.

Personal Comments: Another amazing cast gathered for such an excellent script, written by Charlie Kaufman. Meryl Streep's performance as the support role was simply amazing in this film.

4

It's Complicated

Synopsis: Jane is the mother of three grown kids, owns a thriving Santa Barbara bakery/restaurant and has - after a decade of divorce - an amicable relationship with her ex-husband, attorney Jake. But when Jane and Jake find themselves out of town for their son's college graduation, things start to get complicated. An innocent meal together turns into the unimaginable - an affair. With Jake remarried to the much younger Agness, Jane is now, of all things, the other woman. Caught in the middle of their renewed romance is Adam, an architect hired to remodel Jane's kitchen. Healing from a divorce of his own, Adam starts to fall for Jane, but soon realizes he's become part of a love triangle. Should Jane and Jake move on with their lives, or is love truly lovelier the second time around? It's--complicated.

Personal Comments: Meryl Streep's life was actually, very complicated on this film. A divorced woman, flattered by her architect and stalked by her ex-husband. Such a funny and fresh romantic comedy. Meryl Streep's performance was so joyful and funny.

3

The Devil Wears Prada

Synopsis: In the dizzying world of New York fashion, where size zero is the new 2, six is the new 8, and a bad hair day can end a career, Runaway Magazine is the Holy Grail. Overseen with a finely manicured fist by Miranda Priestly--the most powerful woman in fashion--Runway is a fearsome gauntlet for anyone who wants to make it in the industry. To make Runway the fashion bible of New York and therefore the world, Miranda has let nothing stand in her way--including a long line of assistants that didn't make the cut. It's a job no self-respecting person can survive, yet it's an opportunity a million young women in New York would kill for. A stint as Miranda's assistant could blast-open the doors for recent college graduate Andy Sachs. More college drab than haute couture, she stands alone among the small army of "Clackers" on staff at Runway--superslim fashion divas clacking their stilettos down the halls of the magazine's Manhattan headquarters. But when Andy comes in for the job, it dawns on her that making it in this industry will take more than drive and determination. And her ultimate test stands before her in head-to-toe Prada. Miranda can spin the fashion world like a basketball but has a devil of a time finding and keeping a good assistant. Andy is completely wrong for the job. But she has something the rest of them don't: she refuses to fail. To become the perfect assistant, Andy will need to make herself over in Miranda's image. Soon, much to her boyfriend's dismay, she can talk the talk, walk the walk and never again confuse Dolce with Gabbana. But the more of life she sees through Miranda's eyes, the more she begins to grasp that Miranda's world is a fabulous but lonely one--and that sometimes great success depends on great sacrifice. But at what cost?.

Personal Comments: I think The Devil Wars Prada was the film that let Meryl Streep to release her devil side, her sarcastic personality and perform a role with such a delightful charisma. She was evil, the "devil" in her professional and personal life towards those who gave everything for her success. It's obvious that we'd hate her, but actually, we loved her, for such a perfect performance.

2

Julie & Julia

Synopsis: Based on two true stories, "Julie & Julia" intertwines the lives of two women who, though separated by time and space, are both at loose ends until they discover that with the right combination of passion, fearlessness and butter, anything is possible.

Personal Comments: This film showed me her amazing talent to absorb another person's personality and project it as her own. Her role as Julia Child was superb! So believable, so astonishing. A fresh romantic comedy to watch, and learn about the true story around the film.

1

The Iron Lady

Synopsis: A surprising and intimate portrait of Margaret Thatcher, the first and only female Prime Minister of The United Kingdom. One of the 20th century's most famous and influential women, Thatcher came from nowhere to smash through barriers of gender and class to be heard in a male dominated world.

Personal Comments: I think Meryl Streep's performance as Margaret Thatcher was impecable and perfect. I must say tht it wasn't my top favorite film, it was boring at some times, slow and a bit confusing to follow, but Meryl's performance makes it so, but so worth to watch. The team gathered for the film made her look so, but so realistic, so perfectly alike, that is actually, crazy! That makes it even better with her performance, so believable and real. As said before, it wasn't my top favorite one, but it was based on Meryl's performance.