The Friday Five: Vera Farmiga

The Friday Five: 

Vera Farmiga

Vera Farmiga is one of those actresses that you've seen in several supporting roles in films, but might not notice her playing any real significant characters (except for one notable role).  She's continually churned out terrific performances, and with "Godzilla: King of the Monsters" being released, I took a look at my personal five favorite Vera Farmiga films.

**THERE WILL BE NO SPOILERS**

#5

 The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

Vera Farmiga plays the mother of a young German boy whose father works for the Nazis, as their family is moved to a house near a concentration camp.  The young boy befriends a young Jew boy who's in the camp, but neither boy really understands what's happening.  The film is truly heartbreaking and powerful, and Farmiga gives a terrific performance as a mother who's torn over her duty to her husband and the atrocities of war.

#4

 Orphan

In this thrilling horror film, Vera Farmiga plays a married woman with two children who decides to adopt a young girl named Esther, but after bringing her home finds out that there's something terribly wrong with the little girl.  As she sets out to find Esther's history, she must also find a way to protect herself and her family.  The film is gritty and rough, filled with tremendous twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the end, and Farmiga does an admirable job as the matriarch.

#3

 Quid Pro Quo

This was the first film I saw with Vera Farmiga, and I was instantly drawn to her allure and mystique.  This film focuses on a man paralyzed, who discovers there's a group of people who also wish to be paralyzed, and Farmiga plays the main woman who seduces him and draws him into this strange world.  It gives off a "Fatal Attraction" vibe and Farmiga gives an unnerving performance.

#2

 Up in the Air

The film that earned Vera Farmiga her first Academy Award nomination, "Up in the Air" focuses on a man (played by George Clooney) who frequently travels to different companies to downsize their employees.  Farmiga plays another frequent flyer who begins a relationship with Clooney, and both begin to develop real feelings for one another.  It's not easy to go toe-to-toe with a great like George Clooney, but Farmiga does it with ease and elegance.

#1

 The Conjuring

The film that took the horror genre by storm and created a whole new film universe, "The Conjuring" tells the true story of demonologist Ed Warren and his psychic wife Lorraine, who helped in thousands of suspected hauntings during their lifetime.  Vera Farmiga plays Lorraine Warren, who must help solve a mysterious haunting of a family before it consumes them, and she gives a terrific, nail-biting performance both here and in the sequel as well, solidifying her as an acclaimed actress.