Jessica Chastain is a critically acclaimed actress who's been on the scene for over a decade and has delivered some amazing performances. With "It: Chapter Two" being released, I take a look at my personal five favorite Jessica Chastain films.
**THERE WILL BE NO SPOILERS**
#5
Crimson Peak
Famed director Guillero del Toro brings "Crimson Peak" to perfect life, telling his own unique story blended between gothic romance and horror as only he could - by providing some of the most lavish set pieces, ethereal spirits, captivating story, and compelling acting from the likes of Mia Wasikowska, Tom Hiddleston, Charlie Hunnam, and Jessica Chastain who plays Lucille, the sister of Hiddleston's Thomas Sharpe. As Lucille, Chastain blends her talent of the dramatic with the mysterious as she offers a creepy performance that's memorable and downright unnerving, and showcases Chastain's true talents.
#4
The Zookeeper's Wife
I'm a sucker for World War II movies, especially ones that tell the stories of real-life heroism that occurred in the darkest of times. Jessica Chastain plays Antonina, the other of a Polish zoo who harbors Jews during the Nazi invasion during World War II despite constant threats of being discovered. Chastain balances a steely resolve with a faux female weakness that the Nazis felt they possessed in order to outsmart them and save hundreds of Jews from extinction, and once again delivers a compelling, layered performance.
#3
Interstellar
In this Christopher Nolan-directed space epic, Chastain plays the older version of Murph, whose father left when she was a child to find a way to save the Earth from an incoming worldwide disaster by entering space to find the solution. As a grown-up Murph, Chastain has to piece together what happened decades ago in hopes of seeing her father again, and she once again pulls out all the stops and gives an A-level performance.
#2
Miss Sloane
Once again using her strengths of performing tough-as-nails characters, Chastain earned a Golden Globe nomination for her role as the titular Miss Sloane, a lobbyist who's as cutthroat as they come, and who decides to be the David against the Goliath that is the gun lobby. Maintaining a steely resolve and making sure she's the smartest one in the room, Chastain gives an unnerving performance that highlights her biggest strengths as an actress and dominates the screen.
#1
Zero Dark Thirty
The film that really made a national name out of Jessica Chastain (and also earned her a much-deserved Oscar nomination), "Zero Dark Thirty" is the true story of the biggest manhunt in history - the search for Osama bin Laden - and how he was finally found and killed. Chastain plays Maya, a fictional CIA intelligence analyst who is instrumental in finding the terrorist mastermind and bringing him down, and she exhibits a talent that proves why she's one the most acclaimed actresses of our generation.
Major Theatrical Releases May 2019 After the hype that is "Avengers: Endgame," May offers a massive collection of differing types of movies, enough to entertain everyone. Here are the major theatrical releases for May 2019. **THERE WILL BE NO SPOILERS** **DATES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE** The Intruder May 3 Dennis Quaid goes from starring the family-friendly "A Dog's Journey" to playing a total psycho in "The Intruder." When a young couple purchases a home from Quaid's character Charlie, they didn't realize it came with an addition - Charlie himself, who can't seem to let his old home go. I don't expect any twists or turns in this tale, and this looks like a film better fit for Lifetime than the big screen. Long Shot May 3 Charlize Theron stars as Charlotte Field, the current Secretary of State and who's running for President. Seth Rogen stars as Fred Flarsky, a
Witch Starring Russell Shaw, Ryan Spong, Sarah Alexandra Marks, Fabrizio Santino Directed by Craig Hinde & Marc Zammit Movies about witches are about a dime a dozen, and follow the same formula: typically set in a time period long ago (since now, fortunately, the stigma of witches has been lessened and the religious fervor has diminished), in a small Puritanical town, a girl is accused of witchcraft which spirals the town into a frenzy filled with suspicion, doubt, and murder until the witch is put to religious justice. While that's not necessarily a bad formula (Robert Eggers' "The VVitch" and Mario Bava's "Black Sunday" immediately come to mind), most films fall by the wayside. "Witch" is a small film that, at first glance, seems to follow the mold before completely shattering it in a second act twist that's daring, provocative, and works in a lot of levels, but could've been more pronounced if given a bigger budget. In the small
Special Review: "Midwest Sessions" Directed by Mario Ricciardi Independent filmmaking is a fascinating concept, wherein the director and everyone involved sets out to make something unique, different, and go against the traditional status quo of what's defined as a "blockbuster." These films aren't usually seen by the masses and won't be included in the top ten highest grossing movies of all time, but they offer something those films don't: a heart and commitment by the people involved to craft something wholly distinctive that tell a story in their own way. Such is "Midwest Sessions," a local film directed by Mario Ricciardi that centers on the city of Youngstown, Ohio, and the captivating people who live there. Told in different vignettes that seem distinct and different from one another but coming together as a whole in the end, it's an engrossing film that utilizes its shoestring budget and gives great performances, decent effects a
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