The teacup-eyed beauty that is Marion Cotillard is arguably one of the finest actresses working in cinema today. Currently one of only two female performers in history to win a Leading Actress OscarĀ in a foreign language picture, she has transitioned between genres and, even more impressively, languages.
She is stunning critics and arthouse audiences alike once again with her remarkable work in Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne’s exquisite Palme d’Or contender Two
To celebrate the release of this fantastic film, we select Six of the Best Marion Cotillard performances.
Midnight in Paris
The ever-prolific Woody Allen stopped off in the French Capital during his European tour for a spot of vaudevillian charm and wonder with his 2011 title Midnight in Paris. The comedy sees a wide-eyed nostalgian Owen Wilson transported back to the fun and frolics of 1920s culture at the strike of the witching hour. Here he meets Cotillard’s Adriana and the pair quickly strike up an emotive bond.
The actress beautifully immerses herself in the tone and textures of the era and provides wonderful lashes of comedy to match the warmth of her identity. Originally introduced as Pablo Picasso’s mistress, Allen provides her character with a dense back-story yet never over-indulges. Instead she – and indeed the actress – is free to blossom in the environments, soaking up every last drop of ethereal wonder. Adriana has a longing to live in the past, just like Wilson’s screenwriter Gil. The difference is he is right where he wants to be whilst her heart lies in the 1890s.