The Best Of The Best -The Greatest Actresses and the roles that made them great

Julianne Moore – Magnolia

As much fun as it is to see Moore pratfalling in Evolution, let’s not pretend it was her finest hour. Instead, let’s consider her body of more substantial work, of which there is a great deal. Although it wasn’t her first role, Moore really burst onto the scene with Short Cuts and it in fact took until Paul Thomas Anderson’s Altman-esque Boogie Nights for Moore to be reunited with work of a similar caliber to that early eye-catching ensemble piece. Anderson has since worked with her again and she has delivered key roles for everyone from Spielberg to the Coens, with particularly accomplished work in films as varied as The Kids Are Alright, Still Alice, Children of Men, The Hours and Far From Heaven.

Although we shouldn’t kid ourselves that the Oscars, with all of its depressing history of mis-steps, should be considered any sort of final arbiter of quality, one win out of five Oscar noms (along with two Golden Globes out of nine nominations) says at least something about Moore’s enduring ability and appeal. She is undeniably one of those actors who immediately convinces as the character she is playing and seems to consistently deliver grounded, plausible performances.

Magnolia is undoubtedly a triumph for all concerned, Paul Thomas Anderson’s masterpiece delivering on all of the promise of the ineffably accomplished Boogie Nights. Moore manages to stand out amidst an incomparably impressive cast, all working at the top of their game – Cruise, Seymour Hoffman, Macy, Robards, Reilly, Baker Hall, Molina, Guzman – and there is not so much as a solitary bum note from Moore throughout an astonishing range of scenes. Whether arguing with a pharmacist, toying with suicide or joining in with the surreal but powerful cast rendition of Wise Up, Moore provides a perfect performance of a woman in pieces, a life falling apart and feeling hopeless and hopelessly out of control. Moore is a phenomenal talent and this is a masterful performance.