Best Movies by Farr

Burt Lancaster: Always Larger Than Life

Earlier this month, Burt Lancaster would have turned 98, an improbable age for most of us to reach. Yet this actor's unique persona always exuded such robust vitality, you'd be forgiven for thinking that of all people, he just might make it.

If any star was larger than life, it was Burt.

Though sadly he never reached this milestone, he bequeathed to us a stellar body of work that, like the actor himself, simply cannot be ignored. A look at the trajectory of his career also reveals a savvy businessman whose mind was as strong and agile as his physique.

Born the son of a postal worker in New York City, young Burt grew up tough, but from adolescence on was able to channel his immense energy into gymnastics. This talent led to a formative stint as an acrobat in a circus. The athleticism he developed at this point in his life would help define his Hollywood image later.

Lancaster discovered acting while serving his country during World War II, and was ideally positioned when Hollywood was scouting for fresh male talent after hostilities ended. He landed a key role in Robert Siodmak's scorching crime drama, "The Killers" (1946), based on the Hemingway short story.

After the film's release, Burt found himself an overnight celebrity. He later said that his sudden ascension to stardom only resolved him to work that much harder to become a good actor. And that's precisely what he did.

And just consider for a moment his competition in those years -- in particular, Marlon Brando and Montgomery Clift.

At a time when "The Method" was transforming the prevailing approach to onscreen acting, Lancaster had to rely solely on his natural gifts. Reportedly he always felt competitive with Brando, which seems only natural: Burt had turned down the original Broadway part of Stanley in "A Streetcar Named Desire" that made the brooding young actor a star, and a quarter century later he would lose the plum role of Don Corleone in "The Godfather" to the enigmatic Brando.

Still, this heightened awareness of precisely who he was up against served him well: it made him focus on honing his craft and take more risks to extend his range.

Lancaster was also one of the first Hollywood personalities to create his own production company. In 1948, Hecht-Hill-Lancaster was formed specifically to guide his career. Though the business was not always run efficiently, the decisions made on behalf of its founder were most often dead-on.

Perhaps Brando was thought to be a better actor, and other stars may have proved more popular in any given year, but over the long haul, few would make stronger movie choices more consistently than Burt Lancaster.

(This fact is reflected on our website, where no less than 22 Lancaster titles are featured.)

Here are just 10 of them that I believe reflect his very best work:

Brute Force (1947): Tough, unsmiling inmate Joe Collins (Lancaster) has spent much of his long prison term butting heads with sadistic, power-hungry Captain Munsey (Hume Cronyn). Sentenced to a merciless work detail in the subterranean drainpipe after one of Munsey's stool pigeons is killed in a machine-shop accident, Collins determines to hatch a breakout plan with his cellmates. Jules Dassin's gritty prison melodrama puts a twist on the archetypal bust-out scheme by revisiting, in flashback, the pre-penitentiary lives of Collins -- ably played by an intense young Lancaster -- and his crew, colorfully brought to life by character actors Whit Bissell, Howard Duff, and John Hoyt. In a fine performance, Charles Bickford appears as the prison's gruff de facto leader and newspaper editor who throws in his lot with Collins. The other ace in Dassin's deck is Cronyn, playing a corrupt, savage prison guard bent on bringing "discipline" to his inmates, while nursing a megalomaniacal ambition to replace the wimpy Warden. Aside from the ominous noir visuals, Dassin explores issues endemic to prison life and wraps them up in an ugly finale meant to evoke a Nazi bloodbath.

The Crimson Pirate (1952): Captain Vallo (Lancaster) -- the most energetic and cunning of 18th-century pirates -- seizes a cache of ammunition from a Spanish ship and decides to sell it to the rebels of Spain. An agent from Spain then offers Vallo a sizable bribe if he agrees to snatch the rebel leader instead. The pirate is torn between his love of money and a nagging sense of honor which draws him to the rebels' side. Lancaster's showbiz start as an acrobat is on full display in this kinetic, vibrant and spirited adventure; both his grace in motion and youthful charisma dazzle. Eva Bartok makes a fetching love interest as well. And Burt's old acrobat pal Nick Cravat is on-hand playing Vallo's mute sidekick (the studio wouldn't let him speak on-screen because of his thick New York accent). Cravat matches the young star's impressive moves, if not his million-watt smile. Also look for Christopher Lee and Dana Wynter in minor roles. Lots of action and color fill this sweeping picture, which is certain to enthrall grown-ups and children alike. By all means, set sail with "The Crimson Pirate."

From Here to Eternity (1953): Based on James Jones' epic novel, a tough marine sergeant (Lancaster) begins a torrid affair with the wife of his commanding officer (Deborah Kerr), while a lowly private (Montgomery Clift) becomes a tragic victim of his own boxing prowess. All this happens right on Pearl Harbor, just as that naval outpost -- and the United States itself -- literally get bombed into World War II. "Eternity" virtually swept the 1953 Oscars -- and no wonder. It remains a fascinating, multi-layered human drama set within the larger canvas of impending conflict. The all-star cast is uniformly excellent, with Lancaster's performance providing the glue that holds the picture together. Also, Frank Sinatra's Oscar-winning turn as hot-headed, scrawny Maggio single-handedly revived his sagging career. And the torrid (for the time) beach scene with Lancaster and Kerr still qualifies as one of cinema's most indelible images. And just wait for that culminating Pearl Harbor attack sequence. A must see.

Sweet Smell of Success (1957): Desperate to promote one of his clients, slimy press flack Sidney Falco (Tony Curtis) turns to the most powerful man he knows: acid-tongued gossip columnist J.J Hunsecker (Lancaster), who can make or break anyone in New York. Falco gets what he needs from Hunsecker, but then is maneuvered to help ruin a mild-mannered jazz trumpeter (Martin Milner) with eyes for the poison-pen scribe's younger sister (Susan Harrison). Turning from his comedic work at Britain's Ealing Studios to direct this noirish, all-American masterpiece about greed, ambition, and the perversity of power, Alexander MacKendrick relied on estimable playwright Clifford Odets and writer Ernest Lehman for their scripting talent. What resulted was one of the most cynical, caustic films ever made about the sleazy underbelly of Manhattan show business, featuring blistering performances from Lancaster and a young Curtis in his prime. "I love this dirty town," proclaims the Walter Winchell-esque Hunsecker, and you never once doubt him. Sinister, tawdry, and burnished with a tone-perfect jazz score by Elmer Bernstein, "Success" was never this twisted.

Elmer Gantry (1960): Hiding his dissolute leanings, charismatic street preacher Elmer Gantry (Lancaster) teams up with touring tent revivalist Sister Sharon Falconer (Jean Simmons) to spread the word of God, and before long the two are making money hand over fist. Falconer falls in love with Gantry, and with her new spoils, he builds an enormous house of worship by the ocean. But the mercurial minister's womanizing past is about to revisit them in the person of Lulu (Shirley Jones), a jilted prostitute out for a little payback. Based on the bestselling novel by Sinclair Lewis, this tale of a lustful, larger-than-life charlatan's fall from grace owes its strength to the force of Lancaster's dynamic, Oscar-winning performance. His Gantry preaches hellfire and brimstone, but loves life -- and women -- with a hearty gusto that is as pure as Sister Falconer's vanity is unbecoming. Jones also took home an Oscar, playing against type in a sultry turn as a minister's "fallen" daughter who became Gantry's lover. Also great is Arthur Kennedy as an atheist journalist modeled on the legendary H.L. Mencken. Fiery and sharp, Richard Brooks's satirical take on Bible-thumping hypocrisy and hucksterism still speaks volumes in today's world.

The Leopard (1963): This sweeping film portrays a transitional period in 19th-century Italy when the old aristocracy gave way to the rising middle classes to forge a more democratic nation. This societal change is glimpsed through the eyes of the aging prince Don Fabrizio Salina (Lancaster), decidedly of the old Italy, who views its passing philosophically. Luchino Visconti's exquisite epic weaves the theme of societal upheaval into a sumptuous cinematic tapestry. The impossibly beautiful Alain Delon and Claudia Cardinale play two young lovers who represent the incoming order. Meanwhile, a meticulously dubbed Lancaster gives a flavorful, commanding performance as Delon's uncle. The film's final set piece is a particular stunner, often cited as one of the most visually arresting sequences in all film. This is one "Leopard" you should definitely approach. (Trivia note: both Brando and Laurence Olivier were considered for Lancaster's role here, just as all three acting titans would compete for the part of Don Corleone nearly 10 years later.)

The Train (1964): Cold-blooded Colonel Von Waldheim (Paul Scofield) wants to remove a cache of priceless art from France by train in the waning days of the Nazi occupation. With the help of some gallant friends in the Resistance, including comely innkeeper Christine (Jeanne Moreau) railroad worker Paul Labiche (Lancaster) takes on the dangerous task of derailing this mission. John Frankenheimer's pulse-pounding war film is lean and riveting, as Lancaster's character works intrepidly to foil Von Waldheim's exacting plans. Lancaster is restrained and no-nonsense as Labiche -- thankfully he doesn't even attempt a French accent, while Scofield is icy perfection as the ruthless Von Waldheim. This is one of my personal favorites from the '60s and ranks among the talented Frankenheimer's best work.

The Swimmer (1968): Hopping from one backyard swimming pool to another in suburban Connecticut, affluent, middle-aged ad executive Ned (Lancaster) appears to be fit and happy. His neighbors, however, seem distraught and worried about Ned's mental state, and it slowly becomes evident that his destination is not just home, but a reckoning with the devastating truth of his past -- and present. Frank Perry's heart-wrenching adaptation of the celebrated John Cheever short story digs under the skin of suburban malaise to reveal a kind of festering wound of disappointment, represented by a man absolutely naked in his psychological trauma. Lancaster never really gave a bad performance, but here he is riveting, playing a manic, effusively upbeat man who keeps insisting to everyone that he's "okay." Slowly, of course, we come to realize some darker things about Ned, and why he's really not okay at all. Perry handles the slow reveal with magisterial grace, with all of it building to a shattering final image. Stylishly photographed and robustly acted, this unforgettable film will swim through your brain for a long time.

Atlantic City (1980): Lou Pasco (Lancaster) is a remnant of the old Atlantic City, a fading numbers runner who takes care of Grace (Kate Reid), the lonely, elderly widow of a mob boss. His neighbor Sally Matthews (Susan Sarandon) is a symbol of the city's coming revitalization with legalized gambling -- a young waitress and aspiring blackjack dealer who hopes one day to work in a Monte Carlo casino. Lou comes into unexpected money via a botched drug deal, and finally gets the chance to live the dream he'd almost given up on, one that includes a new wardrobe, a wad of cash, and Sally on his arm. But will Lou's new reality last, and will Sally get the chance to make her own dreams come true? Hypnotic film by French director Louis Malle deals with themes of decay and regeneration in both character and setting. Lou personifies the past, Sally the future, with Atlantic City itself the transitional present making it possible for this unlikely duo to connect. Sarandon is luminous, but Lancaster's Lou forms the movie's heart and soul. A top-notch script by John Guare completes a winning package. This "City" is well worth a visit.

Local Hero (1983): A large Texas oil and gas company wants to purchase a small Scottish town and turn it into a refinery. The company sends along Mac (Peter Riegert), the proverbial smooth salesman, to negotiate with the locals. Any hopes of closing the deal quickly evaporate as Mac must adjust to the more leisurely rhythms of the town's natives. To force matters to a head, Mr. Happer (Lancaster), the company's remote, eccentric leader, ultimately flies in for a personal visit. But is oil the only thing on Happer's mind? Bursting with personality and charm, "Hero" is a touching fable about finding magic in the everyday business of living. Riegert is spot-on as Mac, a man who thinks he understands his place in the world and then gets gradually transformed by a special time and place. A charming Lancaster dominates the film's later scenes as the star-struck Happer. This feature is heroic indeed: a movie with heart and spirit that gradually sneaks up on you.

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Inspiration Over Perspiration: The Best Almodovar by Farr

Brett Ratner's recent anti-gay slur wasn't the first thing he said that sounded just plain stupid.

Did anyone notice his quote in the recent puff piece about him in the New York Times ("Forget the Art House; He's Making Blockbusters," 10/30/11)?

Ratner, all ready to foist the lame Tower Heist on an unsuspecting mass audience, made this dubious claim: "It's so funny how people look down on commercial filmmaking. But it's a much harder skill to make movies for millions of people... than it is a pretentious art house film."

I confess that little nugget of wisdom left me scratching my head.

Later on in the same piece, Heist star Ben Stiller had this to say about Ratner: "Sometimes [it] seems like he's going a million miles an hour in a lot of directions at once. But it's a real talent to be able to corral everyone and push this big machine forward everyday."

This big, lumbering machine, it turns out, with one-dimensional characters and plot holes the size of Phoenix.

It appears that Ratner's approach to his work tends to emphasize size over substance, action over character and perspiration over inspiration.

Unfortunately, even in the realm of escapist entertainment, without at least a measure of inspiration, what shows up on the screen is usually forgettable at best, and it really doesn't matter how much "harder" it is to do.

And character, substance, and inspiration can serve a juicy thriller exceedingly well. For proof, check out Pedro Almodovar's The Skin I Live In.

Even though this astonishing film is only playing on about 80 screens (as opposed to over 3,300 for Tower Heist) it's worth a trip to whatever pretentious art house is showing it.

A tale of a scientist who exacts a most unusual form of revenge on the young man that victimized his daughter, Skin is gorgeously shot, paced, and acted. Clearly it owes a debt not only to Hitchcock but also Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, but Almodovar makes it feel fresh, original and contemporary.

And while Pedro makes it look easy, I have a feeling it's not.

In a medium where it's common for directors to fall into familiar patterns, over a nearly thirty-year directing career, Almodovar has defied formula and easy labeling.

Yes -- there are recurring themes: he often addresses gender issues in his films (Skin is no exception) and he often builds his stories around strong female characters. In addition, his storytelling has a daring, edgy, off-kilter quality that at times feels reminiscent of surrealist (and fellow countryman) Luis Bunuel.

Still, his body of work avoids a feeling of sameness, with each new feature containing an element of surprise and a sense of progression. As a filmmaker, Pedro is aging beautifully.

It's worth noting that Almodovar never went to film school -- he could never afford it. Arriving from rural Spain to Madrid in the late sixties, he basically had nothing. He managed to scrape together enough money to buy a cheap Super 8 camera, and his cinematic voyage (and ours) commenced.

Like the brilliant Indian director Satyajit Ray, Almodovar honed his craft by learning to do more with less. In closing, I would simply suggest to Brett Ratner that doing this is pretty hard as well.

The following titles make up my short list of "primo Pedro":

Women On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakdown (1988) -- When pregnant Spanish actress Pepa (Carmen Maura) finds out that her longtime lover Ivan (Fernando Guillén) is leaving her, she tries to track him down. Instead, she discovers his secret life, including wife Lucia (Julieta Serrano). Contemplating suicide, the distraught Pepa mixes up a gazpacho spiked with sleeping pills and puts her flat on the market, but is interrupted by her panicked best friend Candela (Barranco) followed by wave after wave of unexpected visitors. Almodovar's first international hit, this kinetic, farcical romp mixes up absurd comic situations and bizarre, coincidental encounters between ex-lovers, jealous wives, Shiite terrorists and sexy apartment seekers. Maura heads up a terrific cast, playing the hysteric Pepa with pathos and manic passion, while Barranco and Serrano (as Ivan's unhinged, gun-toting wife) are brilliantly zany. Watch for future Hollywood star Antonio Banderas in a small but memorable role as Ivan's randy son. No one does screwball comedy like Almodovar, or loves these "Women" quite as much.

All About My Mother (1999) -- When her son is killed in a hit-and-run accident, emotionally devastated single mom Manuela (Cecilia Roth) returns to her old stomping ground in Barcelona. After reacquainting herself with transvestite hooker Agrado (Antonia San Juan), she meets Sister Rosa (Penelope Cruz), a young nun with troubles of her own. Through a series of coincidences, she becomes a personal assistant to Huma Rojo (Marisa Paredes), a famous actress whose autograph her son was seeking the night he was run over. A spellbinding, character-driven drama with lots of twists and turns, Almodóvar's Mother is an homage to female actresses and anyone with a maternal instinct. With his trademark visual flair and empathy for fringe feminine types -- hookers, transvestites, druggies, and distraught single women in particular -- Almodóvar spins an engaging, melodramatic story with heavy allusions to All About Eve and A Streetcar Named Desire. Roth, Paredes, Cruz, and San Juan all give affecting, spirited performances, and the director himself snagged two awards at Cannes for this masterful film. Why not let Almodóvar "Mother" you?

Talk To Her (2002) -- Tabloid journalist Marco (Dario Grandinetti) falls for feisty bullfighter Lydia (Rosario Flores), the subject of a celebrity gossip piece he's working on, but she is gored in the ring and sent to the hospital in a coma. In an adjoining room, private nurse Benigno (Javier Camara) devotes himself to caring for Alicia (Leonor Watling), a beautiful young dancer who for years has lain comatose after a car accident. Meeting by chance at a theater, the two men find they have much in common and strike up a friendship. A slyly subversive ode to love in all its myriad forms, Talk to Her is an intimate, involving tale that examines the dark and even perverse nature of masculinity with great compassion. As always, Almodovar, who won an Oscar for his screenplay and was also nominated for his direction, coaxes exemplary performances from his players, especially Grandinetti -- whose teary Marco is movingly guilt-ridden about Lydia's injuries -- and Camara, playing a naive man whose obsessive attachment to Alicia takes a black-comic turn. With its striking visual flair and even a mini silent-film fantasy evoking Buster Keaton, Talk to Her is an audacious love fable with an enormous heart.

Bad Education (2004) -- After many years, gay film director Enrique (Fele Martinez) gets a visit from old classmate Ignacio (Gael Garcia Bernal), who was Enrique's first love. Ignacio is now a struggling actor who calls himself Angel. He offers Enrique a script based on his Catholic school experience, with a revenge twist imposed on a sexually abusive priest. The movie combines the playing out of the script with real life, and identities get consciously blurred. Is the young actor really Ignacio, and if not, who is he? This potent, complex film features a stunning, gender-bending performance from Garcia Bernal, and an ingenious plot that has us shifting between Ignacio's story as written and real-life. Themes of human and sexual identity mix with a sordid tale of abuse and revenge to create a dense, twisty thriller. Note: those uncomfortable with depictions of simulated gay sex should opt for the R-rated version. Another memorable and distinctive entry from writer/director Almodovar.

Volver (2007) -- Raimunda (Penelope Cruz) is a smart, sexy, vivacious woman living in Madrid with her adolescent daughter Paula (Yohana Cobo) and layabout husband, Paco (Antonio de la Torre). Nearby lives Raimunda's younger sister, Sole (Lola Dueas), who works as a hair stylist and accompanies Raimunda on visits to see their senile elderly aunt. The aunt lives in La Mancha, together with the ghost of their mother Irene (Carmen Maura), who perished years before in a house fire. After a couple of deaths close to home shake up their lives, Raimunda and Sole begin to uncover the sordid truth behind their family past. Part murder mystery, part ghost story, and one hundred percent witty, estrogen-fueled fantasy, Almodovar's story of three generations of women is one of the Spanish director's most exuberant films. Enamored of outcasts and oddballs, Almodovar here introduces an element of the supernatural to make an already compelling story of sex, lies, and secrecy even more intriguing. Channeling her inner Anna Magnani, Cruz is a force of nature bursting with brassy verve and self-confidence, especially during her heart-melting solo rendition of the flamenco song "Volver." Co-stars Dueñas, Maura, and Blanca Portillo, playing a cancer-ridden friend of the family, make this moving, enchanting drama an irresistible ensemble film.

Broken Embraces (2009) -- Blind screenwriter and onetime film director Mateo (Luis Homar), who writes under the pen name "Harry Caine," feels that he lives life as "an epilogue," having experienced almost everything. But he remembers a time before he lost his sight in an auto accident when he passionately courted and won over his leading lady, Lena (Penelope Cruz). Recalling the ill-fated shoot 14 years before, he recounts to his assistant Judit (Blanco Portillo) how Lena's jealous lover Ernesto (Jose Luis Gomez), now deceased, strong-armed his gay son Ray (Ruben Ochandiano) into spying on her under the guise of making a documentary about their collaboration. Broken Embraces, an elaborately structured roundelay of flashbacks and proliferating storylines, is a heady romantic melodrama that's as much about the dark magic of moviemaking as it is passion and revenge. Hitchcock and Douglas Sirk both come to mind as influences on Almodovar's noirish love-gone-wrong tale, but the gorgeous cinematography, frenetic time shifts, and charmingly bold set designs are all Pedro. Impressive as ever, Cruz is a fiery and delectable presence in whatever persona she assumes (a Spanish Marilyn Monroe, in one sequence). Ultimately a pastiche of film history gussied up a sultry thriller, Broken Embraces is a stately, thoroughly tempting affair.

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She Who Dares: The Astonishing Work of Tilda Swinton

Believe it or not, in a pop culture filled with mindless reality shows and slick formula franchises, there are still a few players out there whose work offers a glimmer of hope that originality and intelligence can prevail.

Tilda Swinton is one such player.

It is heartening that at 50, her career is in red-hot mode. Her next film, We Need To Talk About Kevin just won top prize at the BFI London Film Festival. Director John Madden, the festival jury chair, stated he was "... simply bowled over... it's a sublime, uncompromising tale of the torment that can stand in the place of love."

The word "uncompromising" sounds like the perfect word to describe Tilda Swinton. She is drawn almost exclusively to smart, challenging, edgy projects, and she is utterly fearless in the roles she chooses.

In "Kevin" (which opens December 9th) she plays a mother coming to grips with the fact that her son has perpetrated a Columbine-type massacre at his school. This is the just the type of intense portrayal Swinton does best.

Even if the harrowing nature of "Kevin" puts off some viewers, one thing is certain: those who value superb acting will likely see it, because it stars Tilda Swinton.

Striking rather than beautiful, Swinton is transfixing on-screen. Watching her is like riding an express train into the inner life of her (usually) high-strung, vulnerable characters -- a decidedly unsettling but fascinating place to be.

Swinton, who'd eventually rebel against most anything safe and conventional, was born into a life of sheltered privilege. Descended from one of Scotland's oldest families, she attended Cambridge, then did a stint with the prestigious Royal Shakespeare Company, where she felt stifled and left after one year. Drawn to the avant-garde, she wanted to experiment, to pursue a more daring and provocative path as an artist.

Though trained in the theatre, Swinton was increasingly drawn to film, and a fateful meeting with British director Derek Jarman in the mid-eighties proved pivotal. She would maintain a close working relationship with him, appearing in seven of his productions, until Jarman succumbed to AIDS in 1994.

Still, it was the film Orlando (1992), her gender-bending collaboration with writer/director Sally Potter, that launched her internationally. She has barely looked back since.

True, Swinton's work is not for everyone, certainly not those addicted to "light entertainment." But if you like your movies dark and deep, this is one amazing actress who always delivers the goods, and never sells out.

Orlando (1992)- Young Orlando (Swinton) is an English nobleman living an idle life in the early 1600s. After a visit from Queen Elizabeth (Quentin Crisp) leaves him unexpectedly immortal, his life stretches out endlessly before him, allowing for adventures far beyond the reach of imagination. After stints as a poet, ambassador and erstwhile lover of Russian royalty, he switches genders and continues journeying, but from a decidedly feminine perspective. His/her lifelong quest is to discover the purest, most powerful love; that search spans centuries and continents in this adaptation of Virginia Woolf's famous novel. Swinton's breakthrough turn as the androgynous Orlando is reason enough to see this daringly original film. Sally Potter's adaptation is playful, intelligent and witty -- she takes us through the centuries, but we're never lost, and she always makes time for humorous asides. Academy Award-nominated for its lush production design and costumes, this swooning romance manages to engage the mind as well as the eye. Indeed, Orlando is what all literary adaptations should aspire to be.

The War Zone (1999)- After reluctantly relocating from London to the harsh coastline of Devon with his family, isolated, sexually frustrated teenager Tom (Freddie Cunliffe) is forced to live in cramped quarters with his sister Jessie (Lara Belmont), pregnant mother (Swinton), and overbearing Dad (Ray Winstone), the only family member who seems happy with their move. Then, one afternoon, the peeping Tom makes a disturbing discovery about his father that threatens to destroy the entire clan. The first-time directorial effort of British actor Tim Roth ("Reservoir Dogs," "Pulp Fiction"), "War Zone" is a bleak, harrowing tale of incest and domestic disturbance, adapted by Alexander Stuart from his own novel. To his credit, Roth not only assembles an excellent cast headed by future arthouse celebs Winstone and Swinton, he directs with a gloomy, even claustrophobic flair that recalls vintage Bergman. Though brutal and unsparing in its depiction of family dysfunction, The War Zone never fails to captivate.

The Deep End (2001)- When the body of her 17-year-old son's predatory former gay lover washes up on their lakefront property one morning, Margaret Hall (Swinton) does what any desperate mother might do: she gets rid of the corpse. Not long after, small time hood Alek Spera (Goran Visnjic) pops up on her doorstep, with an incriminating videotape and an impossible monetary demand. Ensuing negotiations make Alek sympathetic to Margaret's impossible position, but Alek's psychopathic boss (Raymond Barry) is less understanding. In this vivid nail-biter, a remake of Max Ophuls's "The Reckless Moment," Swinton is flawless as a woman who must carry on with the mundane details of her life while bearing a life-threatening burden alone. Visnjic excels as the conflicted middle-man, but Barry is most memorable as an impatient, cold-blooded gangster. Even with momentary graphic sex and some violence, the film's dramatic tension derives wholly from Swinton's character, and our appreciation of one mother's lonely, desperate predicament. Taut and suspenseful, "The Deep End" is not to be missed.

Adaptation (2002)- Sad-sack, chronically self-doubting Hollywood screenwriter Charlie Kaufman (Nicolas Cage) is hired to script "The Orchid Thief", written by New Yorker scribe Susan Orlean (Meryl Streep). Obsessed with the foxy author, and struggling with how to faithfully adapt the tale of Orleans's intriguing friendship with a renegade rare-flower expert John Laroche (Chris Cooper), Kaufman becomes increasingly stressed, unhinged, and of course, innovative in his approach. Meanwhile, studio producer Valerie Thomas (Swinton) is breathing down his neck. This brilliant meta-narrative and hilarious spoof of Hollywood's formulaic approach to telling stories, Adaptation is the brainchild of Jonze and real-life writer Kaufman, who had teamed earlier on Being John Malkovich. In fact, Kaufman really was hired to adapt the Orlean book, and took a chance writing a zany, highly inventive script about his neurotic inability to wedge it into a conventional plot structure. He also invented a fictitious alter ego, twin brother Donald, who despite being a noodle-brained philistine, knows how to write a crack blockbuster. Cage's sweaty, uncomfortable turn in both roles is pure angst-filled genius, and pros Streep, Swinton and Cooper (who nabbed an Oscar) match his inspired playing throughout.

Michael Clayton (2007)- New York City lawyer Michael Clayton (George Clooney) is a "fixer" for a big firm, cleaning up the dirty messes his high-paying clients leave behind, but lately he's been feeling burned out and disillusioned. Things come to a head for Clayton when his guilt-ridden friend, ace lawyer Arthur Edens (Tom Wilkinson), decides to blow the whistle on a corporate client's massive wrongdoing, thereby threatening his career, his sanity, even his life. One of the thorniest and most celebrated legal thrillers in years, "Clayton" marks the directorial debut of "Bourne" trilogy screenwriter Tony Gilroy, whose film is distinguished by whip-smart dialogue, meticulous pacing, and plenty of riveting tension. A-lister Clooney adopts a quieter, less showy pose as a troubled lawyer torn between his loyalty to firm honcho Sydney Pollack and his pal Wilkinson, who gives an astounding performance as an erratic, manic-depressive lawyer at the breaking point. As you'd expect, the no-nonsense Swinton is superb as the offending Client's top lawyer (she won an Oscar for this). Gilroy handles all the intrigue -- a cover-up, then a murder--with cold efficiency, but catharsis does arrive in the final scene.

Julia (2008)- Julia (Swinton) is an out-of-control alcoholic whose manipulative behavior has finally tested the patience of her boss, who fires her, and a close friend, Mitch (Saul Rubinek), who doles out some tough love. At an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting (which, of course, she scorns), Julia meets broken, obviously unhinged Elena (Kate del Castillo), who pleads with her to kidnap her estranged young son from her wealthy industrialist father. Julia, desperate for money, agrees, but has no intention of carrying through with the plan for anyone's benefit but her own. Swinton turns in another tour de force performance in Erick Zonca's cross-border thriller, playing a conniving, selfish drunk who resorts to crime and other extreme measures when she loses her job. The kidnapping goes awry, of course, but that's just the beginning of Julia's trek into the lower depths with a scared kid (Aidan Gould) who quickly figures out she's no friend. Zonca keeps the action on full throttle, all the way south to Mexico, but there's no question this is Swinton's film. A great crime movie, Julia also provides a fitting showcase for one gifted actress.

I Am Love (2009)- Love takes us into the cosseted world of the stylish and beautiful Recchi family, who own highly successful textile mills in Milan. Originally from Russia, over the years matriarch Emma (Swinton) has integrated herself seamlessly into this Italian dynasty. Fissures appear in their well-ordered, well-appointed lives when succession plans are announced at the family company, and Emma's beloved son Edo (Flavio Parenti) is elevated to share power with his father. Later, when Edo introduces Emma to his friend Antonio (Eduardo Gabriellini), a gifted chef, an unlikely, all-consuming romance develops, threatening to tear the whole family apart. This visually sumptuous film stimulates all the senses as its tale of forbidden romance and simmering family dysfunction unfolds. Once again, the virtuosic Swinton pulls off a demanding central role, speaking both Russian and Italian; her passion and sense of liberation as she eyes her young lover literally jumps off the screen at you. That said, if there ever was a director's picture, this is it. Luca Guadagnino's nimble camerawork brings a mesmerizing immediacy to the proceedings, making these telegenic actors look even more stunning, and the production design even more breathtaking. If not an outright masterpiece, Love is certainly close to it.

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