Cate & Judi

I've always loved her - Elizabeth, The Talented Mr Ripley, The Aviator...Cate Blanchett is a goddess.

But I've seen her in three of the last four movies i've watched. And she's as amazing as ever!

Babel, The Good German, Notes on a Scandal...my gods, the woman's a genius!!!
Tragic in Babel, irredeemable and without a single noble quality in The Good German; vulnerable, alternately weak and strong, fallen, and finally after paying the wages of sin (as it were), somewhat redeemed in Notes on a Scandal. All three characters brilliantly flawed, damaged, wounded...but never dull, never unbelievable, never gratuitous. I love her. I love her. I love her.

PS -
Dame Judi Dench (I worship her; when I say grace she is the one who listens!!!), loveable in A Fine Romance and As Time Goes By, charming in Tea With Mussolini, gracious in Shakespeare in Love, regal in Mrs. Brown, adorably grand in Mrs Henderson Presents, strong in the Bond flicks, glamorous in The Importance of Being Ernest, enchanting in Last of the Blond Bombshells, sweetly pathetic in Ladies in Lavender, warmly prickly in Chocolat - this actor who is so easy to love in every single role manages in her 70s to convincingly portray a demented, evil, woman stalking shrew in Notes on a Scandal. Who knew that one could ever be afraid of Judi? But she is very intense and disturbing as the lonely, battle axe, needy, hardened, matronly public school teacher in Notes. Her range apparently knows no limits. And she is brilliantly paired with Blanchett in this film. A must see!!!