2. Nicole Kidman as Grace in Dogville (2003)
Nicole Kidman has been everywhere this decade (so far) and nowhere was she finer than in Lars Von Trier's masterpiece Dogville as a mafia daughter fleeing her father through the Rockys and setting up stump in the town at the end of the road - Dogville.
When I saw this film it hit me like a sack of bricks. I wasn't expecting this. And while the fair share of that is because of Lars, Nicole does a lot of heavy lifting herself. It's fascinating, in a slightly disturbing sort of way, to watch Nicole in this movie. I can't help that feel that by the time Grace is walking around with the tire with almost no life left inside her that Nicole too had a similar feeling. And that by the big finale showdown with her father (James Caan) she just wants to vent some fuckin' anger!
And how about that finale, ey? The third act finale is just amazing to watch. Seeing Nicole and James go tit for tat in a battle of the minds about life, violence and vengeance. "Dogs only obey their own nature, why shouldn't we forgive them" (who thinks that was written by Lars as much about America as it is a hit to his critics? I do) Watching Nicole, in these moments quickly losing her downtrodden shyness and become a (sorry, spoiler) a coldblooded killer.
No matter what you think of the film (anti-american bile or stunning masterpiece or whatever in between) I can't see how you can fault Kidman as she makes the role of Grace completely her own (which has come back to bite Lars AND Bryce Dallas Howard in the arse). The way she sinks her voice back (even moreso than in Birth and wonderfully decides to remain hidden (performance wise) is something that not many actresses would do. In other hands, Grace may have been a Jennifer-Aniston-esque-staring-depressionado, but here in such capable understanding hands it becomes a marvellous study in understated acting prowess. And it feels like a fitting way to cap off the list... if it weren't for one of Nicole's own best friends.
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