When is Julia Stiles finally going to become a superstar? I mean, the woman is gorgeous, smart and talented. And when she speaks, that low, sexy voice makes me wish she were speaking to me. Saying things I would never repeat in polite company.
I first noticed Stiles in Mona Lisa Smile, in which she played Joan, the bright pre-law student who believed she could have either a family or a career, not both. (Stiles shared her take on the movie in an article for The Guardian.) The film should have been better than it was, but, as a sucker for sap, I enjoyed it. More importantly, I got what I thought was a glimpse of greatness in Stiles’ performance.
Being a good fan, I went to see her next movie, The Prince & Me, the weekend it opened – two hours of my life I can never get back. Julia, Julia – what were you thinking? Whatever possessed her to do Princewas still at work several years later when she did The Omen. The fact that this remake was released at all proves that “the curse of The Omen“
is true. I had a spark of hope when I read Dorothy Snarker’s blog earlier this year about Stiles’ directorial debut, Raving, with Zooey Deschanel, but if it’s been released, it hasn’t been to my neck of the woods.
If Stiles has the chops to succeed, we’ll see her brilliance in The Bell Jar. And now comes word of another promising project, as Stiles has signed to star in Cry of the Owl as a woman who falls in love with her stalker. A French adaptation of the Patricia Highsmith novel was mediocre at best, so perhaps this will be a rare instance of a remake that improves on the original. And perhaps this will be the breakthrough role that brings Stiles the recognition I still think she deserves. Do you acknowledge the greatness of Julia Stiles? What role are you looking forward to? Has anyone seen Raving? Can Stiles overcome bad film choices with a breakthrough performance? And will you ever forgive her for The Prince & Me?
