It’s kind of a crime how some actors are used in so many different ways and then just kind of passed up when it comes to handing out nominations despite the fact that they’re among the best in the business. Maria Bello has been around Hollywood now for the past three decades and has been rocking every part she’s ever been given. She’s appeared in some movies that were great but little to no credit and she’s appeared in some that were awesome and she was kind of pushed to the side when it came to recognition. Overall though she’s been the driving force behind some movies and the best part of others. Aside from being a very beautiful woman she has the kind of acting talent that is very malleable to any given circumstance and she can create characters that are believable and even specifically fashioned for each film. Ever watch an actor that seems to have the same mannerisms for each and every part they play? Maria Bellow is not one of them as she can fashion herself into a different person it seems with every role she takes on.
Here are just a few clips to make that point a little clearer.
Secret Window
Anytime someone is starring in a movie based on a story by Stephen King you know someone’s going to get messed up. King isn’t known for keeping a lot of his characters alive to the final chaper, and it’s no different with this story. What started as a short story quickly became a movie that many people would agree is uniquely scary but somehow got overlooked when it came time for recognition. Maybe it wasn’t considered to be that good or maybe it was just pitted up against a story that people understood in an easier manner. In many ways being a writer does make this movie a little easier to understand. You get a better idea of just why a writer would go crazy, and what the people around them have to deal with.
Coyote Ugly
Ever been to a bar you just didn’t want to leave because it was that much fun? That’s Coyote Ugly, a place you could fall in love with, and not just because the bartenders are gorgeous women that love to dance on the bar and serve with an attitude, but because it’s the kind of place you could go and just feel like being yourself more often than not. Plus the idea of being in place like this that’s run by someone like Lil is just too much to pass up. Her role in this film was the hard-nosed boss that liked to have fun so long as people weren’t breaking her rules. She had a soft spot for her bartenders and let a lot go, but only to a point. The fact that she did win Blockbuster Entertainment award for this film, as Best Supporting Actress, is expected since she was the heart and soul of the production while Violet, played by Piper Perabo, was the star.
Grown Ups
It was kind of easy to lose her in the mix in this film since there were so many stars in it that she was kind of forced to just play along and do her part. But she did manage to get a lot of good scenes and great dialogue in. The pool scene in which she and the other ladies were checking out the big, ripped hunk that sounded like Flipper was especially entertaining, but the shock of seeing her character breastfeeding a 4-year old was enough to drop jaws and make people wonder just what was going on. Of course from a comedy standpoint it worked beautifully since to be honest there are people out there that would agree with such a thing.
Big Driver
Rape is a very big issue when it comes to real life and to the movies. It’s a despicable act that leaves many women feeling powerless and unable to do anything. However, Tess is not any woman. After being left for dead she rises up and decides to do something about it, confronting her attacker and his accomplices before getting the justice she feels she deserves. While this might seem like a plausible way to deal with rapists it’s definitely something best left to fiction, though you can’t deny that she plays the part beautifully and is more than capable of seeming like the kind of woman that would go out and deal with her problems rather than lock them away for years at a time. Sometimes the best punishment for a crime is to insure that the people that committed it are never allowed to do the same thing again.
Seriously, this woman needs to be nominated for an Oscar soon.
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