My favourite female performances/characters/stories...
by pasileno | created - 22 Mar 2013 | updated - 06 Aug 2013 | Public- Instant Watch Options
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1. Enlightened (2011–2013)
TV-MA | 28 min | Comedy, Drama
A self-destructive woman who has a spiritual awakening becomes determined to live an enlightened life, creating havoc at home and work.
Stars: Laura Dern, Diane Ladd, Sarah Burns, Luke Wilson
Votes: 10,199
Simply one of the best TV series of the last decade...
2. Certified Copy (2010)
Not Rated | 106 min | Drama, Romance
In Tuscany to promote his latest book, a middle-aged British writer meets a French woman who leads him to the village of Lucignano. While there, a chance question reveals something deeper.
Director: Abbas Kiarostami | Stars: Juliette Binoche, William Shimell, Jean-Claude Carrière, Agathe Natanson
Votes: 26,877 | Gross: $1.34M
It took me a while to get into this movie but when I did I was swept away. One Binoche's best performances ever, I think. Stunning.
3. Rome, Open City (1945)
Not Rated | 103 min | Drama, Thriller, War
During the Nazi occupation of Rome in 1944, the Resistance leader, Giorgio Manfredi, is chased by the Nazis as he seeks refuge and a way to escape.
Director: Roberto Rossellini | Stars: Anna Magnani, Aldo Fabrizi, Marcello Pagliero, Vito Annichiarico
Votes: 28,953
Anna Magnani is just perfect in this...
4. Chocolat (2000)
PG-13 | 121 min | Drama, Romance
A French woman and her young daughter open up a chocolate shop in a small remote village that shakes up the rigid morality of the community.
Director: Lasse Hallström | Stars: Juliette Binoche, Johnny Depp, Judi Dench, Alfred Molina
Votes: 201,903 | Gross: $71.51M
The movie is much more rose-tinted and lighter than the book, but I still enjoyed it very much. And it made me fall in love with Juliette Binoche...
5. Tutta la vita davanti (2008)
117 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A brilliant recent graduate struggles to find work. After falling into a babysitting job, she is introduced by the child's mother to the world of the international call center, its employees, and the fast pace that drives them.
Director: Paolo Virzì | Stars: Isabella Ragonese, Massimo Ghini, Valerio Mastandrea, Micaela Ramazzotti
Votes: 3,328
One of the best Italian movies of the last two decades and one of my favourites ever. Isabella Ragonese is great in this film.
6. Ladies in Lavender (2004)
PG-13 | 104 min | Drama, Music, Romance
Two sisters befriend a mysterious foreigner who washes up on the beach of their 1930s Cornish seaside village.
Director: Charles Dance | Stars: Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Daniel Brühl, Freddie Jones
Votes: 12,684 | Gross: $6.76M
Warm, funny, sweet without being too cheesy...and great acting.
7. Sunshine Cleaning (2008)
R | 91 min | Comedy, Drama
In order to raise the tuition to send her young son to private school, a mom starts an unusual business -- a biohazard removal/crime scene clean-up service -- with her unreliable sister.
Director: Christine Jeffs | Stars: Amy Adams, Emily Blunt, Alan Arkin, Jason Spevack
Votes: 74,112 | Gross: $12.06M
Really funny, intelligent, moving. Beautiful chemistry between the two female protagonists.
8. Another Year (2010)
PG-13 | 129 min | Comedy, Drama
A look at four seasons in the lives of a happily married couple and their relationships with their family and friends.
Director: Mike Leigh | Stars: Jim Broadbent, Ruth Sheen, Lesley Manville, Oliver Maltman
Votes: 30,867 | Gross: $3.21M
Although unsettling and slightly disturbing, Lesley Manville's character was one of the (dark) gems of this movie.
9. Rachel Getting Married (2008)
R | 113 min | Drama, Romance
A young woman who has been in and out of rehab for the past ten years returns home for the weekend for her sister's wedding.
Director: Jonathan Demme | Stars: Anne Hathaway, Rosemarie DeWitt, Debra Winger, Sebastian Stan
Votes: 51,203 | Gross: $12.80M
I never thought much of Anne Hathaway as an actress but I thought she was really good in this film. A very pleasant surprise.
10. The Hours (2002)
PG-13 | 110 min | Drama, Romance
The story of how the novel "Mrs. Dalloway" affects three generations of women, all of whom, in one way or another, have had to deal with suicide in their lives.
Director: Stephen Daldry | Stars: Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman, Julianne Moore, Stephen Dillane
Votes: 138,473 | Gross: $41.68M
Makes me cry every time I re-watch it...I'm not a particular fan of any of these actresses, Nicole Kidman in particular to be honest, but I thought they were all very good in this film.
11. The Last Station (2009)
R | 112 min | Biography, Drama, Romance
A historical drama that illustrates Russian author Leo Tolstoy's (Christopher Plummer's) struggle to balance fame and wealth with his commitment to a life devoid of material things.
Director: Michael Hoffman | Stars: Helen Mirren, James McAvoy, Christopher Plummer, Paul Giamatti
Votes: 19,152 | Gross: $6.62M
Helen Mirren is so good in everything she does...this isn't an incredibly memorable movie, but her performance makes it worth watching it...
12. Away We Go (2009)
R | 98 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A couple expecting their first child travels the U.S. seeking the perfect "family home." They have misadventures and find fresh connections with relatives and old friends who help them discover "home" on their own terms for the first time.
Director: Sam Mendes | Stars: John Krasinski, Maya Rudolph, Allison Janney, Carmen Ejogo
Votes: 55,067 | Gross: $9.45M
I loved this movie. Quirky and indie without being boringly self-indulgent. Very sweet and realistic. I found her character in particular very interesting.
13. Summer Hours (2008)
Not Rated | 103 min | Drama, Family
Two brothers and a sister witness the disappearance of their childhood memories when they must relinquish the family belongings to ensure their deceased mother's succession.
Director: Olivier Assayas | Stars: Juliette Binoche, Charles Berling, Jérémie Renier, Edith Scob
Votes: 8,169 | Gross: $1.64M
Nice French comedy for a Sunday afternoon! And it's got Juliette Binoche in it...
14. Pride and Prejudice (1995)
TV-PG | 55 min | Drama, Romance
While the arrival of wealthy gentlemen sends her marriage-minded mother into a frenzy, willful and opinionated Elizabeth Bennet matches wits with haughty Mr. Darcy.
Stars: Colin Firth, Jennifer Ehle, Susannah Harker, Julia Sawalha
Votes: 92,242
Alison Steadman is simply the best Mrs Bennett ever...!
15. Volver (I) (2006)
R | 121 min | Comedy, Drama
After her death, a mother returns to her home town in order to fix the situations she couldn't resolve during her life.
Director: Pedro Almodóvar | Stars: Penélope Cruz, Carmen Maura, Lola Dueñas, Blanca Portillo
Votes: 107,451 | Gross: $12.90M
Before this I never really liked Penelope Cruz. I thought she was great in this.
16. Broken Embraces (2009)
R | 127 min | Drama, Romance, Thriller
Harry Caine, a blind writer, reaches this moment in time when he has to heal his wounds from 14 years back. He was then still known by his real name, Mateo Blanco, and directing his last movie.
Director: Pedro Almodóvar | Stars: Penélope Cruz, Lluís Homar, Blanca Portillo, José Luis Gómez
Votes: 42,670 | Gross: $5.01M
Second movie where I thought Penelope Cruz was truly great.
17. Good Morning, Night (2003)
106 min | Drama
The 1978 kidnapping of politician Aldo Moro as seen from the perspective of one of his assailants: a conflicted young woman in the ranks of the Red Brigade.
Director: Marco Bellocchio | Stars: Maya Sansa, Luigi Lo Cascio, Roberto Herlitzka, Paolo Briguglia
Votes: 4,041 | Gross: $0.01M
Maya Sansa is one of my favourite actresses and this is the movie that made me discover her.
18. The Man Who Will Come (2009)
115 min | Drama, War
In the winter of 1943 a young girl named Martina stays silent following the death of her brother several years before. Her mother's pregnancy gives her hope, but as her brother is born the Nazis begin rounding up civilians.
Director: Giorgio Diritti | Stars: Greta Zuccheri Montanari, Claudio Casadio, Alba Rohrwacher, Maya Sansa
Votes: 1,811
Maya Sansa strikes again...
19. Bread and Tulips (2000)
PG-13 | 114 min | Comedy, Romance
After being forgotten in a highway café during a bus trip, a housewife decides to start a new life by herself in Venice.
Director: Silvio Soldini | Stars: Licia Maglietta, Bruno Ganz, Giuseppe Battiston, Antonio Catania
Votes: 10,074 | Gross: $5.31M
Just lovely...very heartfelt feel-good movie Italian style.
20. My Summer of Love (2004)
R | 86 min | Drama, Romance
In the Yorkshire countryside, working-class tomboy Mona meets the exotic, pampered Tamsin. Over the summer season, the two young women discover they have much to teach one another, and much to explore together.
Director: Pawel Pawlikowski | Stars: Natalie Press, Emily Blunt, Paddy Considine, Dean Andrews
Votes: 21,779 | Gross: $0.99M
Terrific performances from both actresses (and Paddy Considine!).
21. Mid-August Lunch (2008)
Not Rated | 75 min | Comedy, Drama
Broke, and armed with only a wry sense of humor, middle-aged Gianni lives with his mother in their old apartment. The debts are mounting, but if Gianni looks after the building manager's mother during the Ferragosto, all will be forgiven.
Director: Gianni Di Gregorio | Stars: Valeria De Franciscis, Marina Cacciotti, Maria Calì, Grazia Cesarini Sforza
Votes: 4,299 | Gross: $0.67M
The elderly ladies in this film are simply stunning - even when they're irritating (which they are pretty often!).
22. Bagdad Cafe (1987)
PG | 95 min | Comedy, Drama
A lonely German woman ends up in the most desolate motel on Earth and decides to make it brighter.
Director: Percy Adlon | Stars: Marianne Sägebrecht, CCH Pounder, Jack Palance, Christine Kaufmann
Votes: 15,191 | Gross: $3.59M
Lovely story...
23. Home (II) (2008)
Not Rated | 98 min | Drama
Life for an isolated rural family is upended when a major highway next to their property, constructed 10 years before but apparently abandoned, is finally opened.
Director: Ursula Meier | Stars: Isabelle Huppert, Olivier Gourmet, Adélaïde Leroux, Madeleine Budd
Votes: 5,029
It's a little sad how this movie went almost unnoticed...I found it really interesting, original, unsettling. Isabelle Huppert is great.
24. Julie & Julia (2009)
PG-13 | 123 min | Biography, Drama, Romance
Julia Child's story of her start in the cooking profession is intertwined with blogger Julie Powell's 2002 challenge to cook all the recipes in Child's first book.
Director: Nora Ephron | Stars: Amy Adams, Meryl Streep, Chris Messina, Stanley Tucci
Votes: 128,821 | Gross: $94.13M
Ok, so this movie is obviously not a masterpiece but I really enjoyed the intertwined stories of these two women.
25. Wives and Daughters (1999)
TV-PG | 75 min | Drama
The daughter of a country doctor copes with an unwanted stepmother, an impetuous stepsister, burdensome secrets, the town gossips, and the tug on her own heartstrings for a man who thinks of her only as a friend.
Stars: Francesca Annis, Justine Waddell, Bill Paterson, Keeley Hawes
Votes: 7,316
Absolutely spot-on performances from all three main characters.
26. Cranford (2007–2009)
TV-PG | 469 min | Drama
In the 1840s, Cranford is ruled by the ladies. They adore good gossip, and romance and change is in the air, as the unwelcome grasp of the Industrial Revolution rapidly approaches their beloved rural market-town.
Stars: Judi Dench, Imelda Staunton, Julia McKenzie, Deborah Findlay
Votes: 10,614
Some of the best British actresses all together in one TV series...nothing much can go wrong (but don't waste your time on the sequel).
27. Respiro (2002)
PG-13 | 90 min | Drama
On an impoverished Italian island, a free-spirited woman is accused of madness by townspeople fed up with her antics.
Director: Emanuele Crialese | Stars: Valeria Golino, Vincenzo Amato, Francesco Casisa, Veronica D'Agostino
Votes: 4,846 | Gross: $1.07M
I'm very partial to this movie because Crialese is one of my favourite directors and this is the film that made me fall in love with his work. Valeria Golino gives an electrifying performance.
28. Agora (2009)
R | 127 min | Adventure, Biography, Drama
A historical drama set in Roman Egypt, concerning a slave who turns to the rising tide of Christianity in the hope of pursuing freedom while falling in love with his mistress, the philosophy and mathematics professor Hypatia of Alexandria.
Director: Alejandro Amenábar | Stars: Rachel Weisz, Max Minghella, Oscar Isaac, Ashraf Barhom
Votes: 73,028 | Gross: $0.62M
Very interesting story, very fascinating female character. I wasn't totally convinced by Rachel Weisz or by the script, but it still is a movie worth watching just to learn more about this woman.
29. Elizabeth I (2005)
TV-MA | 112 min | Biography, Drama, History
Mini-series about the the public and private lives of the later years of Queen Elizabeth I.
Stars: Helen Mirren, Toby Jones, Hugh Dancy, Patrick Malahide
Votes: 7,030
30. The Virgin Queen (2005–2006)
59 min | Biography, Drama, History
From teenage princess to accomplished queen, torn between duty and personal longing, the reign of Elizabeth I is exposed in this lavish drama filmed against a backdrop of some of Great Britain's most beautiful houses and landscapes.
Stars: Anne-Marie Duff, Sienna Guillory, Ian Hart, Tom Hardy
Votes: 3,277
31. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
PG-13 | 120 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
A young Chinese warrior steals a sword from a famed swordsman and then escapes into a world of romantic adventure with a mysterious man in the frontier of the nation.
Director: Ang Lee | Stars: Chow Yun-Fat, Michelle Yeoh, Ziyi Zhang, Chang Chen
Votes: 281,546 | Gross: $128.08M
Finally some proper female action heroines!
32. House of Flying Daggers (2004)
PG-13 | 119 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
A romantic police captain breaks a beautiful member of a rebel group out of prison to help her rejoin her fellows, but things are not what they seem.
Director: Yimou Zhang | Stars: Ziyi Zhang, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Andy Lau, Dandan Song
Votes: 116,240 | Gross: $11.05M
33. Hanna (2011)
PG-13 | 111 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
A sixteen-year-old girl who was raised by her father to be the perfect assassin is dispatched on a mission across Europe, tracked by a ruthless intelligence agent and her operatives.
Director: Joe Wright | Stars: Saoirse Ronan, Cate Blanchett, Eric Bana, Vicky Krieps
Votes: 206,809 | Gross: $40.26M
34. Fried Green Tomatoes (1991)
PG-13 | 130 min | Drama
Evelyn, an ordinary housewife, visits a nursing home and befriends the old lady Ninny. Together, they bond over stories from the past about two intrepid women of Whistle Stop Cafe.
Director: Jon Avnet | Stars: Kathy Bates, Jessica Tandy, Mary Stuart Masterson, Mary-Louise Parker
Votes: 83,485 | Gross: $82.42M
35. Precious (II) (2009)
R | 110 min | Drama
In New York City's Harlem circa 1987, an overweight, abused, illiterate teen who is pregnant with her second child is invited to enroll in an alternative school in hopes that she can re-route her life in a better direction.
Director: Lee Daniels | Stars: Gabourey Sidibe, Mo'Nique, Paula Patton, Mariah Carey
Votes: 116,210 | Gross: $47.57M
Tough watch, but amazing performances by the three main female characters - even Mariah Carey was pretty good...!
36. Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012)
PG-13 | 93 min | Adventure, Drama, Fantasy
Faced with both her hot-tempered father's fading health and melting ice-caps that flood her ramshackle bayou community and unleash ancient aurochs, six-year-old Hushpuppy must learn the ways of courage and love.
Director: Benh Zeitlin | Stars: Quvenzhané Wallis, Dwight Henry, Levy Easterly, Lowell Landes
Votes: 85,050 | Gross: $12.80M
Stunning movie, breathtaking performance from 5 year-old Quvenzhané Wallis...
37. Forbrydelsen (2007–2012)
TV-MA | 57 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Police detective Sarah Lund investigates difficult cases with personal and political consequences.
Stars: Sofie Gråbøl, Morten Suurballe, Lars Mikkelsen, Bjarne Henriksen
Votes: 30,168
What was life before Sarah Lund?!
38. Whip It (2009)
PG-13 | 111 min | Drama, Sport
In Bodeen, Texas, an indie-rock-loving misfit finds a way of dealing with small-town misery after discovering a roller-derby league in nearby Austin.
Director: Drew Barrymore | Stars: Elliot Page, Drew Barrymore, Kristen Wiig, Sarah Habel
Votes: 70,175 | Gross: $13.04M
Entertaining and lighthearted coming-of-age story.
39. Life Is Sweet (1990)
R | 103 min | Comedy, Drama
A shop assistant, her cook husband, and their twin daughters go about their lives in a working-class London suburb.
Director: Mike Leigh | Stars: Alison Steadman, Jim Broadbent, Claire Skinner, Jane Horrocks
Votes: 11,288 | Gross: $1.52M
Sad in parts and still warm and funny. Normal people, different times.
40. Top of the Lake (2013–2017)
TV-MA | 750 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Obsessed with the disappearance of a 12-year-old pregnant girl near a freezing lake in New Zealand, a brave detective will find herself up against small-town secrets and a side of herself that was meticulously kept at bay.
Stars: Elisabeth Moss, David Wenham, Peter Mullan, Thomas M. Wright
Votes: 37,703
No disrespect to Elizabeth Moss, but for me Holly Hunter is the real gem of this series...GJ is a wonderfully and slightly disturbing strange character. She doesn't do nice or cute for sure. Ms Hunter's acting is scarily good.
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