JODIE FOSTER
"Normal is not something to aspire to, it's something to get away from."
Now. Anyone's who's skimmed through my blog at all will know that I definitely have gender goggles stamped on my face. I can't watch a movie without noticing either how awesome the women in it are, or how much they suck (often, literally speaking). And so it came to my surprise when I realized that I have absolutely NO badass women yet up in my BAMF Of The Week (unless you call your car "your lady"). Clearly, a travesty that I had to call the Wolf in to clean up as quickly and subtly as possible. And so who to pick for my first lovely lady? Well. After deliberating over it for some time, I just had to run with dear Jodie Foster.
What can I say about her? She's got a smokin' hot voice (among other things), she's smart, sassy without being bitchy, bold without over compensating, and yet somehow highly underrated despite the fact that she's been in blockbusters and classics for some forty odd years. From hooker to "fixer", Jodie Foster always manages to look comfortable on either side of the law. Clarice Starling is definitely a character I hold close to my heart, and Jodie Foster manages to nail her perfectly--from her insecurities to her hard shell, her humanity to her complete badassitry. Then again, maybe it's just a lesbian thing.
Best Films: Taxi Driver (1976), The Silence of the Lambs (1991), Panic Room (2002), The Brave One (2007).
Personal Quote: [On her role in Taxi Driver (1976), when she was 12:] "I spent four hours with a shrink trying to prove I was normal enough to play a hooker. Does that make sense?"
Upcoming Film: Jodie Foster, Kate Winslet, Christoph Waltz, and John C. Reilly, all under the hand of Roman Polanski? Count me in.
Upcoming Film: Jodie Foster, Kate Winslet, Christoph Waltz, and John C. Reilly, all under the hand of Roman Polanski? Count me in.
Your inaugural woman BAMF is a great one!
ReplyDeleteI am a big Jodie Foster fan, not strictly because of her immense talent, but due to her fierce spirit and focus. She's like a female version of Ed Norton, in the sense that she brings a great deal of sophistication and unassuming toughness to her characters. And I make that bold proclamation because Norton is one of my top five working actors today. It's an emphatic complement of Foster's ability.
I love the "Wolf" comment and the Jodie quote above her picture. Priceless. Great post!
Thanks, homie! And I didn't even think about that, but that's an excellent comparison! They really do both manage to harness that crazy intensity. If her and Ed Norton were in a movie together...whoa. I would die. My life would be fulfilled.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you like! Thanks for the comment!
Wow is this really your first female BAMF? I guess later is better than never ;)
ReplyDeleteTHE BRAVE ONE really solidified her badassitry for me.
I know, right?? I feel like I just made Beatrix Kiddo's list. But The Brave One was definitely gritty, and Jodie Foster does do awesomely in those kinds of roles.
ReplyDeleteYou've set the bar very high for your inaugural female BAMF. Great, great post. I love Jodie Foster and Silence of the Lambs is a film near and dear to me. The Brave One sealed her badassness, but I also loved, loved her in The Accused. Her performance blew me away. A movie with her and Christoph Waltz has me locked in, I need no more details.
ReplyDeleteThanks! Jodie Foster really is the shit. There's no other way to say is. I had some initial problems with The Brave One, just...because it deals with some seriously morally ambiguous grey areas. But that was clearly what it was trying to do, and the fact that it got under my skin shows just how well the movie succeeded. That's one that definitely deserves a rewatch. And I haven't see The Accused! I may have to check it out for Foster love.
ReplyDeleteAnd I know! It could be a 3 hour movie about juggling small puppies and I'd go see it just because Waltz and Foster were in it.