Samantha Morton
It’s unsung hero time! Occasionally I will run the numbers for an actor and be taken by surprise. That’s definitely happened here. Morton is a powerfully emotive performer. She’s played a number of characters who are either damaged or physically disadvantaged, like her most famous role opposite Tom Cruise in Minority Report.
Her first public splash in the States came in Woody Allen’s Sweet and Lowdown. (She had been a minor British TV star for some time.) Playing the romantic interest against fidgety Sean Penn as a Django Reinhardt-obsessed guitarist, she portrayed a mute, requiring her act with only body control and facial reactions, like silent screen stars. That Oscar-nominated role is not included in my list of her ten best, testament to the overall quality of her selected filmography.
Ten best roles
10) Lassie 9) Synedoche New York 8) Minority Report 7) Under the Skin 6) Expired 5) Jesus’ Son 4) Longford 3) In America 2) Morvern Callar 1) Control
Percentile rating
96.48
