Movie Women
Movie Women
By Angela D'Ambroise

Sep 21, 2006

Angelina Jolie

Alrighty folks, our investigation of the almighty thespian continues. Clarification—our investigation of the almighty “gorgeous” thespian continues.

Last time around, we brought you Oscar-winning thesps like Jennifer Connelly and Hilary Swank, classic Hollywood stunners Scarlett Johannson and Kate Winslet, a couple of ass kicking chicks (Maria Bello and Sarah Michelle Gellar). Alright, four ass kicking chicks (Agnes Bruckner and Juliette Lewis)—Hollywood funny lady gone drama Sandra Bullock and a relative newcomer, Kerry Washington.

And, like we promised then, we have ten more this week. Because the fall movie season is a four month long affair, it would be truly pitiful if in all those films, we could only dig up ten gorgeous ladies. So we dug up twenty—forty photos, which means countless hours of entertainment on your end.

So without further adieu—part two of the gorgeous girls coming to a theatre near you this fall.

Penelope Cruz – If fiery latin bombshells are your type of lady, they don’t come much hotter than Penelope Cruz. And after floundering in middling English language fare for a few years, she’s back with director Pedro Almodovar for what is said to be the finest performance of her career. In Volver she plays a woman who, simply put, watches her life fall apart bit by bit. It’s a tour de force, in one hell of a frame.

Eva Longoria – The sexiest of TV’s Desperate Housewives expands her acting chops with the low budget Harsh Times, starring opposite gang-banger Christian Bale as a tough as nails lawyer who found her way out of the hood. It’ll be nice to see the Maxim babe sink her teeth into something deep—and even nice to sit back and watch her do it.

Nicole Kidman – The word thespian describes actresses like Nicole Kidman to a tee. She’s versatile, a chameleon, and ever the risk taker. This fall brings one of her quirkiest projects to date-- Fur, which is an avante-garde and very out there take on the life of photographer Diane Arbus. How out there? In one scene, Kidman sprouts fur all over her body. A hairy beauty? Could be interesting.

Queen Latifah – Ever since the Queen offered up a tour de force as lesbian bank robber Cleo in the under-rated Set it Off, lesbians have been in love. This fall, she returns to the heavier material that garnered such critical acclaim in Stranger Than Fiction opposite big time thesps Dustin Hoffman, Emma Thompson and… Will Ferrell. Well, we do love the Queen cutting loose too.

Ashley Judd – After a couple years of flying under the radar while Ashley Judd got her career back on track, she’s back—in a big way. First up is a film that has Oscar nomination written all over it. In Come Early Morning, she’s a wreck of a woman struggling to put the pieces of her life back together. Then in December, Bug is part psychological horror flick, part Oscar bait. Judd stars as a lonely woman who shacks up with a paranoid man who sees bugs everywhere.

Rachel Weisz – Last years Supporting Actress Oscar winner had to accept her trophy seven months pregnant. But this year, she’s back … and she’s beautiful, in husband Darren Aronofsky’s hush-hush follow up to Requiem for a Dream-- The Fountain. We can’t say much more, but we can say it’s with Hugh Jackman and she’s supposedly brilliant.

Naomi Watts – Another Aussie with the chops to snag an Oscar one of these days, King Kong’s damsel in distress returns to the sort of acting that got her a nod for 2003’s 21 Grams -- The Painted Veil. She’s working with Ed Norton on a period piece that has critics raving. Of course, we plan to be raving too… for the acting, and for a glimpse of one half of that hot lesbian hookup in Mullholland Drive.

Angelina Jolie – Without question, Angelina Jolie is bound to be the most popular lady on our countdown. The danger, the lips, the lesbian relationships… the lips. But before the name Angelina became synonymous with sex, let’s not forget this girl was an Oscar winning actress. She channels that ability with Matt Damon in The Good Shepherd as the mysterious wife of a CIA operative. Can we hope for Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Oscar style?

Cate Blanchett – And if Angelina is the most desired woman on this week’s countdown, Cate Blanchett is certainly the most gifted. Though she has but one Oscar to her name, that should change this year as the woman critics call the heir apparent to Meryl Streep’s throne returns in three movies-- Babel, with Mr. Jolie Brad Pitt; The Good German, a World War II drama with George Clooney and as a teacher who’s sleeping with a student opposite Judi Dench in Notes From a Scandal.

Beyonce Knowles – Known primarily for her music Beyonce sinks her teeth into a tried and true treasure of American musical theatre with Dreamgirls. In the role allegedly based on Diane Ross, she sings, she screams and she locks fists with band mates. This is the singer’s chance to prove she truly is a triple threat—OK quadruple, because she sure is nice to look at.