Some of us grew up watching Rachel Weisz in popcorn flicks The Mummy and its hit sequel, The Mummy Returns. Lately, she’s been busy filming the TV series Dead Ringers, based on the 1988 cult classic. And her husband Daniel Craig recently wrapped shooting the highly anticipated Knives Out 2. Busy time for the Hollywood power couple!
Weisz has also been the deserved recipient of various accolades, including an Oscar, Golden Globe and SAG Award over the years. She made her film debut in Death Machine (1994), and since then, she’s starred in countless critically acclaimed films, with her top five listed below. Before Craig, Weisz was engaged to filmmaker Darren Aronofsky, having starred in his film The Fountain. She married actor Daniel Craig in 2011 and became a naturalized U.S. citizen the same year.
It was recently announced that Weisz would be reteaming with The Lobster star Colin Farrell for Todd Solondz’s upcoming film Love Child. As we await the release of her next big project, here’s a closer look at Weisz’s finest films to date.
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5 Disobedience
Bleecker Street
Our list starts off strong with Disobedience, which follows a woman (Weisz) who returns to her Orthodox Jewish community in North London that once shunned her for her attraction to a childhood girl-friend. Once back, her passion with the woman (played by a dynamite Rachel McAdams) reignites as they explore the boundaries of faith and sexuality.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
From a screenplay by Sebastián Lelio and Rebecca Lenkiewicz based on Naomi Alderman’s book, the film also stars the reliably superb Alessandro Nivola. It received some positive reviews, with critics praising the performances—particulaly Weisz’s. It was rightfully nominated for the British Independent Film Awards, GLAAD Media Awards and Dorian Awards for Best Picture.
“I was looking for a story to tell where a woman could be in relationship to another woman,” said Weisz to NPR back in 2018. “I think almost every story I’ve ever told I’ve been in a relationship with a man. And I discovered this novel. It seemed to be something very contemporary but set within a community that was just up the road from where I grew up in North London, where being gay, being homosexual, being a lesbian is taboo.”
4 The Lobster
Sony Pictures Releasing International
Leave it to a Greek filmmaker to weave Greek mythological themes into modern cinema. The Lobster takes place in a dystopian near-future, where single people—according to the laws of The City—are taken to The Hotel, where they’re obliged to find a romantic partner in 45 days or are transformed into beasts of their choice and sent off into The Woods.
This 2015 surreal black comedy was directed, co-written and co-produced by Yorgos Lanthimos, the mastermind behind the unique films The Killing of a Sacred Deer, Dogtooth and others. The film was selected to compete for the Palme d’Or at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival and rightfully won the Jury Prize. Equally exciting was when it was nominated for Best Original Screenplay at the 89th Academy Awards. In addition to her graceful on-screen presence, Weisz provides appropriately comedic voice-over work with an arresting ferocity. One highlight is when she passionately describes how she enjoys consuming a rabbit.
3 About A Boy
Universal Pictures
A cynical, immature young man is taught how to act like a grown-up by a little boy. What a premise! Most of us have seen About a Boy at some point in our lives, whether you meant to or just caught it on TV.
The story follows 12-year-old Marcus Brewer (a young Nicholas Hoult) who lives with his chronically depressed single mother, Fiona Brewer. Meanwhile, 38-year-old Will Freeman is a slacker who has lived comfortably off the royalties of a song written by his deceased father, and as such has never had to work a day in his life. He comes across the idea that dating single moms meets his selfish carnal needs. It’s in this capacity that Will meets Marcus. Trying to escape his life but wanting Will to date Fiona, Marcus infiltrates Will’s life. Will slowly begins to realize that Marcus is more than just a nuisance, but rather someone who needs some guidance. Cleverly, the film at times uses double voice-over narration, when the audience hears alternately Will’s and Marcus’ thoughts.
This 2002 classic also stars Toni Collette and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. It received positive reviews from critics and earned more than $130 million against just a $30 million budget. Weisz’s chemistry with Hoult and Grant carries the film, without a doubt.
2 The Constant Gardener
United International Pictures
Here, a widower is determined to get to the bottom of a potentially explosive secret involving his wife’s murder, big business, and corporate corruption. The Constant Gardener is a 2005 British-German drama thriller film directed by Fernando Meirelles and written by Jeffrey Caine, based on John le Carré’s 2001 novel of the same name. The story follows a British diplomat (Ralph Fiennes), as he tries to solve the murder of his wife (Rachel Weisz), an Amnesty activist. The captivating story effectively alternates with many flashbacks to tell the story of their love.
The film was filmed on location in Loiyangalani and the slums of Kibera, a section of Nairobi, Kenya. Circumstances in the area affected the cast and crew to the extent that they set up the Constant Gardener Trust in order to provide basic education for these villages. The plot was vaguely based on a real-life case in Kano, Nigeria. The end result was a critical and box office success and earned four Oscar nominations, winning Best Supporting Actress for a never-better Weisz. Her intensity in the activist role is unforgettable.
1 The Favourite (2018)
Fox Searchlight Pictures
Early 18th century. England is at war with the French. Meanwhile, duck racing and pineapple eating are thriving. A frail Queen Anne (Olivia Colman) occupies the throne, as her close friend Lady Sarah (Weisz) governs the country in her stead while tending to Anne’s ill health and temper. When a new servant Abigail (Emma Stone) arrives, her charm endears her to Sarah. Sarah takes Abigail under her wing and Abigail sees a chance at a return to her aristocratic roots. The plot thickens from there!
This 2018 black comedy film was expertly directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, who, in a rare example, did not contribute to the writing of this adapted story. But the performances and visual style scream Lanthimos, and we can’t wait for his upcoming Frankenstein film Poor Things.
The Favourite won both the Grand Jury Prize and the Volpi Cup for Best Actress for Colman at the 75th Venice International Film Festival. It ultimately became a box office success, grossing $95 million worldwide on just a $15 million budget. While it was Colman who went on to win Best Actress at the Academy Awards, Weisz’s performance is not to be ignored.
One Weisz highlight from the film: As the Queen grows attached to her servant (Stone), Weisz’s Lady Sarah journeys off and ultimately returns to the palace completely disheveled (for various reasons). When Stone asks where she’s been, Weisz replies with brilliantly comedic timing: “Hell.”
