Olivia Williams made her film debut in 1997 and quickly built up a resume of varied roles across film, TV and theatre. Never one to shy away from the unexpected, Williams played her fair share of ‘English roses’ but cleverly avoided the dangers of typecasting by taking on unusual roles too- including her latest, playing a tough-talking, no nonsense police officer in action movie Sabotage. To celebrate its release on Blu-ray and DVD on the 15th Sept, we take a look at Olivia Williams’ most memorable performances to date.
Sabotage (2014)
Williams breaks from the norm in this action packed thriller, playing investigator Caroline Brentwood. When members of an elite DEA task force, led by John Wharton (Arnold Schwarzenegger,) find themselves being taken down one by one after they rob a drug cartel safe house, Brentwood is assigned to investigate the murders.
The Sixth Sense (1999)
M Night Shyamalan’s psychological chiller was a huge box-office success and redefined the concept of a ‘twist ending’. Bruce Willis plays Dr Malcolm Crowe, a disheartened child psychologist who takes on the case of Cole Sear (Hayley Joel Osmont), a boy who claims he can communicate with the dead. Olivia Cole plays Malcolm’s wife Anna, in what is probably her most recognisable role.
Rushmore (1998)
Wes Anderson’s directorial debut is still regarded one of his best- and with good reason. Bill Murray, Olivia Williams, and Jason Schwartzmann (in his big-screen debut) play out this brilliant, touching, and suitably whimsical tale of student Max Fischer, who despite his wide range of extracurricular activities, continues to fall short academically. Matters are further complicated when he falls in love with Miss Cross (Williams), the elementary school teacher, and finds himself on academic probation.
Anna Karenina (2012)
Joe Wright and Tom Stoppard’s adaptation of Leo Tolstoy’s classic novel offered a highly stylistic approach to the source materials, with key performances from Keira Knightley as the tragic Anna, Jude Law as her controlling, volatile husband Karenin, Aaron Taylor-Johnson as the irresistible Vronsky and Olivia Williams as serial adulteress Countess Vronskaya- the woman who inadvertently sets in motion the events that dismantle Anna’s perfectly ordered life.
Below (2002)
Williams further demonstrated her abilities to adapt perfectly to any genre in this haunting submarine horror-thriller set during WWII, as she takes the role of the hardy, resilient Officer Paige. The claustrophobic setting provides the backdrop for the eerie tale of a group of British officers who are struggling to cope with the recent death of their former captain and the bizarre after-effects which may or may not be linked to a supernatural phenomenon.
The Ghost (2010)
Roman Polanski’s conspiracy thriller wowed the critics on its release, and boasts a stellar cast including Ewan Macgregor, Pierce Brosnan, Kim Catrall, Eli Wallack and Olivia Williams. When an unnamed ghost writer (Macgregor) agrees to complete the memoirs of former British Prime Minister Adam Lang (Brosnan), he begins to uncover clues which point to a conspiracy linking Lang to the CIA. While attempting to uncover the truth, the writer grows closer with Lang’s wife Ruth (Williams) but rapidly finds himself embroiled in a murky world with no way out.
An Education (2009)
Lone Scherfig directed this adaptation of Lynn Barber’s memoir for the big screen, and the resulting coming-of-age story garnered multiple award nominations. Carey Mulligan takes the lead as the intelligent, bookish, but ultimately naive Jenny, with Williams playing her frustrated, encouraging teacher, who desperately tries to talk her out of making a decision that could ruin her future.
The Heart of Me (2002)
This WWII-set drama stars Olivia Williams and Helena Bonham Carter as sisters Madeleine and Dinah, and Paul Bettany as Madeleine’s husband Rickie. Williams is superb as the repressed, conflicted Madeleine, struggling to uphold convention and upper-class values whilst becoming acutely aware of the attraction and subsequent affair between her bohemian sister and husband. The powerful performances elevate the film from a typical melodrama- particularly Williams and Bonham-Carter’s portrayal of a sisterly bond pushed to its absolute limit.
The Man from Elysian Fields (2001)
George Hickenlooper’s psychological drama stars Andy Garcia as the happily married struggling writer Byron Tiller, who falls into the murky world of high class escorts. One day, he is approached by a fan of his previous work, Luther Fox (Mick Jagger), who reveals that he runs an agency supplying high-brow companions to rich female clients. Tiller’s desperation for money leads him to take the job, while hiding the fact from his wife (Julianna Margulies). He is soon enamoured with the beautiful wife (Olivia Williams) of an aging successful writer, and finds himself immersed in a glamorous, dangerous world he barely understands.
Tara Road (2005)
This gentle drama focuses on Ria (Olivia Williams), a Dublin mom reeling from her husband’s indiscretions, and Marilyn (Andie Macdowell), an American struggling to deal with her grief following the loss of her son. When a phone call fortuitously connects them, they decide to swap houses, finding solace in their new environments.
Sabotage is available on Blu-ray, DVD and digital platforms from 15th Sept 2014, courtesy of Lionsgate Home Entertainment.
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Jo Hutchinson 14th August 2014
She is a great actress.