Happy 30th Birthday, Natalie Portman! What's Her Finest Screen Moment?
On this day back in 1981, in Jerusalem, the world welcomed a baby girl named Natalie Hershlag. Within a little more than a decade, Hollywood would welcome her as Natalie Portman. Now, with arguably the role of a lifetime not too far away in her rearview mirror and motherhood of her own in the offing, Portman turns 30. Which naturally begets some looking back: What's her finest screen moment?
Hmm. We've contemplated this before, in a way, tracking Portman's career evolution back in January; obviously the two films for which she received Oscar nominations -- Closer and Black Swan (winning for the latter) -- yield plenty of highlights, as do her debut The Professional, Beautiful Girls, Garden State and V For Vendetta (for the head-shaving alone). Her NSFW rap on SNL in 2006 was a milestone worthy of its own award. Maybe the Swearie?
But for my money, I'll take the opening of Amos Gitai's 2005 film Free Zone, featuring Portman as an Israel-American who -- after breaking off here engagement -- joins a Palestinian woman on a journey to Jordan's "Free Zone." Portman's character makes this call instinctively as a passenger in the back of the other woman's car, and her breakdown leading up to the decision -- and her persuasion of the woman to let her tag along -- unfolds in one extended, uncut take. The only version of the whole take available online has the scene's traditional Passover song "Chad Gadya" dubbed in Italian, alas (an English-dubbed version is here, but it doesn't contain the crucial conversation afterward). And sure, she's crying again, which we all know she's so good at. Still, you get the point:
Anyway, your mileage may vary -- let's hear about it below. And happy 30th, Natalie!
[Photo: Getty Images]
Comments
No love for the immortal lines, "Hold me, Ani! Hold me like you did by the lake on Naboo!"?
When she first knocks on Leon's door, after seeing her murdered family, in The Professional
Every scene she's in in "Beautiful Girls."
Happy Bday Natalie. http://bit.ly/ktRkiy