women’s tales
Some of your biggest girl crushes are gracing the silver screen this month, in three wildly different roles
This month’s film line-up is a celebration of talented women.
CHLOË SEVIGNY
Your favourite cool-girl makes her return to horror this month, in new film The Snowman – based on the bestselling book of the same name by the Norwegian master of creepy thrillers, Jo Nesbo. With Martin Scorsese as one of its executive producers, the film is a rollcall of Hollywood heavyweights – think Michael Fassbender, Val Kilmer and Charlotte Gainsbourg, with Fassbender playing one of the detectives tasked with investigating a serial killer dubbed “The Snowman”.
Sevigny’s résumé of late has been as varied as ever (we can’t think of many others who could go from arthouse darling to Big Love sister wife with such aplomb). She’ll star in the offbroadway play Downtown Race Riot this month, and has recently tried her hand at directing, firstly the fanciful short film Kitty, in which a young girl morphs into a cat, and next, a short comedy/ drama titled Carmen. Then there’s the psychological thriller Lizzie, which she’ll star in alongside Kristen Stewart, and Lean On Pete, with Steve Buscemi and Travis Fimmel. So if you’ve been missing her presence in your life (and your Netflix binges) since Bloodline wrapped, this is the time to get your fix.
The Snowman is out now
ALISON BRIE
Making a name for herself via two distinctly different hit shows (each with a cult following in their own right), Mad Men and Community, has given Brie a universal appeal most It-girls would give their front-row seat at Miu Miu for. Also winning hearts in rom-coms Sleeping With Other People and How To Be Single, alongside your other girl crush Dakota Johnson, she’s since added a layer of girl-power grit with wrestling TV series GLOW.
This month, she’ll star in the James Franco-directed The Disaster Artist, a very meta account of the making of 2003 movie The Room – no, not the one where Brie Larson and her son plot their escape from a psychopath, this film was notoriously regarded as one of the worst movies ever made. Ironically for being such a bomb, The Room (which was written, directed, produced and acted in by Tommy Wiseau) became a massive phenomenon, with fans campaigning for its return to cinemas, resulting in midnight screenings throughout the US. Thankfully, The Disaster Artist has much more promise, with a far-from-disastrous cast that includes James and Dave Franco, Seth Rogen, Kate Upton, Kristen Bell and Zac Efron.
The Disaster Artist is out November 30
JENNIFER CONNELLY
Connelly is one of those women for whom the “less is more” approach is seemingly engrained in her every move. Whether that be what you know about her daily life (not much, considering she’s eschewed Twitter and Instagram) or her skilfully restrained personal style – which has attracted fans such as Louis Vuitton artistic director Nicolas Ghesquière and seen her retain her place as a favourite face of the brand – it’s definitely working for her. Not to mention the Oscar-winning actress reportedly plucks her own (glorious) brows.
Her consistently genuine performances in heavy hitters such as Requiem For A Dream and A Beautiful Mind – plus, more recently, American Pastoral – means she can dip into rom-coms like Stuck In Love and He’s Just Not That Into You and you’re not even mad at her for it. This month’s role falls firmly in the former category, with Connelly starring alongside industry veterans Josh Brolin and Jeff Bridges, as well as your boys Miles Teller and Taylor Kitsch (see p48), in firefighter epic Only The Brave. If her characteristically unhindered and moving performance as the wife of a firefighting captain whose crew perish in a devastating Arizona wildfire doesn’t bring tears to your eyes, you’re not paying enough attention.