Monday, April 9, 2012

Rising Stars: Elle Fanning

By s. Monday, April 9, 2012
Today is the 14th birthday of Elle Fanning, one of the most promising young actresses in Hollywood. It's hard for me to believe she is just 14 - perhaps because she is so tall (5' 7" (1.70 m)) or perhaps because she was starring in films for such a long time now. She began her career by playing younger versions of her sister Dakota's characters in "I am Sam" and "Taken". Then she started appearing in other films such as "Babel", "Deja Vu" and "Reservation Road". She played young Daisy in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" and two major roles in "Phoebe in Wonderland" and opposite Stephen Doriff in Sophia Coppola's "Somewhere" - that role brought her "Actress of the year" award at Young Hollywood Awards. But the real fame came in 2011 with her magnetic and wonderful performance in "Super 8". For that role she won Spotlight Award at Hollywood Film festival and was nominated for Saturn and Empire Awards. And while I adore Elle's sister Dakota and I consider her work to be very good, none of her performances captivated and impressed me quiet as much as Elle's work in "Super 8".  In 2011 she also appeared in "Twixt" a movie by Francis Ford Coppola nobody seems to have seen and Cameron Crowe's "We Bought a Zoo".

Elle was only three and a half years old when she attended her first Hollywood premiere so the movies, the spotlight and the attention are not a new thing to her. She is very devoted to her sister and she says she is her favorite actress, along with Meryl Streep and Jodie Foster. She really can't do wrong with influences like that.

She also loves Marilyn Monroe. In the interview for Interview magazine she said: "I love her look and everything. But I've seen The Seven Year Itch and I loved that. I watched that all the time when I was little. I liked the dress. I was her for Halloween when I was 7. I did the makeup and the mole and I did all the poses with blowing kisses and all that. But also, of course, I'd love to do something with my sister. I've never really acted with her before. I've played her at a younger age, but we've never been in the same scenes together."

Elle's upcoming films include "A Pure Life" where she will be staring opposite Vera Farmiga, "Bomb" set in the 60's in London (incidentally, Fanning loves 60's inspired fashion), "Vivaldi" where she will play one of his young students and the biggest production of them all - "Maleficent" where she will play Sleeping Beauty - Aurora, who is hated by the Evil Queen played by Angelina Jolie.

What I love the most about Elle Fanning is her uncanny ability to play a strong and magnetic characters, without losing her inner subtlety. She is never annoying, phony or unconvincing in her performances, unlike many other teenage actresses. And she already worked for many famous and well respected directors - Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Francis Ford Coppola and David Fincher. With a start like that , I really can't wait to see what performances she will be giving in the future. I'm certain of one thing - they will be extraordinary.
"I am Sam"
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
"Somewhere"
"Super 8"
"Twixt"
"We Bought a Zoo"

17 comments:

  1. She's amazing. The Fanning sisters sicken me generally because how gorgeous and talented they are, but yes I cannot hate them. Elle seems like a a chameleon actress. I still think Dakota has more talent, but Elle's going to be huge.

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    1. It is amazing that they are both so talented. It's nice to read they are so close.

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  2. I loved her in Benjamin Button and Somewhere, she has a careless enigmatic sweetness and beauty about her- more interesting than her sister, but not as experienced or good as Dakota; she'll get there!

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  3. I have to say I didn't think Super 8 was that great, but I did think that I saw a star in the making with Elle Fanning. I knew who she was, and had seen her in small roles, but this was the first film where I really got to see her shine. With Chloe Grace Moretz (15) and Hailee Steinfeld (15) she forms a new triumvirate of young actresses that should have long careers ahead of them. Too bad the men can't say the same. I'm drawing a complete blank on any movie actor under 18 that could be said to be at a similar level (although I have a feeling I am forgetting someone.)

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    1. Oh, definetly. I only have 3 actors to feature in this series and a whole bunch of actresses. The only young guy I can tihnk of is Kodi Smith from The Road and Let me In.

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  4. Elle I think is the better actress. I just loved her performance in Somewhere. My favorite scene in that film that she's in is that ice-skating scene. It's so perfect.

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    1. It was a gorgeous scene. I too think she already is better, despite having less experience.

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  5. Love that picture of here in "I Am Sam". Her sister Dakota of course was awesome in that movie (p/s: as good as Denzel Washington was, Sean Pean deserved an Oscar for this role that year). But it seems lately she has become the more prominent actress between the Fanning sisters. She's the more cuter of the two too...

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    1. I love his performance in I Am Sam, it was such a touching and warm movie.

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  6. She starred in Somewhere with Stephen Dorff :)

    I like her. Like you, I can't believe that she's only 14. She seems so much more mature, and she acts so well for someone so young. And yeah, when does Twixt come out? I haven't heard that much about it.

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    1. I think it will only be released on DVD.

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  7. I had no idea that was her in Curious Case of BB. She was great in Super 8. This must the year of the little sister with her and Elizabeth Olsen stealing all the limelight from their older sisters! And very deservedly!

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    1. Oh yeah, Olsen completely stole the spotlight and it's from two people at the same time! :)

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  8. Nice spotlight, I certainly think she has a great future ahead of her, as long as she stays out of the pitfalls of being a child star!

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    1. Dakota did pretty well growing up, so I hope Elle follows her sister's example :)

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  9. I saw her in two films within a couple of weeks and was impressed with both. I think she's got the maturity of someone in her 20s! Agree w/ Scott, hopefully she'll be known more for her work than her shenanigans.

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