Greetings! Today, I beginning a new series today, called (coincidentally enough! 😛 ), “Friday Spotlight”, in order to post my thoughts about specific actors or actresses that I feel are worth looking into, especially among the new, rising talent that I have been introduced to over the last few years, mostly thanks to Independent films that have given these young talents the chance to hone their craft and for many, move on to bigger projects. So, I begin this journey with an actress whom, in my viewing experience, has truly come to the top of the heap as the head of this new generation in Hollywood…I give you New York-born, Irish-raised Saorise Ronan.
I know the very first thing, most likely, that’s on your mind, and it’s pronounced “Seer-sha”. While born in New York City, USA, her family moved to County Carlow, Ireland when Saoirse was only 3, so given the beauty of her Irish accent when listening to interviews with her, this is immediately evident that the majority of her life has been there. Currently approaching her 20th birthday in April 2014, what has truly been a wonder to me is the sheer level of acting talent she possesses for someone of her age. While there have always been crops of young stars over the years, what puts Saoirse ahead of this newest group for me is the mature-beyond-her-years intensity, emotion, and vulnerability (and those clear blue eyes that just pierce you) brought to all the roles she has taken on so far, which started when she was only 13, receiving an Oscar nomination in the film “Atonement“, which strangely enough, I have yet to ever see!
My introduction to Saoirse was in the 2011 film “Hanna“, in which she starred long with Cate Blanchett and Eric Bana. Playing a 16-year old girl, raised in the wilds of Finland to be one SERIOUS survivor (AND an assassin to boot!) by her former CIA agent father, the story takes a turn when her training is put to the test, getting sent on a mission through Europe while also being hunted by Blanchett’s merciless intelligence operative and her goons, who want to put an end to what they see is an experiment gone astray. In this journey, Hanna discovers revelations about who and what she is, having to face these challenges, fight to survive, and find meaning in her existence. All I can say is, this was the kind of role a full ADULT could have played and yet Ronan brought this AMAZING level of realism and gravitas to the character…it really blew my mind! And for such a gritty story, Ronan also found a way to show that, despite the character’s training and focus, she was still just a scared teenage girl having to find out the hard way that things are not always as they seem, adapting to that, and moving forward.
After seeing that film, I actually lost track of Ronan all the way until 2013’s “The Host“, which was a surprise film for me, as I most likely would not have seen it had Ronan not been involved. But the performance she turns in, having to play a character with TWO distinct personalities living in one person (due to the premise of the film), again just absolutely captured me and drew me in. Ronan is so accomplished at emoting when she acts that you cannot help but BELIEVE the role she’s performing. At this point, I then started going back and researching other films (via acquiring DVDs) she was in. I found Peter Jackson’s 2009 project “The Lovely Bones“, a very edgy fantasy film where she plays a 13-year old girl who watches (and tries to assist with) the hunt for her murderer from purgatory. At THIRTEEN! Again, an incredible role showing so much innocence AND maturity, it keeps you mesmerized. Next was “The Way Back“, in which she had a supporting role as Irena, a refugee picked up along the journey of a group of men escaped from a Siberian gulag in 1941 and trying to WALK the 4000 miles to safety in India. Even with the smaller part Ronan had, the screen time she gets is not wasted and still manages to bring her unique level of presence to the character that you’re invested in her fate. Summer 2013 brought the Independent film by director Neil Jordan (1994’s “Interview With The Vampire“), “Byzantium“, to my local art house theater. A decidedly adult but COMPLETELY different take and approach to the oft overdone vampire genre, Saoirse truly soars as Eleanor, whom, along with her mother and guardian Clara, move to a small coastal town seeking to escape a past that has been spending 200 years trying to catch up with them. For me, I cannot totally put into words how…ethereal…Ronan’s portrayal of Eleanor is. AGAIN I found myself SO drawn in by the depth Ronan brings to this eternal teenager who both wants to have a normal life, yet knows she has to live as what she is, and also so desperately longs to tell someone her (and her mother’s) secret. This is a dark film as well, but this role I think embodies so much what I love about Ronan’s talent. Continuing, there was the later 2013 Independent film by Kevin McDonald (“The Last King Of Scotland“, “State Of Play“) entitled “How I Live Now“. Playing Daisy, a rebellious American teenager sent to live with relatives in rural England who ends up discovering love and a sense of purpose when a war erupts, throwing life into a battle of survival, Saoirse yet again gives depth, presence, and realism to her character and the transformation as a person she goes through. Finally, I also discovered yet one more Independent film from early June 2013 on DVD, “Violet & Daisy“. Here, she gets a chance to exercise her role as an assassin, this time as part of a teenage assassin duo (the other played by Alexis Bledel) who are sent to do one last job by their boss, but end up finding a lot more than they bargained for when their target (played by the late, GREAT James Gandolfini) turns out not to be what they expected. This film was, if I HAD to choose, my least favorite of Saoirse’s. Another dark tone, though SOMEWHAT comedic this time, I did enjoy Saoirse in it but relative to the other films I’d seen, it didn’t QUITE work for me overall.
So there you are! It is more about SEEING her in these roles to really experience the levels of talent and presence Saoirse Ronan has, and I believe she will only keep getting better. There are Oscars in the future for her without question. Currently, it appears she is aiming to stay mostly with more Independent films rather than the larger, big-budget fare, as upcoming films include Wes Anderson’s “The Grand Budapest Hotel“, Ryan Gosling’s directorial debut “How To Catch A Monster“, and playing a 1950’s Irish immigrant in “Brooklyn“. She did have one regret, though, as she was Joss Whedon’s first choice to play Wanda Maximoff/The Scarlet Witch in “Avengers: Age Of Ultron” but passed on it as she was reading for a role in the new “Star Wars: Episode VII“, which then fell through, and too late as Whedon had already cast another actress for his film. But there is no doubt that we will be seeing plenty of Saoirse Ronan going forward!
Until next time, thank you for reading and as always, this is all for YOUR consideration and comment.
