Monday, January 30, 2017

Everything You Ever Need To Know About Life...

... you can learn from:

The Lobster (2015)

Hotel Manager: Now the fact that you will turn into an animal if you fail to fall in love with someone during your stay here is not something that should upset you or get you down. Just think, as an animal you'll have a second chance to find a companion. But, even then, you must be careful; you need to choose a companion that is a similar type of animal to you. A wolf and a penguin could never live together, nor could a camel and a hippopotamus. That would be absurd. 

The way that last line is delivered is one of my favorite line deliveries of... well let's just go ahead and jump out on a limb and say "ever" and we'll revisit that assertion in the future; I have a feeling I'm on the money, though. Anyway today is the 44th birthday of the actress Olivia Colman, who has really had quite the killer couple of years - where did she come from, you guys? I mean I am looking through her IMDb credits and I see she was in Edgar Wright's Hot Fuzz in 2007...

... but before The Lobster her credits are pretty obscure to these American eyes - looks like she did tons of British TV but I'm not familiar with much of what I'm seeing. So any guesses - besides all of her obvious talent, of course - how it all came together for her? Anyway we're delighted to have her.


14 comments:

Ryan T. said...

I think her first crossover film was Tyrannosaur. Then, at least for me, I discovered her anew in the Brit show Broadchurch which also crossovered a bit here. She is absolutely fabulous in it.

And then yeah the double whammo of The Lobster and The Night Manager... so, so good.

Bill Carter said...

Olivia Colman has been a major UK star, mainly on TV, for more than a decade.

In the UK at any given time, there are somewhere between 50 and 100 actors who are in everything, and British actors move much more freely between film and TV and theatre than they do in the States. So most British audiences would find Olivia Colman as familiar as they would Nicola Walker, Richard Armitage, Hermione Norris, or Rupert Penry-Jones.

Anonymous said...

Discovered her early-mid 2000 with the Mitchell & Webb crew. Bruiser, Peep Show, That Mitchell and Webb -check those sketches on youtube-, Beautiful People and god knows what else. She was always comedy gold. Then suddenly she SLAYED in a dramatic turn in Tyrannosaur which really was an Oscar performance (have you seen it?). LUV HUH.

Anonymous said...

*That Mitchell and Webb Look

Porn Pup said...
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Anonymous said...

Also you should watch Peep Show. It's marvellously hilarious.

Barry said...

She is amazing on Broadchurch!

Unknown said...

She's Sophie!! Loved her in some of those Mitchell and Webb look slits particularly where Mitchell plays the evil vicar!!

Unknown said...

She's Sophie!! Loved her in some of those Mitchell and Webb look slits particularly where Mitchell plays the evil vicar!!

Anonymous said...

This past year she was also in Fleabag, a really funny, fantastic show that I think you'd love. She of course is really great in it.

Anonymous said...

You mean to tell me you don't know her character Debbie Doonan from the UK show BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE?! You would love it!!

Tyler in VA said...

Just recently came to recognize and appreciate Olivia. At one point I was watching episodes of both The Night Manager and Fleabag in the same evening.

1971 said...

Also highly recommended 2 comedy series Rev with Tom Hollander and 2012 with Hugh Bonneville and an acquired taste London Road with Tom Hardy a musical about a serial killer.
As a Brit thought Olivia was TOO British for an international audience.

Unknown said...

and she was HILARIOUS in her small role in Hot Fuzz. Seriously, talk about squeezing everything out of the few lines you're given