Best Actress 2013: Robin Wright, Two Mothers

Two Mothers stars Naomi Watts and Robin Wright about a double dose of May-December romances with their younger paramours being each other's sons. Screenwriter Christopher Hampton (Dangerous Liaisons, Atonement) adapted the Doris Lessing novel and the Australian film was produced in the Sydney-area for $16M.  While the reviews mostly weren't so kind to Ann Fontaine's film as a whole, they commended the work of its two female leads.  The Wrap: "Watts and Wright, naturally, act the hell out of this piffle."  THR: "Looking effortlessly beautiful, Watts and Wright bring intelligence and dignity that’s unmerited, and with lesser actresses in the roles this would be far sillier."  Ion Cinema: "Watts and Wright are luminous, and Wright gives the stand out performance of the two, her steely gaze unwavering, giving us Carole Bouquet all the way as she struts like a tigress in her bikini."  Crave Online: "Robin Wright and Naomi Watts do amazing things with what they’ve got here, and Wright in particular seems masterful at balancing the strange eroticism and emotional conflict on display, although it probably helps that, unlike Watts, she has a richer subplot to explain her characters’ actions."  Collider: "The relationship between Wright and Samuel’s character ... is by far the strongest part of the film, and the actors turn in a couple of wonderful performances ... Wright’s performance is at once maternal, sincere, and delicate. She’s really given a complex character to flesh out, and Wright turns in one of her best performances in years."  The NY Post ingrate Kyle Smith was on the only one to comment on Wright's technical abilities: "Wright does an Aussie accent, lightly."  Christopher Gordon (Mao's Last Dancer) composed the score.

It's probably a smart bet to weigh the film's chances on Wright, considering that Watts has the much baitier Diana coming out this year and all the reviews I read that singled out a performer, all focused on Wright.  

Read More