Angelina Jolie is the textbook A-list celebrity. Her films are as widely-consumed as the tabloids spinning yarns about her personal life. Her ever-changing relationship with Brad Pitt is as frequently slapped onto the cover of a magazine as that of the British Royal Family. Her marriage to Billy Bob Thornton and relationship with her father Jon Voight have also been widely-publicized. Unfortunately, her genuine talent gets lost in this exchange, talked about only infrequently. She is a talented actor with a number of great performances throughout her career in the film industry. Below you will find her ten best films so far.
Salt (2010)
Salt is a classic case of espionage and false-accusation in the mold of Alfred Hitchcock’s To Catch a Thief and Brian De Palma’s Mission: Impossible. Jolie plays Evelyn Salt, a CIA agent who is forced into hiding after rumors come to light that she is a sleeper agent for the Russian government. Salt is a well-directed film and an exciting, engrossing thriller.
Changeling (2008)
Clint Eastwood’s Changeling is a gripping, harrowing tale of actual events. The year is 1928 and the place is Los Angeles. A single mother named Christine Collins (Jolie) finds that her son has been taken from their home. Eventually, the Los Angeles Police Department informs her that her son has been found. Her relief is short-lived, however, because when she is reunited with the boy, she is convinced that it is not her son. In spite of this, the LAPD insists that it is her son, and her life becomes a living nightmare. It is a truly fascinating performance from Jolie and one for which she was nominated at the Academy Awards.
Wanted (2008)
Wanted is undeniably fun, campy thriller. A miserable desk jockey Wesley Gibson (James McAvoy) finds that he, like his father before him, can join The Fraternity, a secret group of superhuman assassins. Jolie plays Fox, one of the assassins who take Wesley under her wing. It is an enjoyable, highly stylistic film that utilizes techniques like “bullet time,” which was made famous by The Matrix films.
Maleficent (2014)
Maleficent is unlike the film Sleeping Beauty which came before it as well as the other live-action Disney remakes which have come after it. Rather than being a mere shot-for-shot recreation, it tells the story of the titular “sleeping beauty” Aurora (played by Elle Fanning) from the perspective of her antagonist Maleficent (Jolie). The audience learns that there is a much more brutal, almost-gruesome story beneath the surface. Though certainly not without flaw, the film provides a truly great performance from Jolie.
Shark Tale (2004)
Shark Tale is a Dreamworks Animation film where a hapless fish named Oscar (Will Smith) finds himself in hot water with the shark mob, headed by Don Lino (Robert De Niro). The community of the reef believes Oscar killed Don Lino’s son Frankie — he didn’t — but Oscar uses that false belief to get a higher social standing until the mob comes after him. Jolie plays an attractive fish named Lola, to whom Oscar is attracted, though she doesn’t give him the time of day until he becomes famous. It is a goofy but enjoyable family film.
Gone in 60 Seconds (2000)
Gone in 60 Seconds reunites the power duo of star Nic Cage and producer Jerry Bruckheimer. The two made a number of films together, namely The Rock, Con Air, and the National Treasure films. Cage’s character “Memphis” Raines must steal 50 cars in a single night to save his brother Kip (Giovanni Ribisi)’s life. To do so, he reassembles his gang of master thieves, including “Sway” Wayland (Jolie), his former love. It is an unsurprisingly exciting ride.
Mr. and Mrs. Smith (2005)
Many know Mr. and Mrs. Smith as the film where Jolie and Brad Pitt met and began their relationship. In the film, they play a married couple, each of whom is unaware that their partner is a secret contract killer. After being married for a number of years, they are bored in their relationship until this fact comes to light, which rekindles something between them. It is a funny, action-packed watch.
Girl, Interrupted (1999)
Girl, Interrupted is based on Susanna Kaysen’s memoir of the same name about her experience being briefly institutionalized in 1967 after a being diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. Winona Ryder fills the role of Kaysen while Jolie plays Lisa, one of the people she meets at Claymoore, the institution. Lisa is a manipulative sociopath who has eight years of experience being in Claymoore and has a sort of run of the place. Girl, Interrupted is an undeniably well-acted film.
Kung Fu Panda (2008)
After the box office success of Shark Tale, Jolie returned to Dreamworks Animation again for Kung Fu Panda and its subsequent films. In the film, an unremarkable panda named Po (Jack Black) finds that he is the “Dragon Warrior” of legend and must train to defeat the evil snow leopard Tai Lung (Ian McShane), who has escaped his prison cell. Jolie plays Tigress, a hard-working tiger and master of kung fu who is jealous of Po’s newfound status as the Dragon Warrior, a role which she feels she deserves. The film features a very exciting, intricate computer-generated animation.
Beowulf (2007)
Beowulf, like two other Robert Zemeckis films, Polar Express, and A Christmas Carol, was made using motion-capture technology. His upcoming film Welcome to Marwen also appears to utilize a similar technique. Beowulf portrays the epic poem of the same name. A warrior hero named Beowulf is asked by King Hrothgar (Anthony Hopkins) to kill the supernatural villains Grendel (Crispin Glover) and his mother (Jolie). While many would not call it a traditionally “good” film, it is fascinating with regards to its production design and a worthwhile watch for that reason.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
