15. Becoming Jane
Even though she did the same mistake twice with “One Day”, Hathaway now doesn’t mind to admit that her English accent wasn’t that good but it’s not the biggest problem of the film. It may sound negative, the film is not bad. It’s more of a mixed bag as well. Her chemistry works well with McAvoy and despite the accent thing, she’s still solid in the lead role.
The cinematography is beautiful, the film is generally stunning to look at thanks to costumes and set designs. “Becoming Jane” doesn’t have the most interesting story and doesn’t focus enough on Austen’s achievements and when you make a movie about one of the most celebrated female authors of all time, it’s a big problem. Even if we leave it and treat the film as a whole fiction, (it is indeed not historically accurate) still the film failures to give us something original. Nevertheless, it’s still charming enough.
14. Havoc
One of the hardest things in child star’s life is to establish yourself as a mature actor or actress. It’s a hard thing to do to show that you’re not a child anymore and that you don’t want to get stuck in same kind of roles and you’re capable of doing so much more.
“Havoc” gives Hathaway a decent material to work with; it’s a much darker film than anything she has done before. Here she smokes, she swears, she does drugs, she gets topless and gets some other sensual moments – and when the story moves on, we get to see her actually confused and lonely personality.
Hathaway never played a complex character prior to this film and no, it’s not like this movie is something very deep or complex but it certainly gave a lot more of material to Hathaway to work with than she ever did and she never comes off as she tries too hard.
It’s the moment where she proved she’s got the talent and is ready to get out of her comfort zone. Unfortunately, the producers heavily involved in the post-production of the film and thanks to this, while it has good things here and there, the film as a whole just doesn’t come together that well. Still it’s worth-watching for Anne’s performance alone.
13. Ocean’s Eight
Gary Ross is a director with no distinctive vision; there’s no way you watch any of his films and realize that it’s his. He’s one of those studio guys when there’s a project to be done, he’s just there to do the job without adding anything creative or original.
While watching “Ocean’s Eight”, you’ll miss Soderbergh’s touch and you’ll also want a better developed script but if you stop thinking about “Ocean’s Eleven” and just treat it as a typical popcorn fun without any bias, then it does its job. Largely because the cast is so great and they elevate the material considerably but MVP here is definitely Anne Hathaway.
Looking wildly attractive, Anne gets a chance to show her comedic abilities this time in an unlikely role as Daphne Kluger, a vapid movie star and she steals the show. Her parody of self-absorbed celebrity Is just a delight to watch and is an enough of reason to look forward to the sequel, if there will be one.
12. Get Smart
Based on Mel Brooks and Buck Henry’s television series of the same name, “Get Smart” is an interesting case. There are some funny moments, but something really lacks here. Maybe the comedy, even if amusing, is just not very creative which makes the whole thing bit forgettable but still “Get Smart” is a decent, likable afternoon diversion and it delivers if you like some old-school comedy.
Steve Carell plays a Steve Carell-ish kind of character and no complains here as he’s good at what he does. Hathaway, however, is even much better. She brings special kind of energy to the film and elevates the material considerably with her comedic timing. Supporting characters are also good.
11. Colossal
Half-horror, half-comedy, half-thriller, half-romance, half-drama “Colossal” is an interesting attempt from Nacho Vigolondo, the director of “Time Crimes”. It’s certainly great to see Hathaway in a genre film like this, shows that she loves to explore different genres and roles but “Colossal” is definitely not a film for everyone. Mainly because it tries too much to be everything.
It’s not funny enough and its metaphors are very thin and surface level. You have to admire what Nacho is going for but he doesn’t entirely succeeds. Nacho is no Spike Jonze but still he tried to make a creative film and it’s interesting to watch for to see whatever they had in their minds. Hathaway is terrific and Jason Sudeikis also gets the best role of his career.
10. Don Jon
Yes, she’s a cameo in it but we can’t ignore it just for that. It’s a part of her filmography overall. Joseph Gordon Levitt’s often misunderstood comedy/drama “Don Jon” is a fresh and clever look at how commercialized materials – let it be a cinema or pornography – can make us delusional and can even ruin our relationships.
Joseph’s character is so addicted to the sex that is depicted in modern pornographic films that he gets addicted to masturbation and can’t enjoy his own sex life. His girlfriend (Scarlett Johansson in one of her best performances) is also similar; she’s so obsessed with Nicolas Sparks-like romance films that her expectations from her relationship goes beyond realistic possibilities. Hathaway is only a cameo here and it’s a pretty fun one actually, shows that even in a very short screentime, she can still be memorable.
9. Love and Other Drugs
Its poster may it look like an average Hollywood studio rom-com but it’s more than that. At least it tries. It doesn’t succeed entirely but what it is trying to do is pretty admirable. Not only it’s a satire of the pharmaceutical industry, but the relationship at its center doesn’t shy away from exploring its themes with sexual content as well as honest portrayal. Yes, it’s messy and it doesn’t live up to its full potential but it’s still fun and watchable, big thanks to the charismatic couple of the film.
It’s just great to watch Gyllenhaal and Hathaway together. They both got Golden Globe nominations for their performances. Deservedly so, particulary for Anne. Playing a tough and complicated character named Maggie who suffers from early onset Parkinson’s disease, Anne shows that she’s not afraid of risky projects and shows us more of her range as an actress.
8. The Intern
You know Nancy Meyers films. You either love her stuff or you don’t. If you don’t, then you’ll call it a film that targets only older audiences and you’ll be annoyed by some plot details and characters but if you’re a fan of her universe, then you’ll be charmed by “The Intern” as well as its sweet-natured humour, dramatic moments and gentle tone.
The Brooklyn setting is also fabulous and the film is everything you expect from a typical Hollywood’s feel-good film. De Niro and Hathaway makes a surprisingly strong duo and it’s fun to watch them together.