A Phantom of Excellence
With her strange yet elegant demeanor, beautifully haunting eyes of secrets and persona of complexity, Tilda Swinton is an artist that has captivated me and audiences for years. She's worked alongside directors such as Luca Guadagnino, Bong Joon-ho, Wes Anderson, Lynne Ramsay, and Joanna Hogg. I first came to know the internal essence of her in her role as the White Witch in the Chronicles of Narnia.
From the moment she stepped onto the screen my eyes fixated on her every move, every word spoken. From there she has continued to hold me captive from her performances in films such as The Deep End and We Need To Talk About Kevin to A Bigger Splash, Suspiria, The Grand Budapest Hotel, and The Souvenir, she remains a phantom of excellence among the modern gods of independent cinema.
The quality that makes an artist good is the work ethic to make a film. The quality that makes an artist great is the desire to always go that extra mile and remain a method Actor, always loyally staying in service of the characters being portrayed. Swinton has given a powerful voice to every character she's ever played. She's humored, humbled, spoiled, terrified and mesmerized me for as long as I've watched her.
The toxic air of imperfection instantly turns to dust when she enters a room or a scene. She comes off as someone that wants everyone else to be the very best they can be as well and something about that warmth stays with her co-stars who elevate their game every time. Dedication is commitment and commitment is a sincere love of the craft you carry and Swinton holds her craft with gentle tenderness and fierce fires of intelligence.
She remains a ravishing and unsolvable mystery, one I highly look forward to seeing once more on-screen when the world becomes safe enough to make films again.
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