Birthday girl Halle Berry turns 59 today. A well-regarded Hollywood figure, she has achieved success both as a mainstream star and independent film actress. She also holds the record for being the first African-American actress to receive an Academy Award for Best Actress. As a birthday tribute to her longevity and talent, here are five memorable movies we recommend:
Losing Isaiah (1995)
This film was directed by Stephen Gyllenhaal. The plot involves a custody battle between a reformed drug addict and single mother named Khaila Richards (Halle Berry) and Margaret Lewin (Jessica Lange), the woman who adopts Isaiah, the baby Khaila abandons during her addiction phase. The screenplay won good notices for comparing the redemptive arc of Khaila’s character versus the motherly love that Margaret felt for Isaiah. The film also includes David Strathairn, Samuel L Jackson and Cuba Gooding Jr.
Losing Isaiah was one of the early serious roles of Berry’s career and she was appreciated for expressing all the shades of her complex character with accuracy. She received a NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Motion Picture.
Bullworth (1998)
This film was directed by Warren Beatty, and he also featured in it as Senator Jay Bulworth. Berry was cast as Nina, a poised and enigmatic beauty who enters the Senator’s life and ends up helping him to confront truths about politics and society. Berry’s Nina emerged as a composed and charming character, which contrasted well with the satirical, bold style of Warren Beatty. The film was commercially successful upon release and received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenlay. Halle Berry received a nomination at the NAACP Image Award ceremony for Outstanding Lead Actress
X Men (2000)
Bryan Singer directed this film. The key roles were played by Hugh Jackman (Wolverine) and Ian McKellen (Magneto). The plot of the film was a mix of themes like prejudice and identity among a varied set of mutant heroes. One of them was Storm (Halle Berry), and she brought both acting chops and visual sparkle to an otherwise underdeveloped character. X Men was a major hit at the box office and nearly quadrupled its 75 million USD budget. This film consolidated Berry’s position as an artist who could do both dramatic as well as presence-oriented roles.
Monster’s Ball (2001)
Marc Forster directed this heavily-awarded hit in which a white prison guard (Billy Bob Thornton) and a black widow (Halle Berry) come together emotionally after individually enduring a lot of heartbreak. The film’s screenplay was appreciated for its mix of love, loss and prejudices. Halle Berry was unanimously hailed by critics for her performance, and she made history as the first African-American woman to win the Academy Award For Best Actress. Monster’s Ball also won awards in multiple categories at the BAFTA, Golden Globes, and the Berlin Film Festival.
Die Another Day (2002)
This James Bond film was directed by Lee Tamahori. It was a major surprise for its time, coming as it did on the heels of Halle Berry’s Oscar talks in early 2002. Starring Pierce Brosnan as James Bond, the film packed the staple ingredients that make Bond films so popular: fancy gadgets, fast cars and crazy stunts. Halle Berry played Bond Girl Jinx with poise and held her own against the signature machismo of Brosnan’s Bond, particularly in the action sequences.
Die Another Day was a major commercial success and nearly tripled its budget of 160 million USD. Its success consolidated Halle Berry as a star-actress who could do justice to any kind of role offered to her. Jinx remains one of the memorable Bond Girl roles from the 2000’s.