Spotlight On: Keira Knightley

This week's spotlight is on the lovely Keira Knightley. I have been huge fan of hers since I was like thirteen. I remember seeing her on a movie poster for Pirates of the Caribbean way before it came out and I just thought that she was gorgeous! Well, not only is she beautiful, but she is also a very talented actress, and one of my favorites working today. Here are some of my favorite films of hers that I have seen throughout the years.

Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace

A lot of people don't know this, but one of Keira Knightley's first film roles was in the first Star Wars prequel. She played Sabe, the decoy for Natalie Portman's Queen Amidala. Apparently she was cast due to a strong resemblance to Portman. I really don't think that they look all that alike anymore, but when I saw this in theatres when I was nine, I couldn't tell the difference between when Portman was the queen and when Knightley was.



Princess of Thieves

When I was a kid I was a sucker for warrior girl movies, so I totally had this on VHS. In this film she plays Robin Hood's daughter. Interesting fact: Stephen Moyer from True Blood plays her love interest Price Philip. I actually did not know that until a few minutes ago when I was on IMDB. I haven't watched this movie in forever!



The Hole

In this movie, Knightley plays a popular high school girl who gets trapped in a bunker with three of her classmates. What is hilarious is that I actually own this movie. I remember I waited forever for it to come out on DVD in America because I really wanted to see it, so I just bought it. Its not the best movie in the world, but it's not terrible. Both Knightley and Thora Birch give good performances.



Doctor Zhivago

I actually saw this version before the one with Omar Sharif and Julie Christie. I  recorded episode one off of the TV when it was on PBS and I would watch it all the time. I didn't see the second episode until a year or so ago when I got it from Netflix. I always loved Knightley as Lara, the pretty Russian girl who is seduced by an older man then falls for a married poet/ doctor.



Bend It Like Beckham

In this film, Knightley plays a soccer player who has dreams of moving to America to play professionally. One of the very few films where she isn't playing the pretty girl. I just think its funny that theres even a part where she is mistaken for a guy...



Pirates of the Caribbean

Now onto the movie that made her famous. I remember that I was beyond excited for this movie to come out. We got to the theatre so early that we had to wait in the hallway, because the previous showing was still going on. My favorite scene in the movie has always been the part when Barbossa shows Elizabeth Swann the curse...



Love Actually

In Love Actually, she plays a character who finds out that her new husband's best friend is in love with her. She is in one of my favorite scenes in the whole movie, which you can find HERE

King Arthur

Knightley has always been great in period films, and this one is no exception. This movie has Guinevere as a warrior woman, which you don't see very often. Not one of my favorite films of hers, but it does have its good parts.



Domino

In this films she plays Domino Harvey, who was a real model turned bounty hunter, but this film is very very loosly based on her life. What this films is probably the best remembered for is Keira's awesome short haircut.



Pride and Prejudice

This is the film that got Keira her Oscar nomination. It was well deserved, because she was perfect as Elizabeth Bennett in this adaptation of the Jane Austen classic. My favorite scene has to be the part where she rejects Mr. Darcy's proposal.



Atonement

My goodness, the green dress that she wears in this film is absolutely gorgeous!! In this film she plays Cecilia, a woman in love with the beautiful James McAvoy. Unfortunately, her little sister accuses her love of raping a guest at their house, so they are torn apart. I think that her and McAvoy have such great chemistry in this film, and that library scene is SEXY AS HELL!!!



The Duchess

I remember seeing this movie in theatres and just bawling my eyes out during the scene where she has to give away her baby. I don't remember if I've seen it since, but now I really want to rent it. She gets to wear some amazing costumes in this film.



Never Let Me Go

I love this movie so much. Here she plays a clone named Ruth who was made so they could harvest her organs. In the book she was a rather unlikable character, and I think that Knightley does a great job in this film.



Upcoming:
I am super excited to see her in the upcoming David Cronenberg film A Dangerous Method. It also features Viggo Mortensen and the handsome Michael Fassbender.

She is also going to be in a film called Seeking a Friend For the End of the World with Steve Carell that is coming out next year.