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Jude Law. . .more than a pretty face

© Rob Harding

Jude Law, as well as being one of lovelier human beings on the planet, is a fine actor who has appeared in more than a few great movies. This week we're going to take a look his career so far; a career with many movie rental possibilities. Law, 28, began his career at the age of eighteen, appearing in the British soap 'Families', as well as the series, 'The Case Book of Sherlock Holmes'. For the next few years he starred in various movie and television productions, always in small roles. It wasn't long, however, before he began to make his mark in movies. 'Wilde', released in 1997, introduced Law to movie fans around the world, and he hasn't looked back since. 'Wilde', of course, is the story of Oscar Wilde. Law plays Lord Alfred Douglas, or 'Bosie, the object of obsession for Wilde, played by Stephen Fry. The movie focuses on this relationship in Wilde's life, a relationship that eventually would cost him his freedom and subsequently his life. It is a wonderfully acted movie, well written, and a must see for fans of Oscar Wilde's literary works.

It was in 1999 that Jude Law hit the mainstream, starring as rich playboy Dickie Greenleaf in the wonderful 'The Talented Mr.Ripley', opposite Matt Damon and Gwyneth Paltrow. The movie tells the story of Tom Ripley, played by Damon, a nobody from New York who cons his way into the life of Greenleaf and his girlfriend Marge Sherwood, played by Paltrow. Greenleaf and Sherwood are Americans living 'la dolce vita' in Italy. Greenleaf's father, a wealthy industrialist is desperate for his wayward son to return to the States to take over the family business. He sends Ripley, who rather innocently posed as a fellow Harvard Alum, to convince his "friend" Dickie to return home to his responsibilities. From there, the movie follows the threesome, as Tom becomes a fixture in their social scene, and the inevitable breakdown of the web of deceit Ripley has spun. Wonderfully acted by incredibly talented young actors with a well written script and the beautiful scenery of Italy, this movie is a must for those silly enough not to have seen it so far. As well as being Law's signature role so far, it is also arguably Matt Damon's finest performance to date.

In 2001, Law starred in the war epic, 'Enemy at the Gates', opposite Joseph Fiennes and Rachel Weisz. The movie is based on the true story of Vassili Zaitsev, a Russian sniper during the Battle Of Stalingrad in WWII. Here Law proves he can carry a movie as the lead actor with grace and finesse. The character he plays suffers a gradual loss of a sense of self, not knowing where the legend of his name stops and his actual person begins. Law suffers this breakdown with his character, and by the end of the movie, neither actor nor character resemble anything close to what they once were. While Law's performance, as well of that of Fiennes, are wonderful, the movie does have some flaws. The romance between Zaitsev and Tania Chernova, played by an underused Weisz, seems rather superfluous to the story and is, frankly, rather meaningless amid the horrors of war. The real story lies in the relationship between Zaitsev and German Major Erwin Konig, played brilliantly by Ed Harris. Konig, a legendary German sniper, is sent by Hitler to Stalingrad with one mission: kill Zaitsev. The interplay between these two men is the reason this movie should be on your rental list. The tension is palpable to the viewer.

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