Julianne Moore’s four favourite movies of all time
American actor Julianne Moore got her start in the 1980s through television and theatre roles, graduating to the big screen in the 1990s with a role in Tales from the Darkside: The Movie. However, the negatively-received film was hardly an indicator of things to come for the star.
In 1993, Moore landed a role in Short Cuts by Robert Altman among a star-studded cast of established actors. She excelled in her role and quickly found herself booking more successful movies, such as Louis Malles’ Vanya on 42nd Street and Todd Haynes’ Safe. Subsequently, Moore has appeared in countless critically acclaimed movies, such as Boogie Nights, The Big Lebowski, Magnolia, The Hours, Children of Men, Still Alice, and most recently, May December.
Moore’s dedication to complex, well-written movies, often independently produced, reflects her love of cinema. Talking to Letterboxd, she picked out four of her favourite movies, providing an insight into the kind of films that have inspired her and shaped her taste in cinema.
She began with a classic pick, The Godfather Part II, directed by Francis Ford Coppola. Released in 1974, just two years after the trilogy’s first instalment, the movie is often regarded as superior to its predecessor. Moore certainly seems to think so, stating, “That’s the one that I like best”. The innovative gangster movie is widely considered one of the best films ever made, so it’s no surprise that it made it onto Moore’s list.
Elsewhere, the actor selected a slightly lesser-known pick – Vagabond by Agnes Varda. Released in 1985, the movie follows Sandrine Bonnaire’s Mona, a homeless young woman who wanders aimlessly as she stays with various people, freeing herself from consumerism and responsibility. The movie blends documentary and fiction, with Varda appearing to conduct interviews with some of the characters at the beginning. Bonnaire won ‘Best Actress’ at the César Awards for her incredible performance, and it remains one of Varda’s most unforgettable works.
Moore is also a fan of Rosemary’s Baby, Roman Polanski’s 1968 horror movie. The film stars Mia Farrow as a young pregnant woman, and John Cassavetes plays her husband. The pair move into a new home, only to suspect that they are in the presence of Satanic cult members living next door. Rosemary’s Baby is widely considered a landmark entry to the horror canon. Moore explained, “I’ll never not love that movie.”
Finally, Moore picked a “fun” movie as one of her favourites, going with Josh and Benny Safdie’s Good Time, starring Robert Pattison. Complete with a soundtrack by Oneohtrix Point Never, Good Time is a fast-paced, thrill-packed ride that Moore absolutely “loved”.
Julianne Moore’s four favourite movies:
- The Godfather Part II (Francis Ford Coppola, 1974)
- Vagabond (Agnes Varda, 1985)
- Rosemary’s Baby (Roman Polanski, 1968)
- Good Time (Safdie Brothers, 2017)
