Few actors are as acclaimed or have careers as varied and celebrated as the mighty Kate Winslet. Quite possibly the finest English actress of her remarkably competitive generation, Winslet has been dazzling audiences since the early ’90s. She is well-known for her intensity and versatility, and while she favors period pieces, her career includes ventures into nearly every major film genre, from romantic comedies to animated films and even musicals.
Winslet has starred in two of the most commercially successful films ever, James Cameron‘s Titanic and Avatar: The Way of Water, adding yet another feather to her already impressive cap. An Oscar and two-time Emmy winner, Winslet has an enviable resumé, playing a healthy balance of lead and supporting roles in multiple acclaimed motion pictures. And while choosing the best film in Winslet’s filmography might be tough, some definitely stand out as modern masterpieces and certified classics.
10 ‘Revolutionary Road’ (2008)
Director: Sam Mendes
Winslet re-teamed with Leonardo DiCaprio for 2008’s Revolutionary Road, one of the 21st century’s best romantic dramas. Directed by her then-husband, Sam Mendes, the film adapts the eponymous 1961 novel and tells the story of Frank and April Wheeler, a struggling couple attempting to keep their marriage afloat. The idea of moving to Paris and starting anew reignites their bond, but life has other plans for them.
Powerfully acted and deftly told, Revolutionary Road is a brutal and theatrical deconstruction of marriage. DiCaprio and especially Winslet deliver stunning portrayals of frustration and pain hiding underneath their seemingly perfect facade. Playing off their Titanic legacies as the perfect couple, the actors present a haunting and insightful depiction of love gone awry. The result is a raw and devastating psychological drama that might seem overly grand at times but remains grounded thanks to the stellar duo at the center.
9 ‘Iris’ (2001)
Director: Richard Eyre
The life of famed British novelist Iris Murdoch comes to the big screen via the 2001 biopic Iris. Told between two timelines, the film chronicles Iris’ youth relationship with John Bayley and her elderly years alongside him while fighting Alzheimer’s disease. Winslet co-stars opposite a young Hugh Bonneville as Bailey, with Dame Judi Dench and Jim Broadbent playing the characters’ older counterparts.
Although far from one of the best biopics of the 21st century, Iris is a solid drama and a love letter to its revered subject. Winslet earned a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination for her performance as the younger Iris, with Dame Judi Dench contending in Lead Actress; however, only Broadbent prevailed, taking home the 2002 Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. Still, Winslet dazzles as the young Murdoch, a free-spirited, progressive-thinking young woman who dominates the screen with singular light.
8 ‘Quills’ (2000)
Director: Philip Kaufman
The period drama Quills is a riveting exploration of lust and desire that remains severely underrated today. Oscar-winner Geoffrey Rush plays the infamous Marquis de Sade, with the film exploring his final years at Charenton asylum. Winslet co-stars as laundress Madeleine “Maddie” LeClerc, who forms an unexpected but life-changing connection with the notorious writer.
Handsome and unrestrained, Quills is a seductive but discomforting exploration of artistic freedom, censorship, and religion and one of the best period pieces from the 2000s. Winslet is charming yet alluring as the young Maddie, creating a singular dynamic with Rush’s de Sade that enriches the film’s themes of sexuality and intimacy. Although not as scandalous as de Sade’s actual works, Quills is thought-provoking and disturbing enough to live up to its subject’s inflammatory legacy. The film deserves more attention from audiences, especially when discussing Winslet’s rich on-screen legacy.
7 ‘Steve Jobs’ (2015)
Director: Danny Boyle
Michael Fassbender stars as Steve Jobs in the 2015 biopic Steve Jobs. The film covers 14 years of Jobs’ life, using three major press conferences – the 1984 Macintosh unveiling, the 1986 launch of the NeXT computer, and the 1998 iMac presentation – as set-ups to explore his intricate private life. Winslet co-stars as Joanna Hoffman, Apple’s marketing executive and Job’s closest friend and confidant.
Winslet received her seventh Oscar nomination for playing Hoffman, with many considering it among her finest portrayals. Confidently delivering Aaron Sorkin‘s notoriously challenging dialog with a thick and rather convincing Polish accent, Winslet is magnetic in the role. Her biggest triumph is engaging in a battle of wits with Fassbender’s Jobs in a naturalistic and wholly convincing way, creating the film’s most interesting interplay. It wasn’t the juggernaut many anticipated it to be, receiving only Oscar nominations for Winslet and Fassbender. However, Steve Jobs remains a fascinating and intricate character study about one of the 20th century’s defining figures.
6 ‘Hamlet’ (1996)
Director: Kenneth Branagh
Kenneth Branagh directs what many consider one of the all-time best Hamlet adaptations. The multi-hyphenate Oscar winner directs, writes, and stars in the titular role, closely adapting William Shakespeare’s seminal play about the Prince of Denmark’s quest for revenge against his cruel uncle, Claudius. Winslet stars opposite Branagh as Ophelia, with Julie Christie as Gertrude and Derek Jacobi as Claudius.
Hamlet is a spectacular four-hour epic that beautifully translates Shakespeare’s masterpiece to the screen. Winslet dazzles as the tragic Ophelia, a role that could easily provoke pity from viewers. However, the actress injects life and purpose into her take on the classic role, respecting her fragile nature without letting her fade away into oblivion.
5 ‘Sense and Sensibility (1995)
Director: Ang Lee
Winslet earned her first Oscar nomination for playing the beloved Austin heroine Marianne Dashwood in Ang Lee and Emma Thompson‘s 1995 adaptation of Sense and Sensibility. The film tells the story of Elinor and Marianne Dashwood, who, along with their mother and younger sister, must seek advantageous marriages after their father’s death makes them destitute.
Marianne is the “sensibility” in the title, and Winslet delivers a winning, earnest, and unforgettable performance. Her version of Marianne is honest, courageous, loving, passionate, a walking, beating heart, unafraid to bleed if that means feeling something. Winslet is outstanding in the role, beginning a lifelong affair with the period genre that continues today. Sense and Sensibility is a triumphant take on a beloved classic with a reputation that has only increased with the years. In the age of multiple adaptations, Sense and Sensibility remains unique, a faithful yet vibrant cinematic translation that not only does justice but actually elevates its source material.
4 ‘Little Children’ (2006)
Director: Todd Field
Todd Field‘s 2006 psychological drama Little Children is an underrated masterpiece of the new millennium. Winslet stars as Sarah Pierce, a dissatisfied housewife who begins an affair with her handsome, married neighbor, played by the ever-underrated Patrick Wilson. Jennifer Connelly and Jackie Earle Haley also star.
Winslet gives a bravura performance in Little Children, earning her fifth Oscar nomination and adding another tremendous achievement to her filmography. Sarah is a challenging role: uncaring, selfish, and prideful; she forces Winslet to confront her darker sides. The role stands out in the actress’ long career; Sarah is complicated, riddled with self-doubt and slight self-hatred, fighting against conventions while trying to fit traditional standards. It’s a beautiful layered performance and one of Winslet’s most unexpected triumphs. Little Children stands out in Winslet’s resumé for its uncompromising and insightful nature, allowing her and her co-stars the chance to explore every aspect of the human psyche.
3 ‘Heavenly Creatures’ (1994)
Director: Peter Jackson
Winslet’s breakthrough performance came with Peter Jackson‘s 1994 New Zealand psychological drama Heavenly Creatures. The film co-stars Melanie Lynskey and dramatizes the notorious Parker-Hulme murder case, where two teenage girls, Pauline and Juliet, killed Pauline’s mother.
Heavenly Creatures is a breathtaking film debut for Winslet and Lynskey. The actresses create a riveting, off-putting portrayal of intimacy and complicity that discomforts as easily as it hypnotizes. Winslet is effortlessly confident as the more brazen Juliet, crafting a stylish and darkly charming character that ranks highly in her filmography nearly thirty years after the film’s debut. Heavenly Creatures is among the all-time best coming-of-age movies, easily ranking among Winslet’s best projects thanks to its rich thematic content and its intriguing observations about girlhood and
2 ‘Titanic’ (1997)
Director: James Cameron
Titanic broke every conceivable record and became the biggest film in the world. Widely considered among the all-time best epic movies, James Cameron‘s acclaimed tragedy stars Winslet and DiCaprio as two star-crossed lovers who meet and fall in love aboard the RMS Titanic. When the seemingly unsinkable ship hits an iceberg, the pair must find a way to survive.
Winslet received her second Oscar nomination for playing Rose DeWitt Bukater, a 17-year-old from Philadelphia forced to marry a much older man to save her family from poverty. Rose is an old-fashioned character, a throwback to the heroines of classic Hollywood melodramas from the ’40s. Winslet embodies Rose’s delicacy and defiance, expertly portraying her insecurities, fears, and increasing hunger for adventure beyond her means. Titanic launched Winslet into overnight stardom and remains a major milestone in modern cinema. Continuously praised by modern audiences and critics alike, the film will secure her status as a silver screen icon.
1 ‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind’ (2004)
Director: Michel Gondry
Winslet stars opposite Jim Carrey in the 2004 sci-fi romantic drama Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Based on a game-changing screenplay by Charlie Kaufman, the film follows a couple who undergoes a procedure to forget each other following a painful breakup. Wildly original and refreshingly disruptive, Eternal Sunshine is among the all-time best sci-fi romances and a work of pure genius from a singularly gifted mind.
Winslet provides a tour-de-force as the fiery and erratic Clementine Kruczynski. Cast against type, the actress arguably gives her best performance on film as the eclectic and spontaneous Clementine, a role that showcases all her strengths as an actor while introducing audiences to new and previously unseen shades. The role earned her a fourth Oscar nomination and proved her viability outside period pieces. More importantly, it allowed her to explore new and more dynamic emotions, resulting in a rich and wonderfully layered character that ranks among the finest creations in modern cinema. Eternal Sunshine is not only Winslet’s best movie; it’s a landmark of modern cinema, a work of pure genius that will stand the test of time.
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