My New Year resolution & Meryl Streep

I just had some spare time these days and I watched a lot of films, including some favorites like Before Sunset (1995) and Before Sunrise (2004). These are the two most romantic and lyrical films I've seen in a long time and I love them. I just want to go to Vienna and hang around all night or possibly all day long with somebody I don't know anything about -- and start these conversations about every possible topic in the universe - from communism to dreams to art. That would be absolutely amazing.

Anyway, I have my two weeks off, so it's time for a New Year resolution. I'm no Bridget Jones, so I won't be talking about not dating workoholics, maniacs, phobiacs and jerks, though they're absolutely no option, but about the year I wanna have - I wanna meet lots of friends this year, I wanna travel a lot, I wanna get accepted into the theatre program, I wanna end procrastinating, I want to be bolder than I am and I want to work on myself - intellectually ;-)

Now to Meryl Streep. She has nothing to do with my New Year resolution. I just think a lot about her, since she's my acting god (or goddess, but I'm pretty much against these different synonyms for women & men!), so I really thought a lot about what's so special about her, which speaks so personally to people. It's some kind of an emotional connection, which she's able to develop onscreen (in a role, which is written and planned and not something which can be called life - in the common sense). Anyway, what I love most about Meryl Streep is that she kind of sinks into the role and breaths life into it. She just changes instantly within a character and never allows me at least to see her as a type. And there's the sense of life in her parts, which I love. That's why it's always the best to see her performance as a whole. She just builds this emotion - step by step - and in the most unexpected moment it just grabs you and doesn't let you go. I've been thinking how this woman works? She's a technical actor, of course. But in every role she finds a way to go beyond that. And I haven't seen a performance of her's, which is kind of over the top. She always finds the way to keep things real and simple and truthful. She's not the actor who seeks only the big drama to show off. And this generosity about her shows some kind of confidence in her own abilities. I love that.

And it's kind of scary when people start critisizing her for her choices as an actor in a part. I'm talking about the screen adaptation of DOUBT. I'm glad she didn't go the Cherry Jones route, which would have been a total turn-off. This is what a great actor does. She found her own way into the character and gave it life on her own. I love that about her.

For Meryl starters, just watch her in Sophie's Choice, The French Lieutenant's Woman, Adaptation, The Bridges of Madison County, Silkwood and so many other films.