Winter of the Crow Review: Lesley Manville Thriller | TIFF 2025
This excerpt from a Guardian article discusses Lesley Manville’s career resurgence, notably after her acclaimed performance in Phantom Thread. Here’s a breakdown of the key points:
Late-Career Bloom: Manville was a respected actress for years, associated with the ”enviable Mike Leigh troupe,” but her career truly took off after Phantom Thread. The article argues this is a well-deserved reward.
Breaking the Mold: She’s defied the typical fate of older female actors, avoiding stereotypical “post-Book Club” roles and instead taking on a diverse and challenging range of parts.
Variety of Roles: The article lists a remarkable array of recent roles, showcasing her versatility: a woman experiencing sexual dissatisfaction (I Am Maria), a criminal matriarch (Let Him Go), a jungle doctor (Queer), a villain in a spy series (Citadel), a fashion-focused cleaner (Mrs. Harris Goes too Paris), and an OnlyFans performer (Grotesquerie).
unique Post-Oscar Trajectory: The author suggests her career path after gaining recognition is unusually captivating and rewarding.
Current Project: She’s currently at the Toronto Film Festival promoting Winter of the Crow, a cold war thriller where she plays a British psychiatrist. She recently had a small role in a disappointing film, The Critic*.In essence, the piece celebrates Manville’s talent and her ability to consistently choose compelling and unexpected roles, defying industry expectations for actresses of her age.
