Coppola's New Muse...where now from here?

'Downfall may have been made four years ago, but Alexandra Maria Lara's peformance as Hitler's private secretary still managed to be memorable enough for British and American casting directors sit up and take notice of her. However, the Christmas release of 'Youth Without Youth' seemed to be something of a setback for her. The critics were less than kind to it; some even didn't give it a single star. I haven't seen the film, so I cannot effectively elaborate on whether it is as bad as the movie journalists state that it is: the main question here is where this negativity leaves Alex's career. The answer seems to be that it hasn't really made a great deal of difference to it, at all.

'Control', released a month before Francis Ford Coppola's first film in ten years, has shown itself to be the stronger of the two movie projects she made during 2007. The biopic of the late Joy Division's lead singer, Ian Curtis, was greeted favourably by the critics. Playing the mistress of the late Mr. Curtis created the circumstances that led to her falling for the movie's male lead, Sam Riley. On-set liaisons add that much more interest from the media, but before they could break the story, Alex and Sam were already living together as a couple, as Riley had ventured to Berlin to be with her. Yet, this fact isn't the reason why she has become more well known; her body of work has to be thanked for that.

As for Hollywood, she has allegedly been quoted as saying she can take it or leave it. She has probably been sent a good deal of movie scripts from Tinseltown, and only looked twice at one, possibly two. This could be her path from now on. Like Julie Delpy and Penelope Cruz, she has gotten the international clout not to have to spend too much time having to be at Hollywood's beck and call, but I feel she will do one, maybe two mainstream movies. If that were to happen, I would like to add my voice to calls for Miss Lara to take on the role of Selina Kyle/The Catwoman. Until then, she is happy to test herself as an actress, something that will make anyone opposed to becoming part of the European union think again.