Mary Elizabeth Winstead makes a character's reserve worth our attention, even when the screenplay is busy elsewhere. We rate her quiet suggestion of a life beyond the leading man's concerns, and wish more films would pursue it.
Fi1m perspective
In Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010), Mary Elizabeth Winstead makes Ramona Flowers seem occupied with thoughts Scott has not bothered to ask about. Her reserve gives us a reason to look beyond his romantic difficulties. We wanted more time with her, and felt short-changed when the screenplay would not make it. Edgar Wright's film is fast and funny enough to earn our recommendation, but Michael Bacall and Wright leave their central relationship too little space. Winstead does useful work in that space without making Ramona easier to read.
The horror films Final Destination 3 (2006) and Black Christmas (2006) brought her attention before Quentin Tarantino's Death Proof (2007) gave her the small part of Lee. Tarantino leaves her almost nothing to play, so there is no fair test of her abilities here. We found the film padded, with stretches of bar talk that do little to justify their length. It has pleasures elsewhere, but it is a poor place to start if the reason for watching is Winstead.
The subsequent move into independent drama with a lead in Smashed (2012) gave her more substantial work than the part of Lee had allowed. 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016) then put her at the centre of a confined thriller, carrying much of the film. She continued with action as Huntress in Birds of Prey (2020), and her work in that field has included fight training and many of her own stunts. There is more to seek out here than variations on Ramona.
Even in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, however, we would not confuse an intriguing performance with a fully written character. Ellen Wong's Knives Chau makes the stronger emotional impression, helped by a directness that the film's knowing humour needs. Winstead keeps our attention with less help, but reserve cannot supply every conversation the screenplay leaves out. Start with Wright's film for its quick comedy; for a fuller Winstead part, we would follow it with Smashed.
Biography
Mary Elizabeth Winstead is an American actress and singer. She was born on 28 November 1984 in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. She trained in ballet at the Joffrey Ballet School and began her career with a role in the soap opera Passions (1999–2000).
Winstead gained attention for horror roles in Final Destination 3 (2006) and Death Proof (2007). She later appeared in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010) as Ramona Flowers, 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016), Birds of Prey (2020) as Helena Bertinelli / Huntress, and the Die Hard films (2007, 2013) as Lucy McClane. She has also worked in television, including Fargo.
