the final and most profound example on this list of mike leigh's genius ability to extract a spellbinding performance from his female characters. brenda blethyn as cynthia purley, a lower-class factory worker who learns that the daughter she gave up for adoption as an infant is now a successful black woman, is one of the greatest performances in recent memory -- vulnerable, comedic, afflicted, and devastating. a primarily improvised role, blethyn uses her tremendous acting talents to write her own story for cynthia, in a manner that is both disarming and sympathetic to the audience. she is never over the top in her delivery; her use of humor to combat uneasy situations is so real and natural. an absolutely perfect performance. blethyn won a golden globe for best actress (drama) along with countless other critics awards. she also won the 1996 best actress award from the cannes film festival for her role.
*nominated for 1996 best actress oscar;
lost to frances mcdormand in fargo
greatest moment: see below
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