Top 10 Clive Owen

Croupier (1998)

Clive Owen was accustomed to TV roles when he found international acclaim in the intelligent Channel 4 thriller Croupier. Channeling James Bond, Owen’s suave lead role proves that life really is a gamble – his character’s casino job serves as inspiration for his work as a writer, but then he gets caught up in a robbery scheme.

Rent

Greenfingers (2000)

Co-starring with Dame Helen Mirren, Owen plays an inmate in an open prison that encourages convicts to learn a trade. The result is a blooming comedy that sees three prisoners enter a national gardening competition after they realise their passion for horticulture.

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Beyond Borders (2003)

Playing the perfect love interest, Owen stars in this political drama opposite movie megastar Angelina Jolie (who adopted her son Maddox while filming this in Cambodia), raising real life issues of third world suffering. It received only a lukewarm reception from critics but Beyond Borders has its heart in the right place.

Rent

Closer (2004)

Originally a play, Owen took on the role of Larry for the film adaptation (having played Dan in the stage version). Despite also starring Julia Roberts, Jude Law and Natalie Portman, the film had only a limited release, but surprising box office success saw theatre receipts increase too. Owen’s role in this tangled drama about love and relationships won him a BAFTA and Golden Globe for best supporting actor, and an Oscar nomination.

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Sin City(2005)

Joining an all-star cast, Owen plays the handsome and gritty Dwight McCarthy, friend of prostitutes and general saviour of women everywhere. The film was a massive success for its creative originality and colouring process, and Owen got an MTV Best Kiss award nomination for his smooch with Rosario Dawson. He’ll reprise the role of Dwight McCarthy for Sin City 2 in 2010.

Rent

Inside Man (2006)

Inside Man is exactly the kind of clever crime thriller that Owen was made for. Based on an Argentinean bank heist in 2006 when robbers used toy guns and no violence, the movie is Spike Lee’s most financially successful film to date. It pays homage to Al Pacino’s Dog Day Afternoon by casting two actors that were in the 1975 film, and Owen is set to reunite with Spike Lee and co-star Denzel Washington for a sequel, due for release in 2010.

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Children Of Men (2006)

Set in 2027, Children Of Men carried the poignant tagline ‘No children. No future. No hope.’ Owen spent several weeks collaborating with director Alfonso Cuarón, helping with the writing and editing processes. The film became Owen’s second critical and commercial success of the year, and many critics included it on their lists of the best movies of 2006.

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Shoot ‘Em Up (2007)

Owen’s character Smith handles 18 different guns and shoots over 100 people in Shoot ‘Em Up – apparently 15 gallons of fake blood were used for the making of the movie. Although critics were (very) divided, it’s the ultimate action comedy, with Owen’s heroic good guy act down pat.

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Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007)

Your eyes aren’t deceiving you, that really is Clive Owen in all that Elizabethan getup. Ruffing it as Walter Raleigh in Elizabeth: The Golden Age, he joins forces with the Oscar-winning Cate Blanchett, and proves he’s more than just a guns-and-girls man.

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Duplicity (2009)

Owen re-teams up with Closer co-star Julia Roberts to play competing corporate spies with a romantic history. It’s a question of ‘who do you trust?’ as they join forces to carry out a complicated con. It’s a sexy crime thriller that’s sure to please Owen fans everywhere.

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