A lot of people thought Jennifer Lopez was going to earn an Oscar nomination for her work in last year’s Hustlers. Lopez’s performance as a stripper-turned-crime-lord showed a side of the actress that we rarely see. She really did do a damn fine job in the film but it wasn’t enough for the Academy because J. Lo got a big fat snub instead of a big fat nom.
But it sounds like Lopez will stand another chance at a nomination with her next role. The actress is set to play real-life drug lord Griselda Blanco in The Godmother, a new drama to be directed by Reed Moreno (The Rhythm Section, The Handmaid’s Tale) and written by William Monahan, who won himself a coveted golden guy for The Departed.
Blanco started with nothing in the streets of Colombia and worked her way up to becoming one of the biggest drug lords in the world. Truly an inspiring tale. I don’t know much of her story but I assume it is full of the usual betrayal, murder and danger that goes along with any drug lord’s biography. This sounds like something Lopez could really sink her teeth into.
I am fascinated with Jennifer Lopez’s career trajectory. She first started as a talented up-and-coming actress (after being a Fly Girl, of course) but her career took a turn when she set focus on her music career. As her albums sold, Lopez went from Soderbergh classics to forgettable rom-coms. It now seems that Lopez is fixing her eyes on more serious fare again and I am all for it because, unlike some stars who balance their acting and music careers, Lopez actually has some serious acting chops. I am ready to see her show them off again with The Godmother*
*Although something about the film’s title rubs me the wrong way.