Manifesto

130 minutes • 2015 • 6.5

In Julian Rosenfeldt's Manifesto, the Australian national treasure Cate Blanchett plays no less than 13 roles, in a film based on the declamation of influential political and artistic manifestations. Here we find everything from Marx and Engels' communist manifesto to program statements for artistic movements such as Dadaism, Futurism and Lars von Trier's Dogme 95.

Manifesto started out as an art installation, but it is on the cinema screen that Blanchett's unique talent and charisma really come to fruition. For each manifesto, she takes on a new role, and effortlessly jumps between accents, genders and age groups. In this smart, playful and entertaining exhilaration, we meet Blanchett as a grieving widow, aging outfielder, close-knit housewife and temperamental Russian choreographer - among other things. This is an exceptionally playful and surplus film - not to mention a demonstration of power from one of our great living actors.