Rosamund Pike’s Top Picks from the Criterion Closet: The Criterion Collection has been the gold standard for film lovers across the globe for more than four decades, scrupulously restoring and distributing classic and contemporary masterpieces with exceptional care. Revered for its steadfast commitment to presenting movies as close as possible to their makers’ vision, Criterion has, over the years, secured a special place in the hearts and minds of cinephiles, turning every movie-watching act into an immersive, profound one. Yet, in recent years, it’s not just their immaculate restoration that has enthralled audiences—it’s an intimate, warm video series called Closet Picks that has stolen the spotlight.
Snug in Criterion’s New York City office lies a cozy, homey space—a closet brimmed with each and every film the company has released. In Closet Picks, this modest space unfolds into a stage where directors, actors, and luminaries from the film fraternity are invited to wander through the shelves and handpick the films that shaped them. As they plump for their choices, they share personal tales of how these movies shaped and influenced them. For viewers, it’s a mesmerizing blend of storytelling, film recommendations, and an amusing embrace of shared enthusiasm.
Just days ago, the iconic Rosamund Pike stepped into this fascinating closet. The 46-year-old, Oxford-educated, London-born actor boasts a splendid career that spans screen, stage, and beyond. From her debut as a Bond girl in Die Another Day (2002)—making her the first Bond girl to have attended Oxford—to her dazzling supporting roles in Pride & Prejudice (2005) and An Education (2009), Pike’s ingenuity shines.
The next decade saw her advance to lead roles in mainstream blockbusters like Johnny English Reborn (2011) and Jack Reacher (2012), but it was her manipulative and cunning portrayal of Amy Dunne in David Fincher’s Gone Girl (2014) that proved to be her tour-de-force, and establishing her as star, and earning her first Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations. Pike continued to shine, receiving another Golden Globe nomination for A Private War (2018).
She finally won a Golden Globe in 2021 for her portrayal of a con woman in the 2020 Black-comedy I Care a Lot. Pike received another Golden Globe nod for playing an aristocratic matriarch in Emerald Fennell’s black comedy thriller Saltburn (2023). On television, she has already nabbed a Primetime Emmy for her 2019 miniseries State of the Union, and currently stars as Mairaine Damodred in Amazon Prime’s fantasy drama The Wheel of Time, the third season of which dropped last month.
Rosamund Pike dived deep into the cinematic treasures that have left an indelible mark on her and unveiled her top Criterion Closet favorites. Here are the films she chose:
1. I am Curious (1967)
Pike kicked off with Swedish director Vilgot Sjöman’s groundbreaking erotic-drama I am Curious (1967), a bold choice reflecting her curiosity about cinema’s boundaries. Here’s what the actress had to say about this thought-provoking film:
“My first pick is I Am Curious because I am curious,” Pike declared. “And I’m also interested in the depiction of sex and sexuality on screen. I think it’s very interesting, the debate, where it’s taking us these days.” She presses on to ask: “Are we entering an age of prudery? I’m interested in the way that wellness is taking over our lives, and yet sex seems to be taking a backseat.”
2. L’Eclipse(1962)
Next, sifting through the closet, Pike journeyed to Italy and picked Michelangelo Antonioni’s 1962 romantic drama L’Eclipse. While sharing her deeply personal and sentimental tie to Monica Vitti, the film’s star, Pike said:
“Well, actually, sentimentally, my first car was…is – still have it – is a Citroën DS which I bought when I was making Pride & Prejudice, and it was owned by Monica Vitti.” She adds,“There’s a postage stamp on the dashboard, which I always sentimentally believe came from an important letter that was sent to her, so…Monica Vitti’s coming with me.”
3. A Taste of Honey(1961)
The actress’s love for British realism shone through with Tony Richardson’s gritty classic A Taste of Honey (1961). Pike vividly described her admiration for the era’s raw, unfiltered storytelling. She said:
“I think I’ve got to go to the British realism. There was something very exciting that happened to British cinema, and I think all the actors of this generation have held a kind of awe for me. She added, They obviously were able to make films before all the extra stuff that sort of clouds our vision nowadays. They were able to be creative and immersed, and not have to be so self-aware, which is something I crave”.
4. Daisies(1966)
Then Pike shared her enthusiasm and awe for the Czech New Wave, inspired by her time filming three seasons of The Wheel of Time in the Czech Republic. She selected Věra Chytilová’s surrealist gem Daisies (1966), she said:
“I’m going to introduce you, if you don’t already know it, to a surrealist gem, which is Daisies. It’s a Czech film by Věra Chytilová. I’ve just spent five years living in the Czech Republic, making a television series, The Wheel of Time. And the Czechs are fiercely witty and…they have a dark humor that’s actually very aligned with British humor. And I think what happened in the Czech New Wave was super exciting and avant-garde. And, you know, so much attention is paid to the French New Wave and much less to the Czech New Wave”.
5. Loves of a Blonde(1965)
Next, Pike picked Miloš Forman’s tender classic Loves of a Blonde (1965), further showcasing her deepened connection with her newfound home, the Czech Republic. She said:
“Miloš Forman, Loves of a Blonde, which, of course, you know, a Czech hero. And so, in honor of my new second country, I’m taking a bit of the Czech Republic with me.”
6. Mean Streets(1973)
In New York, Pike couldn’t help but pick Scorsese’s gritty masterpiece Mean Streets (1973). She spoke of her admiration for Scorsese’s vivid portrayal of New York City, his unorthodox narration, and his flawless handling of multiple characters. She said:
“So I’m in New York, and when I’m in New York, I can never be in New York without thinking of Martin Scorsese. I actually watched Goodfellas on the plane on the way over and ended up landing feeling very jumpy, in the way that Scorsese can, in breaking with every…sort of seemingly making a masterpiece and yet breaking form at every turn, and you think, how can you have one person narrate and then just change narrator in the middle? I always marvel at the way he tells the story and the number of characters he handles and the way he…he goes from humor to tenderness and then, you know, puts all this violence, underscored by “Frosty the Snowman.”
7. Scorsese Shorts
The actress doubled down on Scorsese, selecting a collection of his early short films. Pike expressed her excitement about seeing Scoresese’s mother featured in one of her son’s early short films. She said:
“I’ve heard that Criterion have released some of Scorsese’s early shorts.Now, in the shorts is a short film that stars Scorsese’s mother. She plays Tommy’s mother in Goodfellas and in Scorsese Shorts,which is right here, We get a very early glimpse of Scorsese’s work with his mum”.
8. The Complete Films of Agnès Varda
Pike returns to the theme of female exploration for her final pick. She selected The Complete Films of Agnès Varda, which features all 39 of her films, photographs, essays, and more. She said:
“I’m going to end where I started, with an exploration of the body. And I’m going to take Agnès Varda’s magnificent collection. I can’t believe that the Criterion Collection has gathered all of her work together in this beautiful edition, complete with essays and all the films and some of the photographs, all collected. She was an unbelievable photographer. What an image-maker. And I think as a…female working in films, the depiction of womanhood in all its stages, never losing interest, pursuing female identity as it changes, Agnès Varda gave that experience honestly and openly and daringly to all of us”.
