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From cutting edge drama

to mainstream glory, Tilda Swinton has achieved success where few would dare to tread. Miles Fielder explores the woman with the movie magic

I says an awful lot about the rise and rise of

Tilda Swinton that. during the course of the

teaser trailer to one of her forthcoming films (the (‘oen brothers crime comedy Burn After Reading) three legends are flashed up on the screen: ‘(‘l.()()i\’liY‘. ‘l’l'lvl‘fi ‘S\\'l.\"l‘();\". In addition to its highly bankable leading men. Burn x‘fH’I' Reading also features the ()scar— winning wife of Joel (‘oen. Frances McDormand. the inimitable John Malkovich. and Richard Jenkins. the character actor widely tipped to be in the running for an Oscar in the new year for his terrific performance in The Visitor. Nevertheless. it‘s Swinton who receives third billing in the trailer and it‘s Swinton whose name is being used to sell the film.

How did that happen'.’ l'ntil relatively recently the London-born Scottish actress was best known for her work with the late avant-garde filmmaker Derek Jarman (about whom she wrote. narrated and produced the new documentary. Derek) and for a string of anhouse films such as Sally l’ottet“s Virginia Woolf