Film Faves: The Digital Age - Actresses
Welcome back to a special edition of Film Faves. This is part two of my look at the talents that emerged during the Digital Age. If you haven't already, I strongly encourage you go back to part one, where introduce the topic and countdown my favorite actors from this period.
This time, I'll be counting down my favorite actresses of the Digital Age. While my previous list was only six actors long, there were so many actresses worthy of mention that I couldn't pare it down to the same amount. Besides, men also make up the entirety of part three's list of directors, as well, so it's only fitting for the actresses to make up half of this entire edition of Film Faves. So, here are my twelve favorite actresses.
Actresses:
12. Anne Hathaway
Favorite performances:
Brokeback Mountain, Rachel Getting Married
Like her princess alter ego in the misguided, yet popular, Princess Diaries films, Hathaway has really blossomed over the past decade. She left the family-friendly fairy tales behind for more mature roles in movies like those in Brokeback Mountain and Rachel Getting Married. She also proved effective at the less broadly comedic The Devil Wears Prada. But it’s her dramatic work that proves this gal isn’t just letting that sunny smile coast her through Kate Hudson rom-com land. I look forward to seeing what more she can bring to the table.
11. Anna Faris
Favorite performances:
Scary Movie, Lost in Translation, The House Bunny
I must first admit that I really don’t much like the comedies in which Anna Faris stars as the lead. But I do love what she’s doing in them. A comedienne all her own, this former Washington State resident perfected the good-natured and/or shallow dim bulb, playing different versions of this type in nearly every movie. While she’s established herself as one of the leading comedic actresses of the digital age, I’d like to see her branch out to more challenging and substantial work. However, since her slate is dominated by kids movies (Yogi Bear) and romantic comedies (What’s Your Number), I may need to be content with her current niche for a little while longer.
10. Evan Rachel Wood
Favorite performances:
Once and Again, Thirteen, The Wrestler
While Evan Rachel Wood may not garner the attention the likes of Dakota Fanning, she is without question one of the most compelling young talents of the digital age. Wood started out on ABC’s Once & Again as Billy Campbell’s tween daughter who eventually suffers from bulimia. For such a young age (12) her performances surprisingly felt real and less like performances, fitting in to the fabric of the series. Since then, Wood has avoided crowd-pleasing treacle typical of actors her age and dove into more challenging dramatic work, most notably 2003’s Thirteen and 2008’s The Wrestler. Just look at her filmography and you won’t find a single girl-gets-guy chick flick or low-brow comedy. Underappreciated by many, Wood is a powerhouse in the making.
9. Naomi Watts
Favorite performances:
The Ring, King Kong
I have to admit that despite her being one of the period’s most talented dramatic actresses, I’m only a fan of two films starring the radiant Naomi Watts, both of which are genre films atypical of her career. That said, Watts has a career filled with electricity and gravitas, one that is steeped in so much awards-baiting dramatic work that it’s hard to believe she has yet to win a single award outside the festival or critics circles. Rare is it that she takes a one-dimensional or light-weight role, always playing strong or challenging characters that require an actress of considerable daring and courage. What better example than her breakout role in 2000’s Mulholland Dr.? As an aspiring actress in David Lynch’s head-scratcher, Watts was simultaneously captivating, sexy, and twisty-turny enough to make your head spin and eyes cross. I look forward to catching Watts as wronged agent Valerie Plame in Fair Game, along with whatever else she chooses to challenge us with next.
8. Elizabeth Banks
Favorite performances:
Slither, W., Zack and Miri Make a Porno
The only comedic actress more worthy of praise than Anna Faris is Elizabeth Banks. Though labeling Banks a “comedic” actress might be slightly objectionable since she has successfully handled nearly every genre from horror to superhero. Banks started out with bit parts in the Spider-Man movies, Catch Me If You Can, and Apatow comedies until she combined her comedic timing and all-American good looks to play the leading lady opposite the charming Nathan Fillion in the horror comedy Slither. But what surprised most was her one-two punch in 2008 as the raunchy romantic lead in Kevin Smith’s underappreciated Zack and Miri Make a Porno and her rock-solid performance as Laura Bush in Oliver Stone’s W. Banks has proven herself to be one of the most versatile actresses of the digital age. I welcome her in any quality comedy, but am eager to see her show off those dramatic chops even more in her upcoming thrillers The Next Three Days and Man on a Ledge.
7. Keira Knightley
Favorite performances:
Bend It Like Beckham, Love Actually, Atonement
Often considered as Portman-lite, upon closer inspection of the beautiful and similar-looking actress’s filmography, there’s actually very little merit to such impressions. With work in such films as Pride & Prejudice, The Dutchess, Atonement, and Never Let Me Go, Knightley is hardly worthy of dismissal. She’s proven she has range from accessible romantic lead to action heroine to respectable dramatic actress. She has the chops and potential for excellence. We’ll just see how the rest of the period treats her.
6. Chloe Moretz
Favorite performances:
Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Kick-Ass, Let Me In
While many tripped over the precocious talents of Dakota Fanning – and rightly so – I’ve been more impressed with the choices and talent of another rising ingénue, Chloe Grace Moretz. We’ve seen a dozen times child actors who impress with a performance or two and then flame out with a series of bombs, make personal choices that ruin their careers, or simply fail to capture audiences after they hit their teens. That remains to be seen with Moretz, however what’s helped give her future promise is, like Evan Rachel Wood, her preference toward adult-oriented material. So far, that’s served her well since she’s yet to appear in any crap for the sake of exposure or under the guise of being edgy (I’m looking at you, Dakota!). This year alone, Chloe has starred in three movies, only one of which targeted her age group. When she’s on screen, the camera absolutely adores her. She knows how to perform for the camera as when launching into brutal acrobatics with a sneer in Kick-Ass, as well as adding nuance and depth to a role as she does in Let Me In. Having that chemistry with the audience and bringing weight to a performance is what makes a star. Chloe Moretz is certainly a rising star in the vein of Jodie Foster or Natalie Portman. That is, as long as she doesn’t go Lohan on us.
5. Scarlett Johansson
Favorite performances:
Ghost World, Lost in Translation,
Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Scarlett started her career very young by playing “the daughter” in a handful of movies. Her breakout role was in Ghost World as the best friend who wants to move on from teenage antics into young adult responsibilities. Scarlett quickly became the cinephile’s siren, starring in such character-driven pieces as Lost in Translation and Girl with the Pearl Earring. She’s since dabbled in the more popcorn-friendly spectacles, but balanced those with low-key productions, including being Woody Allen’s leading lady for three films. Scarlett has a classical beauty about her that contrasts sharply with today’s more titillating sexiness. But what’s important is she really has the A-game to back it up. She is one of young Hollywood’s best talents. Say what you will, but there is nothing vacuous about Scarlett and, action spectacles aside, I am almost always intrigued by the roles she chooses to play.
4. Maggie Gyllenhaal
Favorite performances:
Stranger Than Fiction, The Dark Knight, Crazy Heart
Last November, I named Maggie the best actress of the decade, barely trumping the heavyweight talent that is Kate Winslet. While she may not be as big a star, the proof is in the pudding. It’s tough picking out favorite performances by Gyllenhaal because she consistently gives her all, which is always more than enough. Maggie broke onto the scene with the indie comedy Secretary, an offbeat romantic comedy for those bored by the typical studio rom-coms. From there, Maggie played a variety of roles – none of which could be described as average or lazy – most impressive of which is in Sherrybaby, in which she plays a former druggie mom trying for a better life and failing at every turn, and Crazy Heart, in which she plays a different sort of single mother who happens to fall for a drunken country musician played by Jeff Bridges. Gyllenhaal has proven that no matter the film, her presence will bring authenticity, nuance, and a courage few others can claim. She’s an underrated talent of the digital age who hopefully will gain the respect she deserves before long.
3. Ellen Page
Favorite performances:
Hard Candy, Juno, Inception
Another of the digital age’s teen ingénues. If you’ve seen the 2005 thriller Hard Candy and considered the fact Ellen Page was around the age of sixteen at that time then her inclusion on this list should come as no surprise. Of course, Page is best known as the smart-alecky teenager with a bun in the oven from Juno. Page could’ve kept playing wry-witted teenage girls, but she didn’t, mostly preferring roles in mature films (we’ll ignore the X-Men 3 debacle) over surefire hits. And most of her movies aren’t hits, but that’s no fault of Ellen’s acting. She is a natural, intelligent actress whose reputation is just left of center enough that her name was even thrown in the ring for the lead part in the U.S. version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Page didn’t win that role, but that only opened her up to a possibly more interesting film. Regardless, I have no doubt Page has plenty more interesting performances left in her.
2. Rachel McAdams
Favorite performances:
Mean Girls, The Notebook, Wedding Crashers, Red Eye
McAdams may yet be able to hold her own alongside the best of today’s talents, but she’s definitely on her way and I have no doubt that in time she’ll join their ranks. While she’s not immune to disappointing performances (State of Play, Sherlock Holmes) or mediocre films (The Lucky Ones, The Time Traveler’s Wife), Rachel McAdams never ceases to hold my attention; I’m always willing to go along with her on whatever journey she wants me to take. She also has demonstrated a fair amount of range and is rarely unconvincing – not to mention she’s utterly gorgeous! Her filmography includes work with such great talents as Wes Craven, Harrison Ford, Robert Downey Jr., and Russell Crowe, which is a lot to learn from. Given more time (it’s only been six years since her breakout films Mean Girls and The Notebook), Rachel McAdams will certainly prove herself worthy of earning mention on anybody’s best-of list.
1. Zooey Deschanel
Favorite performances:
Almost Famous, Elf,
Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy,
(500) Days of Summer
My favorite actress of the digital age (big sighs!). Zooey Deschanel is someone who has given such consistently satisfying performances and choices that when she shows up in something as atrocious as The Happening, the pain is about as bad as being strung up and whipped with a devil’s club plant (it really stings!). Zooey started with noteworthy supporting roles in films like Almost Famous and The Good Girl. With blue saucer eyes and a fair complexion, Zooey was unmistakable even before becoming a known name. Her performance in David Gordon Green’s All the Real Girls broke her in the art house and critical communities while that same year’s role as Buddy Elf’s “most beautiful thing in the world” in Elf gained her wider attention with general audiences. Since then, she’s become indie film’s leading lady while also occasionally starring in better known films like The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and Yes Man. Last year, she starred in one of the best romance films of the past decade, (500) Days of Summer, as the incredibly desirable Summer Finn. Her filmography may not be dominated by as many good or high-profile choices as some of the other actresses on this list, but Zooey does make many interesting choices and she’s always irresistible. Whatever the case, as long as she stays away from that Shyamalan fellow, I’ll place her above all others in the Digital Age.
What are your favorite actresses to emerge since 2000?
We're two-thirds of the way there! Please read on as I round out this look at the Digital Age with my favorite directors of the period.
This time, I'll be counting down my favorite actresses of the Digital Age. While my previous list was only six actors long, there were so many actresses worthy of mention that I couldn't pare it down to the same amount. Besides, men also make up the entirety of part three's list of directors, as well, so it's only fitting for the actresses to make up half of this entire edition of Film Faves. So, here are my twelve favorite actresses.
Actresses:
Favorite performances:
Brokeback Mountain, Rachel Getting Married
Like her princess alter ego in the misguided, yet popular, Princess Diaries films, Hathaway has really blossomed over the past decade. She left the family-friendly fairy tales behind for more mature roles in movies like those in Brokeback Mountain and Rachel Getting Married. She also proved effective at the less broadly comedic The Devil Wears Prada. But it’s her dramatic work that proves this gal isn’t just letting that sunny smile coast her through Kate Hudson rom-com land. I look forward to seeing what more she can bring to the table.
Favorite performances:
Scary Movie, Lost in Translation, The House Bunny
I must first admit that I really don’t much like the comedies in which Anna Faris stars as the lead. But I do love what she’s doing in them. A comedienne all her own, this former Washington State resident perfected the good-natured and/or shallow dim bulb, playing different versions of this type in nearly every movie. While she’s established herself as one of the leading comedic actresses of the digital age, I’d like to see her branch out to more challenging and substantial work. However, since her slate is dominated by kids movies (Yogi Bear) and romantic comedies (What’s Your Number), I may need to be content with her current niche for a little while longer.
Favorite performances:
Once and Again, Thirteen, The Wrestler
While Evan Rachel Wood may not garner the attention the likes of Dakota Fanning, she is without question one of the most compelling young talents of the digital age. Wood started out on ABC’s Once & Again as Billy Campbell’s tween daughter who eventually suffers from bulimia. For such a young age (12) her performances surprisingly felt real and less like performances, fitting in to the fabric of the series. Since then, Wood has avoided crowd-pleasing treacle typical of actors her age and dove into more challenging dramatic work, most notably 2003’s Thirteen and 2008’s The Wrestler. Just look at her filmography and you won’t find a single girl-gets-guy chick flick or low-brow comedy. Underappreciated by many, Wood is a powerhouse in the making.
Favorite performances:
The Ring, King Kong
I have to admit that despite her being one of the period’s most talented dramatic actresses, I’m only a fan of two films starring the radiant Naomi Watts, both of which are genre films atypical of her career. That said, Watts has a career filled with electricity and gravitas, one that is steeped in so much awards-baiting dramatic work that it’s hard to believe she has yet to win a single award outside the festival or critics circles. Rare is it that she takes a one-dimensional or light-weight role, always playing strong or challenging characters that require an actress of considerable daring and courage. What better example than her breakout role in 2000’s Mulholland Dr.? As an aspiring actress in David Lynch’s head-scratcher, Watts was simultaneously captivating, sexy, and twisty-turny enough to make your head spin and eyes cross. I look forward to catching Watts as wronged agent Valerie Plame in Fair Game, along with whatever else she chooses to challenge us with next.
Favorite performances:
Slither, W., Zack and Miri Make a Porno
The only comedic actress more worthy of praise than Anna Faris is Elizabeth Banks. Though labeling Banks a “comedic” actress might be slightly objectionable since she has successfully handled nearly every genre from horror to superhero. Banks started out with bit parts in the Spider-Man movies, Catch Me If You Can, and Apatow comedies until she combined her comedic timing and all-American good looks to play the leading lady opposite the charming Nathan Fillion in the horror comedy Slither. But what surprised most was her one-two punch in 2008 as the raunchy romantic lead in Kevin Smith’s underappreciated Zack and Miri Make a Porno and her rock-solid performance as Laura Bush in Oliver Stone’s W. Banks has proven herself to be one of the most versatile actresses of the digital age. I welcome her in any quality comedy, but am eager to see her show off those dramatic chops even more in her upcoming thrillers The Next Three Days and Man on a Ledge.
Favorite performances:
Bend It Like Beckham, Love Actually, Atonement
Often considered as Portman-lite, upon closer inspection of the beautiful and similar-looking actress’s filmography, there’s actually very little merit to such impressions. With work in such films as Pride & Prejudice, The Dutchess, Atonement, and Never Let Me Go, Knightley is hardly worthy of dismissal. She’s proven she has range from accessible romantic lead to action heroine to respectable dramatic actress. She has the chops and potential for excellence. We’ll just see how the rest of the period treats her.
Favorite performances:
Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Kick-Ass, Let Me In
While many tripped over the precocious talents of Dakota Fanning – and rightly so – I’ve been more impressed with the choices and talent of another rising ingénue, Chloe Grace Moretz. We’ve seen a dozen times child actors who impress with a performance or two and then flame out with a series of bombs, make personal choices that ruin their careers, or simply fail to capture audiences after they hit their teens. That remains to be seen with Moretz, however what’s helped give her future promise is, like Evan Rachel Wood, her preference toward adult-oriented material. So far, that’s served her well since she’s yet to appear in any crap for the sake of exposure or under the guise of being edgy (I’m looking at you, Dakota!). This year alone, Chloe has starred in three movies, only one of which targeted her age group. When she’s on screen, the camera absolutely adores her. She knows how to perform for the camera as when launching into brutal acrobatics with a sneer in Kick-Ass, as well as adding nuance and depth to a role as she does in Let Me In. Having that chemistry with the audience and bringing weight to a performance is what makes a star. Chloe Moretz is certainly a rising star in the vein of Jodie Foster or Natalie Portman. That is, as long as she doesn’t go Lohan on us.
Favorite performances:
Ghost World, Lost in Translation,
Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Scarlett started her career very young by playing “the daughter” in a handful of movies. Her breakout role was in Ghost World as the best friend who wants to move on from teenage antics into young adult responsibilities. Scarlett quickly became the cinephile’s siren, starring in such character-driven pieces as Lost in Translation and Girl with the Pearl Earring. She’s since dabbled in the more popcorn-friendly spectacles, but balanced those with low-key productions, including being Woody Allen’s leading lady for three films. Scarlett has a classical beauty about her that contrasts sharply with today’s more titillating sexiness. But what’s important is she really has the A-game to back it up. She is one of young Hollywood’s best talents. Say what you will, but there is nothing vacuous about Scarlett and, action spectacles aside, I am almost always intrigued by the roles she chooses to play.
Favorite performances:
Stranger Than Fiction, The Dark Knight, Crazy Heart
Last November, I named Maggie the best actress of the decade, barely trumping the heavyweight talent that is Kate Winslet. While she may not be as big a star, the proof is in the pudding. It’s tough picking out favorite performances by Gyllenhaal because she consistently gives her all, which is always more than enough. Maggie broke onto the scene with the indie comedy Secretary, an offbeat romantic comedy for those bored by the typical studio rom-coms. From there, Maggie played a variety of roles – none of which could be described as average or lazy – most impressive of which is in Sherrybaby, in which she plays a former druggie mom trying for a better life and failing at every turn, and Crazy Heart, in which she plays a different sort of single mother who happens to fall for a drunken country musician played by Jeff Bridges. Gyllenhaal has proven that no matter the film, her presence will bring authenticity, nuance, and a courage few others can claim. She’s an underrated talent of the digital age who hopefully will gain the respect she deserves before long.
Favorite performances:
Hard Candy, Juno, Inception
Another of the digital age’s teen ingénues. If you’ve seen the 2005 thriller Hard Candy and considered the fact Ellen Page was around the age of sixteen at that time then her inclusion on this list should come as no surprise. Of course, Page is best known as the smart-alecky teenager with a bun in the oven from Juno. Page could’ve kept playing wry-witted teenage girls, but she didn’t, mostly preferring roles in mature films (we’ll ignore the X-Men 3 debacle) over surefire hits. And most of her movies aren’t hits, but that’s no fault of Ellen’s acting. She is a natural, intelligent actress whose reputation is just left of center enough that her name was even thrown in the ring for the lead part in the U.S. version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Page didn’t win that role, but that only opened her up to a possibly more interesting film. Regardless, I have no doubt Page has plenty more interesting performances left in her.
Favorite performances:
Mean Girls, The Notebook, Wedding Crashers, Red Eye
McAdams may yet be able to hold her own alongside the best of today’s talents, but she’s definitely on her way and I have no doubt that in time she’ll join their ranks. While she’s not immune to disappointing performances (State of Play, Sherlock Holmes) or mediocre films (The Lucky Ones, The Time Traveler’s Wife), Rachel McAdams never ceases to hold my attention; I’m always willing to go along with her on whatever journey she wants me to take. She also has demonstrated a fair amount of range and is rarely unconvincing – not to mention she’s utterly gorgeous! Her filmography includes work with such great talents as Wes Craven, Harrison Ford, Robert Downey Jr., and Russell Crowe, which is a lot to learn from. Given more time (it’s only been six years since her breakout films Mean Girls and The Notebook), Rachel McAdams will certainly prove herself worthy of earning mention on anybody’s best-of list.
Favorite performances:
Almost Famous, Elf,
Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy,
(500) Days of Summer
My favorite actress of the digital age (big sighs!). Zooey Deschanel is someone who has given such consistently satisfying performances and choices that when she shows up in something as atrocious as The Happening, the pain is about as bad as being strung up and whipped with a devil’s club plant (it really stings!). Zooey started with noteworthy supporting roles in films like Almost Famous and The Good Girl. With blue saucer eyes and a fair complexion, Zooey was unmistakable even before becoming a known name. Her performance in David Gordon Green’s All the Real Girls broke her in the art house and critical communities while that same year’s role as Buddy Elf’s “most beautiful thing in the world” in Elf gained her wider attention with general audiences. Since then, she’s become indie film’s leading lady while also occasionally starring in better known films like The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and Yes Man. Last year, she starred in one of the best romance films of the past decade, (500) Days of Summer, as the incredibly desirable Summer Finn. Her filmography may not be dominated by as many good or high-profile choices as some of the other actresses on this list, but Zooey does make many interesting choices and she’s always irresistible. Whatever the case, as long as she stays away from that Shyamalan fellow, I’ll place her above all others in the Digital Age.
What are your favorite actresses to emerge since 2000?
We're two-thirds of the way there! Please read on as I round out this look at the Digital Age with my favorite directors of the period.