A-List: Actresses Under 30
By Josh Spiegel
September 9, 2010
BoxOfficeProphets.com
This week’s A-List, partially inspired by Jovovich and partially by a general lack of ideas on my part, focuses on five actresses under the age of 30 who should be lucky enough to get Jovovich’s career. These actresses are all, I think, far better at what they’re doing than Jovovich, and should become bigger stars than they are (at least one of the actresses here is already doing pretty well in the spotlight). Four of them have movies coming out before the end of the year, and one just starred in a little-seen gem that most of us here at Box Office Prophets, myself included, fell in love with (three guesses on what it is, and the first two don’t count). Like any actor, their films aren’t uniformly perfect, but their talent is unavoidable and should be nurtured. So far, these actresses haven’t put a foot wrong; here’s hoping the streak continues. On with the list.
Emma Stone
It’s not exactly rare for an actor or actress to be intelligent, but the quality seems to be in short supply when it comes to conveying that in a movie. In the few years that she’s been hanging around in movies, Emma Stone has proven to be one of the most intelligent performers. Her first major film was Superbad, where she played the object of desire for Seth, Jonah Hill’s breakout performance. What people might forget is that her character, in a nice and pleasant twist of teen-comedy tropes, wants to have a great party, even if that means not actually doing anything at said party. She wants Seth to get lots of alcohol because he offers it and it’ll make a great party; she doesn’t want to or intend to drink anything. Since Superbad, she’s appeared in a few films, including Zombieland and The House Bunny.
Next week, she makes her first stab at stardom, with Easy A. Based loosely (about as loosely as Clueless is based on Emma, it seems) on the Scarlet Letter, Easy A is about a girl who fakes losing her virginity to her gay best friend so people won’t beat him up at school. This ruse spirals out of control, and makes the lead revel in her faux status as a tramp. The movie doesn’t sound amazing, but the trailer makes it look funny on the same level as Mean Girls, and Stone appears to be maintaining her lead as the smartest female character in the movie. Add to that the heralded return of recently unretired star Amanda Bynes - unfortunately, she’s not on this list - and I’m more than happy to give a few bucks to the cause of making Stone a star.
Natalie Portman
For Natalie Portman to just now be hailed as an actress who is truly turning things on their head, to be considered an actress who’s more than just a pretty face, is kind of surprising. Portman has been working in Hollywood for over 15 years; sure, her most well-known role is that of Queen Amidala in the Star Wars prequels. Enough said about that series the better, but in between those big-budget blockbusters, she’s been doing exemplary work in many other films, including her Oscar-nominated turn in the 2004 drama Closer, her shaved-head role in the underrated V for Vendetta, and even her cameo in The Darjeeling Limited. Portman has been proving for a long time that she’s an actress whose rise is fascinating, but it’s just now, with her starring role in Darren Aronofsky’s psychological ballet drama Black Swan that most critics are sitting up and paying attention.
It’s kind of a shame, but also great news that Portman’s finally meeting her potential in such a high-profile film. Though the movie has garnered split reactions at the Venice and Telluride film festivals in the past two weeks, the general consensus is that, for reasons including her performance and the work that went into making the performance possible, her role as a fragile ballet dancer could end up getting her another Academy Award nomination. Portman’s next two roles are not only decidedly different from one another, but not exactly awards material: she’ll be playing the love interest in Thor and the love interest in Your Highness, the Danny McBride comedy set in medieval times. Even if she’s playing these kinds of roles, I’m hopeful that Natalie Portman, who’s been growing up on screen for years, can continue her dominance as one of the best actresses of her generation.
Mila Kunis
Natalie Portman isn’t the only actor in Black Swan raising eyebrows and turning heads. Her female counterpart in the film is played by the sultry, sexy, and smart Mila Kunis. Formerly of the Fox sitcom That '70s Show (and still - I think - a voice cast member on Family Guy, a show I suppose I’m just never going to get), Kunis has been proving her worth recently in films such as Extract and, most notably, Forgetting Sarah Marshall. That Apatow-produced comedy was, I wager, a bit underrated, partly due to the great performance Kunis gives. Her work is finally being noticed outside of the small screen, and it’s about time. Some of the early reviews for Black Swan have noted some surprise at how good Kunis is, but it’s sad that no one takes the time to realize that, unlike others, she’s been consistently worth watching.
That said, I’m glad she’s working with someone like Darren Aronofsky. As mentioned above, the reviews for the film have noted that Portman’s work is exemplary, and a potential path to getting an Oscar nomination. Kunis may have a rockier road, or she may need to get an Oscar nod with another film from another quality director. Either way, for her to be working with someone as well-liked and respected in the industry as Aronofsky proves that even the most high-class directors are starting to pay attention to this actress, previously of the small screen. If she can make Jason Segel forget about Kristen Bell, she can certainly turn on directors to her acting prowess.
Carey Mulligan
Though she’s been acting in major film and TV productions for five years, Carey Mulligan’s career has had a meteoric rise in the past 12 months. Last year, at this time, her role in the British film An Education was being touted as one of the best young performances by any actor in a very long time. This year, after picking up a Best Actress Oscar nomination, Mulligan can be seen in Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps and as the lead character in the art house sci-fi drama Never Let Me Go. She’s had a whirlwind year, and I genuinely hope that she won’t become another It girl who strikes the fancy of American hearts for about 18 months, and then fades away into obscurity (proof positive of the latter: Gretchen Mol. Remember when she was huge?).
Who’s to say what will happen, but Mulligan has the chops and general stage presence to remain one of the most major British imports since Keira Knightley and, stretching further back, Emma Thompson. Mulligan, in An Education, proved to have more fortitude behind her frail figure when facing off against love interest Peter Sarsgaard and father Alfred Molina. An Education is not a perfect film, but when you watch Mulligan’s performance, you understand what all the hype is about. Her role in Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps looks a little more standard, where she plays the love interest of main character Shia LaBeouf and the daughter of Michael Douglas’s iconic Gordon Gekko. Never Let Me Go, however, looks to be right in her wheelhouse, an austere drama set in a mysterious boarding school. She’ll have her time to face off with Knightley; I bet she’ll hold her own.
Anna Kendrick
It’s rare that when I see an actor in a movie, I find myself more likely to enjoy it (or at least, that actor’s time on screen). For me to like such an actor is one thing; for that actor to come from the Twilight movies is something else. Yes, those who have seen movies like Camp know that Anna Kendrick was acting far before the Twilight series snatched her up as one of Bella’s non-vampire, non-werewolf classmates, but most people recognize her first from the Twilight films. In those films, she reminded me most of Kristen Wiig, in that her character managed to throw off a line or two that seems improvised, commenting on the ridiculousness of what’s going on. But her real star role was in Up in the Air.
For this role, of course, she was nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Oscar (and part of me wishes she had won). Since then, she’s only been seen in the latest Twilight film and as Scott Pilgrim’s sister in Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (which, of course, is information you know because YOU saw that movie, right? Right?). What about her relatively sparse career is so interesting? If you’ve seen Up in the Air, you know: watching her perform against George Clooney, and match him line for line, is watching the blossoming of one of the great new actresses. I sincerely hope Kendrick’s post-Twilight career brings her as much acclaim as she can get. If making those movies helps her push through less commercially viable films, so be it; her talent is obvious and deserves more attention.