Every year a whole host of actresses make their breakthrough but it’s Jessica Chastain who has really stood out in 2011 with a whole host of fabulous performances.
This may have been Chastain’s breakthrough year but she has quickly become one of my favourites as she has mixed and matched her parts all year.
The Tree of Life saw her work alongside director Terrence Malick as well as actors Brad Pitt and Sean Penn.
This movie is abstract ad ambiguous, as we have some to expect from Malick projects, but he blends theological and philosophical elements with human experience in a rich and moving movie.
And all that is brought to life by stunning central performances from a superb cast - Chastain really holds her own alongside her more experienced co-stars.
One of my favourite performances from Chastain came in The Help this autumn as she was almost unrecognisable in the role of Celia Foote.
Like the black women in her community also finds herself excluded - but Chastain delivers a heartbreaking performance of a woman desperate to fit in as well as struggling to have a child.
The Help is one of the most inspirational movies to have hit the big screen and it’s great to see a movie that boasts a cast full of women be so well received.
The Debt saw her tackle a more action based role towards the end of the year as she starred alongside Sam Worthington and Marton Csokas.
Chastain’s performance is superb as she shows why she is an actress that everyone is talking about.
She is strong and vulnerable at the same time as she struggles to hold herself together with Vogel, played pitch perfect by Christensen, whist being torn between two men.
The Debt is a well written, well directed and well acted thriller as everything comes together almost perfectly to deliver a thrilling ride - it was a movie that I really enjoyed.
We have also seen her star in Take Shelter with Michael Shannon and she has a host of projects in the pipeline.
She has already completed work on an untitled Terrence Malick movie and Wettest County. She is currently filming Mama - which is directed by Andres Muschietti.
After such a great 2011 Chastain really is a talent to watch out for over the next twelve months.
FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw
Tagged in Jessica Chastain