Our countdown of the top three actresses of 2012 continues today and it is the performances of Marion Cotillard that is in the spotlight at number two.
FemaleFirst has been a huge fan of the actress since her fantastic performance as Edith Piaf in La Vie En Rose - a performance that earnt her a Best Actress Oscar.
She has made two film outings this year and they couldn’t have been more different from one another; blockbuster The Dark Knight Rises and French film Rust and Bone.
It is not often we see Cotillard in a big budget blockbuster but she was one of the new faces on the cast list when The Dark Knight Rises was released this summer.
The movie reunited her with filmmaker Christopher Nolan - who she had worked with on Inception - and saw her star alongside Christian Bale and Tom Hardy.
She took on the role of Miranda Tate in the film in what is an incredibly sophisticated role for the actress.
But Tate is a character that holds a huge secret and it is a perfect twist to the tale that Cotillard plays perfectly.
The Dark Knight Rises has enjoyed monster box office success and it broke the 1 billion barrier to become the second biggest movie of the year - behind avengers Assemble.
And while she may have had a box office hit with The Dark Knight Rises it is for her performance in Rust and Bone that she has been critically acclaimed.
Rust and Bone is one of the most powerful and emotional movies to hit the big screen this year and followed the character of Stephanie, played by Cotillard, who has to adjust to losing her legs after a terrible accident.
It is a tour de force performance from the Oscar winning actress as this is a character that is pushed to the brink but has the strength to pull herself back and get her life back on track.
Rust and Bone lit up the festival circuit this year and already has a string of awards and nominations under its belt.
And while the movie itself may miss out on nominations at the major awards ceremonies Cotillard is a strong contender to not just pick up a Best Actress Oscar nomination but to win the award.
2013 looks set to be another strong year for Cotillard as she has already completed work on Nightingale and Blood Ties.
FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw
Tagged in Batman Marion Cotillard