As 2007 draws to a close it's time to look back at the year's performances and see who made an impact in theatres. And awards season is about to get underway a small handful of actors have made their mark on what has been a great year at the box office.

Shia LaBeouf
LA born Shia LaBeouf has not just had a great year but he has been one of 2007's most promising and rising stars.Before this summer LaBeouf was perhaps best known for his role in Holes as well as parts in A Guide to Recognising Your Saints and Bobby.But with Michael Bay's Transformers this twenty one year old promising talent was propelled to leading man status in this summer's biggest blockbuster.In the role of Sam Witwicky, alongside Megan Fox another promising newcomer, LaBeouf found himself caught between the Autobot and Decepticon war on earth.

He followed this up with Dreamworks' movie Disturbia, a loose remake of Alfred Hitchcock's classic Rear Window.

Kale Brecht (LaBeouf) is under house arrest when he thinks he witnesses a murder after spying on his suspicious neighbour.

Disturbia was made on a $20 million budget but has gone on to gross $100 million at the international box office and earning LaBeouf a host of great reviews.

And it looks like LaBeouf's success will continue into 2008 as he landed a role in Indiana Jones Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and will play the son of Marion Ravenwood, played by Karen Allen.

Transformers also looks set to be turned into a franchise with LaBeouf rumoured to be signed up for two sequels.

He has just finishing filming Eagle Eye alongside Rosario Dawson and Billy Bob Thornton which will be released in September.

James McAvoy

2007 has been a great year for James McAvoy while we here in the UK have been aware of his talent for some time this year he has caught the eye of America.

The year started out on a high with his excellent turn as Nicholas Garrigon in The Last King of Scotland.

The film went on to win the BAFTA for Best British Film, Best Screenplay and Best Actor for Forest Whitaker, for his portrayal of Idi Admin. McAvoy was also nominated for Best Supporting Actor as well as Whitaker going on to scoop the Best Actor Oscar.

He followed this up with Becoming Jane alongside Anne Hathaway. The film followed the early life of author Jane Austen and her relationship with Thomas Langlors Lefroy.

But it was his role as Robbie Turner in Joe Wright's Atonement, an adaptation of Ian McEwan's novel.

McAvoy and co-star Keira Knightley play lovers Robbie and Cecilia who are torn apart by a wrong accusation of rape by Cecilia's sister Briony.

After serving several years in prison Robbie is drafted into the army to fight in the Second World War and finds himself in Dunkirk.

The film has achieved critical acclaim and leads the field at this year's Golden Globes with a Best Performance by an Actor for a Motion Picture - Drama for James McAvoy.

We will next see the young actor in the adaptation of Wanted alongside Morgan Freeman and Angelina Jolie.

Matt Damon

Matt Damon languished in the shadow of Ben Affleck in the early part of his career but has now emerged as a bond fide leading man and a big box office draw.

He kicked off 2007 riding high on the box office success of Martin Scorsese's The Departed which went on to win Best Picture and Best Director at this year's Oscars.

His first role of the year came in the form of Robert De Niro's second directorial effort The Good Shepherd.

The film which also stars Angelina Jolie and William Hurt and follows the birth of the Central Intelligence Agency - CIA.

Despite it's great cast The Good Shepherd performed below expectations as the box office but went on to perform well on DVD.

Damon teamed up with old mates Brad Pitt and George Clooney for Ocean's 13 doing well commercially and much better critically that Ocean's 12.

But it was his role as Jason Bourne in The Bourne Ultimatum which stormed the box office this summer.

Were other trilogies such as Spiderman 3, Pirate of the Caribbean: At World's End and Shrek the Third all produced below par movies Ultimatum was widely regarded as the best film in the surprise hit trilogy.

This year the actor has also been named as the most bankable star who has generated the best box office performance relating to their salaries.

Up and coming projects for Damon include Margaret with Anna Paquin, Matthew Broderick and Mark Ruffalo; The Informant, which reunites him with Steven Soderbergh and The Imperial Life of the Emerald City: Inside Iraq'a Green Zone which will be directed by Paul Greengrass.

Also having a great 2007 was Christian Bale who topped the box office with 3:10 to Yuma which saw the return of the Western. He followed up this success with Vietnam drama Rescue Dawn which saw him, in true Bale style, repeat the dramatic weigh loss of The Machinist.

Bale's 3:10 to Yuma co-star Russell Crowe has also had a great year following up his turn as outlaw Ben Wade with the magnificent American Gangster with Denzel Washington.

Brad Pitt and George Clooney have really made their stake as proper leading men rather than good looking blokes with Assassination of Jesse James and Babel for Pitt and Michael Clayton for Clooney.

FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw