Ok so yesterday we took a look at some of the best performances by actors on the big screen over the last twelve months and today it's the turn of the ladies.
Yes there have been a string of outstanding performances for some of Hollywood's biggest names, and it's nice to see the British in there mixing it with the American talent.
Kate Winslet
It may have taken her six attempts but with The Reader Kate Winslet finally got her hands on the Oscar that has eluded her for so long.
Of course it was for her performance in The Reader back at the beginning of the year in which she took on the role of Hanna Schmitz, a woman who has an affair with Michael Berg, a 15-year-old boy in 1950s Germany.
They spend their brief romance alternately making love and focusing on literature, with Michael reading everything from Chekov to Homer to his lover. Soon, Hanna abruptly disappears, and Michael returns to his normal life.
Almost a decade later, Michael is studying law, when he sees Hanna again; she is on trial for her crimes as an S.S. guard during the war. Michael is torn between a desire for justice and his knowledge of a secret that may save Hanna
The Reader was a thoughtful and engaging movie that drew you in without, at any point, telling us what to think.
And Winslet turns in an excellent performance as Hanna who finds herself doing things during a time of war that she wouldn't have expected herself doing. The Reader is a perfect, yet not in your face, look at actions done during the war.
Winslet's performance was a sure fire Oscar nomination and she had a great award's season picking up gongs at the Bafta's, Golden Globes and Screen Actors Guild before taking home the big prize of the Oscar.
Also this year the actress reunited with Leonardo DiCaprio for Sam Mendes' movie Revolutionary Road.
Rachel McAdams
Rachel McAdams' star has been rising over the last couple of years and 2009 has been a very busy and very successful year for the actress.
She returned to the big screen earlier this year with the big screen adaptation of hit BBC drama State of Play.
She joined Russell Crowe, Helen Mirren and Ben Affleck in the political thriller that topped the American box office.
Cal McCaffrey is an old-school-style journalist working for the Washington Globe. He begins to investigate the death of a young woman who was the research assistant and mistress of his friend Stephen Collins (Ben Affleck), an ambitious congressman whose career is likely ruined when his affair is revealed.
Joined by young political blogger Della Frye (McAdams), Cal races against time and deadlines to solve the murder, which may be only a small part of a much larger crime.
You have only got to read the cast list and see who is behind the camera to realise that this is going to be a classy film with twists, turns and intrigue of the highest order.
And it really doesn't disappoint as the director's ability, great cast and brilliantly written script all come together to produce one of the best thrillers of 2009.
There was a change of pace for the actress next as she took on The Time Traveler's Wife in the role of Clare Abshire.
And it's yet another genre change for her new movie Sherlock Holmes, which sees her team up with Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law.
Rachel McAdams stars as Irene Adler, the only woman ever to have bested Holmes and who has maintained a tempestuous relationship with the detective.
Emily Blunt
Emily Blunt is another British actress who's 2009 has gone incredibly well. Building on her roles in The Devil Wears Prada and Charlie Wilson's War the actress landed her first lead role in The Young Victoria.
The Young Victoria focuses on the early, and often turbulent years, of Victoria’s rule from fighting off her family’s desire to halt her right to the throne to be crowned at the tender age of eighteen.
Those early years sees the young Queen learn her role as monarch and what is expected of her as well as her legendary relationship with Albert.
It’s Emily Blunt’s performance that really drives this film she showing Victoria as a brave and feisty young woman who fought for her right to be Queen.
Blunt really is turning into a great actress who has made quite a mark in Hollywood so far in her short career. She has a great chemistry with Rupert Friend, who is also building a good career for himself, as he takes on the role of Albert.
Sunshine Cleaning was another release for the actress this year, a movie which teamed her with Amy Adams.
Despite a limited release the movie was met well by the critics and Blunt went on to be nominated for a Satellite Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role.
And 2010 look s set to her star rise even more with The Wolfman and Gulliver's Travels both on the horizon.
Penelope Cruz
2009 couldn't have gone any better for Penelope Cruz as she got her hands on the Best Supporting Actress Oscar earlier this year for her role in Woody Allen's Vicky Cristina Barcelona.
Two young Americans spend a summer in Spain and meet a flamboyant artist (Javier Bardem) and his beautiful but insane ex-wife (Cruz).
Vicky (Rebecca Hall) is straight-laced and about to be married. Cristina (Scarlett Johansson) is a sexually adventurous free spirit. When they all become amorously entangled, the results are both hilarious and harrowing.
She was a formidable force during the awards season picking up awards at the Baftas, National Board of Review and Independent Spirit Awards as well as being nominated for a Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Award.
And more awards success could be on the way for the actress with her performances in Broken Embraces and Nine are causing a stir.
Broken Embraces reunited her with filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar, they brought us Volver in 2006 which earnt Cruz a Best Actress Oscar nomination. The film has been the toast of the festival circuit and she has an outside chance of being in that Best Actress category once again.
But Nine looks her bet at awards glory in the New Year with a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actress.
FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw
Ok so yesterday we took a look at some of the best performances by actors on the big screen over the last twelve months and today it's the turn of the ladies.
Yes there have been a string of outstanding performances for some of Hollywood's biggest names, and it's nice to see the British in there mixing it with the American talent.
Kate Winslet
It may have taken her six attempts but with The Reader Kate Winslet finally got her hands on the Oscar that has eluded her for so long.
Of course it was for her performance in The Reader back at the beginning of the year in which she took on the role of Hanna Schmitz, a woman who has an affair with Michael Berg, a 15-year-old boy in 1950s Germany.
They spend their brief romance alternately making love and focusing on literature, with Michael reading everything from Chekov to Homer to his lover. Soon, Hanna abruptly disappears, and Michael returns to his normal life.
Almost a decade later, Michael is studying law, when he sees Hanna again; she is on trial for her crimes as an S.S. guard during the war. Michael is torn between a desire for justice and his knowledge of a secret that may save Hanna
The Reader was a thoughtful and engaging movie that drew you in without, at any point, telling us what to think.
And Winslet turns in an excellent performance as Hanna who finds herself doing things during a time of war that she wouldn't have expected herself doing. The Reader is a perfect, yet not in your face, look at actions done during the war.
Winslet's performance was a sure fire Oscar nomination and she had a great award's season picking up gongs at the Bafta's, Golden Globes and Screen Actors Guild before taking home the big prize of the Oscar.
Also this year the actress reunited with Leonardo DiCaprio for Sam Mendes' movie Revolutionary Road.
Rachel McAdams
Rachel McAdams' star has been rising over the last couple of years and 2009 has been a very busy and very successful year for the actress.
She returned to the big screen earlier this year with the big screen adaptation of hit BBC drama State of Play.
She joined Russell Crowe, Helen Mirren and Ben Affleck in the political thriller that topped the American box office.
Cal McCaffrey is an old-school-style journalist working for the Washington Globe. He begins to investigate the death of a young woman who was the research assistant and mistress of his friend Stephen Collins (Ben Affleck), an ambitious congressman whose career is likely ruined when his affair is revealed.
Joined by young political blogger Della Frye (McAdams), Cal races against time and deadlines to solve the murder, which may be only a small part of a much larger crime.
You have only got to read the cast list and see who is behind the camera to realise that this is going to be a classy film with twists, turns and intrigue of the highest order.
And it really doesn't disappoint as the director's ability, great cast and brilliantly written script all come together to produce one of the best thrillers of 2009.
There was a change of pace for the actress next as she took on The Time Traveler's Wife in the role of Clare Abshire.
And it's yet another genre change for her new movie Sherlock Holmes, which sees her team up with Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law.
Rachel McAdams stars as Irene Adler, the only woman ever to have bested Holmes and who has maintained a tempestuous relationship with the detective.
Emily Blunt
Emily Blunt is another British actress who's 2009 has gone incredibly well. Building on her roles in The Devil Wears Prada and Charlie Wilson's War the actress landed her first lead role in The Young Victoria.
The Young Victoria focuses on the early, and often turbulent years, of Victoria’s rule from fighting off her family’s desire to halt her right to the throne to be crowned at the tender age of eighteen.
Those early years sees the young Queen learn her role as monarch and what is expected of her as well as her legendary relationship with Albert.
It’s Emily Blunt’s performance that really drives this film she showing Victoria as a brave and feisty young woman who fought for her right to be Queen.
Tagged in Kate Winslet Penelope Cruz