Top 15 Modern Actresses

   7.8  

In 20-30 years, Cinephiles may be discussing the best of Cate Blanchett the way we discuss the work of Bette Davis, Katherine Hepburn, and Joan Crawford. Simply the Best Actress alive, or at least the most versatile. Come on, Queen Elizabeth and Bob Dylan in the same year, and Academy Nominations for Both?

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   7.8  

The thinking man's film Goddess. She gives us intelligent, well read characters that challenge us intellectually while we're stunned by her exotic french beauty. Plus, it's more than obvious from her body of work that she is confident in women as the stronger sex.

By the way, I could have easily made Winslet #2, but Delpy takes it simply because she's a director as well. Gotta love a girl who loves being in control.

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   8.2  

Physical perfection, iconic performances, inexplicably humble in despite of the fact that most other actresses don't deserve to kiss her feet. The only thing more ridiculous than Winslet's limitless positive qualities is the fact that the Academy has yet to give her an oscar yet. No, 5 Nominations isn't good enough. Not for Winslet.

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   7  

To see Amy Adams on the screen is to fall in love with her. And if the amount of projects that have fallen into her lap since she took Hollywood by storm in "Enchanted" is any indication, everyone else agrees with me. Amy is white hot, her potential seems without end, and with a smile like hers I could see her in 20 roles in a row and not be sick of her yet.

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   7  

Say what you will about her looks, but Maggie Gyllenhaal is classically drop dead gorgeous. She's a big star today, but I always say had she been alive in the 1920's she would have been the biggest thing going. Seriously, put a picture of her and mogul Mary Pickford next to each other. It's a dead on likeness.

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   7.6  

No, her looks aren't overrated. No, people don't pretend she's a great actress because she has a magnificent bosom. Scarjo is just as gorgeous and talented as people claim. Woody Allen is just showing us what we already know, and the jump start she's given his career is just an added bonus.

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   6.8  

Personal issues aside, with the right director at the helm (Sofia Coppola being the prime example), Kirsten Dunst is a great actress, and even some of those cheesy 90's team comedies are alot more fun that you'd admit. "Kiki"'s future still looks very bright, as long as she keeps her life on track and chooses the right projects (What happened to that Debbie Harry biopic?)

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   8.1  

Simply put, she's the french equivalent of another famous woman who's name was Audrey. 'Nuff said, actually.

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   7.4  

Another actress who's seemingly limitless potential could have Hollywood at her feet with simply the right role is this actress who I'd actually seen in Chris Nolan's "The Prestige" without knowing it. Hall came to the attention of myself, and alot of others, in a big way playing the Vicky in "Vicky Cristina Barcelona", Woody Allen's best film in 30 years. Her roles have been small and far inbetween so far, but Rebecca only needs one really juicy part to hit the A-list.

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   6.8  

"Planet Terror", while it's a genre I greatly dislike, was the best experience I've ever had in a movie theatre. Period, and it may remain so for a very long time. Rose was the primary reason, and the fact that she has other "Superheroine" roles on the horizon like the remakes of Red Sonja and Barbarella only makes her future brighter. Another reason Rose is so heavenly? Her extensive knowledge of Classic Cinema, that allows her to hold her own with Robert Osbourne on TCM.

Oh yeah, and she looks like Ava Gardner.

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   7.6  

Until this year, I chalked the entire appeal of Penelope Cruz to film fans to her extraordinarily exotic looks, her physical appeal is undeniable, her body and sex appeal sheer perfection. But then, as was the case with Rebecca Hall above, I saw "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" . Cruz has been winning every "Supporting Actress" accolade imaginable (A Golden Globe and Oscar are near guaranteed) for her performance in Woody Allen's Romantic masterpiece, and as I went back and watched her star turn in the Oscar Winner "Belle Epoque" and her oscar nominated role in Almodovar's "Volver", I discovered something. Penelope Cruz isn't one of the most well-known foreign actresses alive because her looks make American men weak in the knees. It's because she's a phenomenal actress. Her only issue so far is that you did have to watch her Spanish films because she was only given eye candy parts in American film, but one can only hope that after she clinches her oscar for VCB, that will change.

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   7.9  

Quite simply, this woman has my attention after her star turn this year in "Happy-Go-Lucky", in a big way. Now that it's been shown she can carry a movie, it'll be very interesting to see how she follows that up with starring parts in upcoming projects. Consider her in the "One to seriously watch" pile with Rebecca Hall. Her talent is just as evident, her potential just as so.

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   6.6  

I fell for this woman when she started her recurring role on Scrubs in Season 5. This year, after Elizabeth Banks broke into movies in a big way, it almost seems like she's in absolutely everything. I'm not complaining either. Sure, one could be worried about over exposure, but I'm not. Banks is like that gorgeous blonde cheerleader in High School that you lived your life trying to get to notice you, and only returned laughing disdain in return, and unlike that gorgeous blonde cheerleader, Banks is a smart, intelligent woman who you feel like would shoot some barbing insults your way too like knives. A smart, hilariously funny blonde with the looks of a goddess, with a serious mean girl streak? There is no such thing as overexposure with Elizabeth Banks. Can't happen.

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   7.7  

Zooey Deschanel has been in bad movies (Trust me, I've seen them, and it goes beyond "The Happening"), but Zooey Deschanel has never been bad in movies. To make a comparison to the above listing, if Elizabeth Banks is a hungry lioness whose verbal wit will eat you alive, Zooey Deschanel is a cute little kitten mewing in the corner. She's IMPOSSIBLE to hate. She redefines cute and it simply never gets old watching her do her thing on screen. Also, as fans of her movies and her AWESOME band "She and Him" know, Zooey can sing like an Angel. I would easily see a grammy in her future in the next 10 years if she stays with that career.

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   6.6  

Deserves a special mention simply because of the way she can combine cute with Sex Kitten. Her role in Quentin Tarantino's "Death Proof" as an illfated, but sexy as hell Vipers Cheerleader brought her to fanboy notice, and her role as black clad, spoiled villain "Royal Pain" in Sky High even makes that movie watchable. I would never turn down a film with a juicy role for Winstead, she's far too compellingly watchable, and downright gorgeous.

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