2010's Entertainers of the Year -- for the Ladies

2010's Entertainers of the Year -- for the Ladies

Commentary

By our guest blogger, Joel Crabtree

How a 13-year-old actress could raise the bar for more seasoned veterans in 2010 is beyond me, but somehow Chloe Moretz did just that. Moretz, the star of “Kick-Ass,” “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” and “Let Me In,” transcended the role of child actor more intensely and coolly than those who have come before her to the point where she wasn’t even treated as a “child star.”

Mortez’s career has also benefited from her choice of roles, starring in movies targeting fan boys, film fans and, well, wimpy kids, rather than opposite puppies or horses. In doing so, Moretz has broken down misconceptions about children as movie stars -- they can have range. And that’s why she’s one of 2010’s entertainers of the year.

Speaking of break out stars, The Mara sisters, Rooney and Kate, were relative unknowns before 2010, but have since become household names (more or less). Kate, the elder Mara, had a tiny part in “Iron Man 2,” she was in the indie film “Happythankyoumoreplease” and she finished 2010 in a supporting role in “127 Hours,” one the year’s best films.

Rooney began the year in “A Nightmare on Elm Street” -- not so cool -- but finished strong in “The Social Network” and, opposite Sam Rockwell, in “The Winning Season.” Above all that, Rooney was thrust into the spotlight landing the coveted role of Lisbeth Salander in David Fincher’s remake of “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,” slated for a December 2011 release.

And it wouldn’t be fair to mention “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” without giving credit to Swedish actress Noomi Rapace for 2010’s “Millenium Trilogy” (“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,” “The Girl Who Played with Fire” and “The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest”). It’s easily enough to put her among 2010’s entertainers of the year.

And one actress who hasn’t received nearly enough credit for her work in 2010 is Patricia Clarkson, whose year wasn’t even spoiled by WWE Films’ John Cena-driven “Legendary.” Clarkson was one of the best parts of “Easy A,” while also appearing in Scrosese’s “Shutter Island” -- a role that left me scratching my head in a good way.

But it was her role in “Cairo Time” as a wife who is hit with an unexpected and complicated romance while waiting for her husband in Cairo, that really makes her one of entertainers of the year. It’s one of the best performances of 2010, and easily deserves an Academy Award nomination.

Who do you think had the best year of 2010?