Talent and Faces

It is a rare actress out of many whose career may span a lifetime. You look at the fresh faces of today and while they're entertaining for now, you know that in the not too distant future, they become irrelevant and forgotten as a new crop of artists take their place in the eyes of the audience, as well as the paparazzi.

It is not that they are without good looks, for indeed many of them are so attractive it hurts to look at them. It is not that they are without talent for why would they be relatively famous otherwise? It is simply because they lack that certain je nais se quoi that, let's face it, eludes most in the profession anyway. Maybe it's based on career choices, or maybe it's just plain dumb luck. Who knows? The point is, it is a one in a million chance to have a career like Meryl Streep's play out in their future.

Look at Dianna Agron. She's a very pretty girl, her career is at its best, yet you know, somehow, that she's not likely to be present at the Oscars in a few years time. You've got Selena "cute-as-a-button" Gomez but already she's fading to the background. Miley Cyrus is already spiraling downwards as she tries everything in her power to stay in the limelight. Emma Roberts, whose career path as of now is yet to be known, but is at the moment, dangerously close to falling into the damsel-in-distress pool of young ingénues that won't make it past her 25th year, once her youthful looks begin to fade and it gets harder to buy her as a high school student. Kristen Stewart, for all her fame right now, can only ride on the tailcoats of the incredibly famous (and don't ask me why) Twilight series for so long before people start to notice her knack for playing precisely the same character in every film. Don't get me wrong, these girls are well-known the world over, but somehow, they just don't cut it.

So when an actress whose career shows potential to span a lifetime comes up, you immediately jump on ship and see where smarts, an interesting face, and undeniable talent takes them.

Saoirse Ronan
I first saw this young lady as the precocious little sister to Keira Knightley's character in Atonement. After which, she followed it by playing Susie Salmon, a rape and murder victim, in The Lovely Bones. Her quiet performance in both is so striking that it is impossible to remember whether you're watching a film scene or reality. So commanding is her presence that the minute she's on the screen, your eyes immediately seek to single her out. Saoirse's next film Hanna is due out this year.

Mia Wasikowska
I confess, I haven't heard anything about this ex-ballerina until I found out she was cast as the new Alice in Tim Burton's re-telling of Alice in Wonderland. After watching the film, I was entranced by Mia's innate grace and yet command in performance that I began to follow her career shortly after. Her next big film was the award-winning The Kids Are Alright, where she played Joni, daughter to the characters of Julianne Moore and Annette Benning. And her biggest role to date, out in selected theaters as of the moment, is taking on Jane Eyre. I've yet to see the film myself, but from what I hear (or read, rather), Mr. Fukanaga's version of the Bronte sister classic is the best one to date, and it is all thanks to Wasikowska's performance.

I, for one, am excited to watch the projects in which these two will star in in the future. Things are looking good for these two and should they keep whatever it is they're doing up, they will most likely be actresses here to stay.