Discuss: Pleasantly Surprising Performances

I've already seen my prototypal movie of 2010, and it was The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus. It was definitely a enthusiastic pick to kick soured a newborn year! I'm not a Brobdingnagian Terry Gilliam follower either way, so I went in evenhandedly nonpartizan but excited for a beatific yarn, impressive images, and whatever good-to-great performances. Besides, I can't resist blackamoor Waits as the Devil. I was immensely impressed with every of the above, especially the eerily seamless artefact that Terry Gilliam and co-writer physicist McKeown managed to change the story and direction to sound the inopportune death of Heath Ledger during photography with help from actors Johnny Depp, Jude Law, and Colin Farrell, who stepped in to endeavor Tony in assorted scenes. Naturally, Christopher Plummer was great, and Andrew Garfield (Boy A, the Red Riding Hood trilogy) was also wonderful as the affected Anton. And this was definitely author Troyer's best role yet.

I hit a confession to make, though. Although I adore Lily Cole's heart-shaped grappling and flame-red hair on the runway, and her costumes looked fantastic, I had no idea that I would actually enjoy her performance. Or that her conception would be more than meet a pretty strategy figure to move the repartee between Mr. Nick (Waits) and Parnassus. I was horribly wrong. I know she was in St. Trinian's, which, despite my best intentions, I had to invoke soured after half an hour, and I haven't caught Rage, so I didn't know much else most her other than her more circumpolar assets. As the kids say, my bad.



But as Valentina, she is feisty, chafing at the bell-dangling bracelet around her ankle that her ascendant makes her wear, and not afeard to provide her old man a beatific tongue-lashing when he's in his cups and informing her half-truths. She lives a strange, variety of Dickensian cosmos on the fringes of society with her little kinsfolk - including Anton (Garfield) and soldier (Troyer), as well as her papa - and same some sharp young woman dying to escape the everyday, sometimes she acts same a brat, and sometimes she makes unwise decisions. In the end, Valentina is a actual girl, and it takes a actual actress to alter her to life. So cheers to you, Lily Cole.

That's my most recent bright discovery. Who's astonied you recently?