Who Precursors Threw Under the Bus

Armie Hammer - The Social Network

 You may have heard how Natalie Portman trained for a year to complete her ballerina moves - but did you know Armie Hammer trained for 10 months in twin boot camp to make his double-roles seem natural and realistic? He was so good at it half the world was unaware that the Winklevoss twins were even played by one actor.  (And the film wasn’t even considered as a finalist for visual F/X!)
Gimmick aside, Hammer was delightful in the roles as the obliviously arrogant "Gentlemen of Harvard" and stole every scene he/they was/were in. Luckily, the industry took notice as Hammer has been cast opposite Leonardo DiCaprio in a high-profile J. Edgar Hoover biopic directed by Academy favorite Clint Eastwood. This is very good news for Hammer's post-Network career. So get ready to see more of him.

Lesley Manville - Another Year

Lesley Manville has been plucking away in Mike Leigh films for years. Out of all of his actors and actresses, she’s the one who he’s cast the most. However, Manville was never given an opportunity for a leading role until Another Year. And man did she make the most of it. After winning the National Board of Review for Best Actress many assumed she’d be a strong contender in this season’s races - but she dropped off soon after. What happened? No one really knows. Some blame category confusion as Another Year is a classic ensemble film so maybe people weren’t sure which category to vote for her (Supporting or Leading.) (I blame Leigh fatigue.) Either way, Manville’s performance as Mary a lonely drunk who is her own worst enemy should be enjoyed by film buffs for years.

Vincent Cassel - Black Swan

 Audiences gasped as Cassel instructs Natalie Portman to go home and “touch herself.” This is the type of reaction Cassel has been causing in foreign language films for more than a decade. His sly, almost devilish but always sexy screen presence has been the highlight of many movies. And in Black Swan he was finally able to reach a wider audience. But the critics groups and awards circuit shut the door in his face. Particularly painful this year as he was absolutely incredible in the 4+ hour Mesrine biopic.
While his work in Swan was not his best, it would have been a pleasant way to recognize this wonderful gem of an actor. Maybe next time!