Top Ten Actresses

Laura Dern is absolutely fearless. It took a long time for me to appreciate her talent because there was something about her I couldn't quite put my finger on that unnerved me. Perhaps it was because the peculiarities of the first film I saw her in in 1986 - Blue Velvet - affected her performance. Or maybe I hadn't fully tuned in to the strange world of David Lynch but Laura Dern is actually the perfect muse for Lynch and it's for her work in his films - and in particular Inland Empire that lands her on this list. Maybe because Dern's most famous as the clean cut scientist in Jurassic Park that it's such a shock to see her revel in the dark, strange material in Lynch's world but I tip my hat to her for her courageous and open attitude to acting. Most Notable Performance: Inland Empire.

Another fearless actress, Holly Hunter grows on you the more you delve into the darker corners of her filmography, if that's your bag. Who would have thought watching the vulnerable, fragile tv journalist in Broadcast News that nine years down the line she would be involved in David Cronenberg's brilliant, twisted Crash. Equally adept at playing dark, serious roles like in Crash, Levity or Thirteen as she is in light, humorous roles such as O Brother Where Art Thou? or Raising Arizona for the Coen Brothers, Hunter has turned into one of the most versatile and fascinating actresses around. Most Notable Performance: The Piano.

Laura Linney's probably been around longer than you think. The first time she came to my attention was when she was being heavily tipped for a best actress Oscar for her performance in You Can Count On Me. Ever since, she's been one of these actors that is always good in any film, even if the film itself isn't great. Hasn't played too many romantic comedy roles, which is always a good indicator of a good actor. Held her own and then some playing opposite Campbell Scott as an ambitious lawyer trying to defend a priest charged with murdering a young girl during an exorcism. Is very good at intense roles, but has a magnificent range. Could be the new Meryl Streep. Most Notale Performance: You Can Count On Me.

Most famous for her role as Marge Gunderson, the folksy small town sheriff in Fargo, Frances McDormand has played a wide variety of interesting and sometimes off the wall characters. Most of the quirky roles have been in Coen Brothers films - not surprising as she's married to Joel, but she's put in some excellent performances outside of the Coens work: She was very convincing as an unfortunate union rep in North Country - a pretty poor film when all's said and done, and her role as a quiet housewife desperate to do the right thing in Mississippi Burning was very affecting. Both performances earned her Oscar nominations on top of the win for her Fargo role. A great all-rounder. Most Notable Performance: Fargo.

My favourite actress. Fiery, vulnerable, scheming, sympathetic, outrageous - you name it she can play it and play it very well. Convincingly played a gold-digging partner turned loving wife in the magnificent Magnolia, and a bohemian lesbian performance artist in the Coen Brothers' wild Big Lebowski and was equally convincing in both. Yet another actress who isn't afraid to bare her soul in a performance. It takes a lot of courage to play some of the parts she's sunk her teeth into and no matter if she's the star of the film or only appears in a couple of scenes she throws herself into the part with her heart and soul, and she never ever puts a foot wrong. Most Notable Performance: Safe.

Every actress on this list owes a debt of gratitude to Meryl Streep because it was she who really showed what a great actress could do with her range and consistency over a period of many years. Ever since she played the wife in Kramer vs Kramer you could tell she was someone who put a huge amount of dedication into her performances. Another stunning turn came in 1982s Sophie's Choice, with a lot of her dialogue delivered in pitch perfect (as far as I can tell) Polish and also English with a Polish accent - astounding, as was the emotional range and depth she exhibited. While most people have made a big deal about her 'important' and 'difficult' parts involving foreign accents and the like she's also very good at lighter, even comedic material like the winsome Prairi Home Companion or the scathing Devil Wears Prada. Streep is shockingly good at whatever you throw at her. Most Notable Performance: Pretty much everything she's done.

Unconventional is the key word when you're talking about Tilda Swinton - her filmography is chock full of weird and wonderful fayre, even her name is unusual. She's the only woman I can think of who's played the angel Gabriel and although it doesn't appear so from the picture here she has a really ghostly pallour and a genuine weirdness in her eyes. Kind of freaky actually. However, she isn't just weird to behold - she's also a very good actress. From her remarkable performance as the title character in Orlando to her Bafta and Oscar winning turn as a relentless lawyer in Michael Clayton she is an actress who draws your attention towards her, whether she's the star of the show or not. Most Notable Performance: Orlando.

The first impression I got from Charlize Theron was that she was all looks and little talent - there's a lot of actresses about like that and it's easy to dismiss someone who turns out to have genuine talent, as I think Charlize has. The first time I really took note of her was for her subtle and moving performance in The Cider House Rules. Since then she's turned at least two powerhouse performances - one in Monster for which she won the Oscar and one in North Country. She is equally good playing meek and vulnerable as strong and forceful, and that combined with some of the most stunning looks in Hollywood makes for the complete package. Most Notable Performance: Monster.

Emily Watson's performance in Lars Von Trier's Breaking The Waves is one of the very best performances you're likely to see by an actress in my opinion, even though she has a dodgy Scottish accent sometimes. She would deserve a place on this list for that performance alone, and the fact that it was her first role is even more remarkable. She kind of reminds me of Meryl Streep, but more natural. Her portrayal of disturbed musician Jacqueline Dupree in Hilary & Jackie is worthy of considerable note aswell. Emily Watson seems most comfortable when she's stretched to the limit playing conflicted, emotionally complex characters, and that should make for some more stunning performances in the future if she can bag some juicy parts. Most Notable Performance: Breaking The Waves.