Best of 2011: Female Performances

5. Kirsten Dunst, "Melancholia"
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Working for the first time with Danish provacateur Lars von Trier, Dunst, with a glazed-over despondency, is the perfect conduit for von Trier's mediation on depression and the oncoming apocalypse. It's not until the film's second half, however that she really makes her mark with a few deadpan zingers about the futility of it all. "The earth is evil. Nobody will miss it." 
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4. Elizabeth Olsen, "Martha Marcy May Marlene"
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Sean Durkin's numbing, disquieting debut wouldn't nearly be as effective without Olsen's paranoid, tetchy performance as a young woman attempting to readjust to life outside of her former abusive, murderous cult. 
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3. Kristen Wiig, "Bridesmaids"
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In what was assuredly the best comedy of the year, those saying that Melissa McCarthy steals the film are quite wrongly disregarding the film's leading lady, whose cutesy comic-timing and priceless reaction shots quite rightly upstage any intestinal disturbances that emit from the supporting cast.
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2. Elle Fanning, "Super 8"
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In a film full of surprising performances, Elle Fanning, playing Alice Dainard - the teenage daughter to an alcoholic father and love interest to our imaginative protagonist - Dakota's younger sister is a revelation during her big scene at a train station. 
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1. Charlize Theron, "Young Adult"
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In perhaps the year's biggest discrepancy between performance and film, Theron's marginalized, alcoholic writer who shuffles back to her hometown to win back her high school crush is a fierce, fearless and impeccable performance, which is more than I can say for the film that contains it. 
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Honorable Mentions:
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Saoirse Ronan, "Hanna" - Feisty, deadly, vulnerable and only 16. 
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Carey Mulligan, "Shame" - A frightening, tragic and decidedly against-type performance from an actress beginning to take more risks. 
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Mia Wasikowska, "Jane Eyre" - Fukunaga's adaptation is steeped in sharp characterizations thanks to Bronte and his impeccable cast.
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Michelle Williams, "Meek's Cutoff" - A spotless, quiet-yet-catty performance from one of our finest actresses. Unfortunately she's getting attention for the wrong film. 
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Cameron Diaz, "Bad Teacher" - Never mind that the film is an awkward, one-note misfire, Diaz does her best bringing appeal to a superficial, potentially abhorrent character.