Remember when Sandra Bullock was feted as the Best Actress (an Oscar for "The Blind Side") and the Worst Actress (a Razzie for "All About Steve") of the year?
Consistency is a tricky business for screen actors, and more often than not, movie stars find themselves careening from notable work to terrible. 2012 offered no shortage of such yin-and-yangs, with five actors in particular meriting notice for giving some of the year’s best and worst performances.
Anne Hathaway's Best: "The Dark Knight Rises"
The Catwoman's transition from sultry siren to woman-on-top badass can lead to success (Michelle Pfeiffer) or ignominy (Halle Berry). Hathaway scored with a sexy, dangerous Selina Kyle, whether channeling Audrey Hepburn in a series of slinky gamine-about-town outfits or credibly battling Christian Bale’s Caped Crusader.
Anne Hathaway's Worst: "Les Miserables"
Will Hathaway win an Academy Award as the long-suffering Fantine? Quite possibly. Does she embarrass herself with a hammy, grimacing, oxygen-sucking, back-balcony-playing, self-serving, eyelid-fluttering, oh-so-noble death scene as she belts out “I Dreamed a Dream”? You betcha.
Robert De Niro's Best: "Silver Linings Playbook"
After decades of this venerable legend phoning it in, it's a treat to get such a rich and hilarious performance as the shaky patriarch of a deeply dysfunctional Philadelphia family. De Niro never smooths out the rough edges or takes cheap shortcuts to audience likability.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
Please follow The Wire on Twitter and Facebook.
