Top 5 - Alicia Vikander, Domhnall Gleeson

Vikander

5. Anna Karenina

As someone who hasn't read the novel in full, I can still see how this adaptation excludes a great deal, since a lot of the film feels unfinished and too quickly wrapped up. The parallel story of Konstantin Levin and Princess Kitty could've fallen entirely flat since the film actually delves with considerably little focus into it, thankfully Vikander is here to save the day. She turns Kitty into a fully fleshed, multi-dimensional character with very limited screentime, exudes such exuberance and charm in her initial presentation of the character, having some fantastic chemistry with Gleeson and making her character's little arc resonate a great deal.

4. The Danish Girl

A rather limited role as Einar Wegener's wife, Gerta, as she's required to be the reactionary face to Eddie Redmayne's flashier performance as the titular character. Even though I don't quite agree with her Oscar win (firstly, she deserved to win for another film, secondly, she was category fraud, thirdly, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Rooney Mara, who admittedly was an even more egregious case of category fraud), I will say she manages to make it seem the role isn't limited. She plays each emotional moment perfectly, and even though every action she takes and reaction she makes is in response to Einar, she depicts the struggling love and growing selflessness of Gerta in a compelling fashion.

3. A Royal Affair

A rather compelling historical drama I might need to re-visit to wholly appreciate, Vikander is perfect as Princess Caroline Matilda of Great Britain, who enters a loveless marriage and cultureless lifestyle in the Danish Court and soon becomes entranced by the Enlightened German doctor who comes a'knocking, played by none other than Mads Mikkelsen. I would love to see the two actors work again someday, as both are incredible in playing their character's emotions so close to the chest, unleashing them in the perfect moments while still keeping in with the film's restrained style. Excellent work from Vikander, and I need to check out more of her foreign language work.

2. Testament of Youth

The compelling real-life story of Vera Brittain, an Oxford student who goes against her family's wishes and enlists as a WWII nurse, is brought to cinematic life in a rather by-the-books British prestige biopic. The film works despite its workmanlike direction, in large part due to the performances. The likes of Kit Harrington, Colin Morgan and Taron Egerton are extremely impressive as young men affected by the trauma of war, but carrying the film on her shoulder is Ms Vikander. There's not a single false moment to her performance as she balances the idealism of the young nurse with the growing pains of the disillusioned war fighter, and most importantly evokes the strength and courage, never one-dimensional but very real, of a real-life hero.

1. Ex Machina

I've written a great deal about her performance already through last year's awards season, her being my Best Supporting Actress 2015 winner and all, but let me briefly re-iterate: her first properly 'meaty' role, and she knocks it out of a ballpark in an exceptional and compelling sci-fi film, so of course it's the film she wasn't nominated for (see also: Brad Pitt being nominated for Moneyball instead of The Tree of Life). Ava could've been just a tool utilized by Alex Garland's direction to play against the human characters, but in Vikander's hands she's a dynamic, enigmatic experiment in so many different facets, an intriguing depiction of not only artificial intelligence but also the artifice of 'humanity'.

As for the other films I've seen her in, she's okay but nothing special in The Man From U.N.C.L.E. and Jason Bourne, and has pretty thankless roles in The Fifth Estate and Burnt. I need to see both Pure and The Light Between Oceans.

Gleeson

Hon. Mention: Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Though I'd have liked to see Max Von Sydow take on the role actually, Gleeson is a great deal of fun as Hux, sneering his way through the film in an oh so British fashion, emulating Peter Cushing in the best possible fashion, and nailing his big speech halfway through the film. Small role, big impact.

5. True Grit

Again, small role, big impact. Gleeson doesn't have much screentime, but his scene as one of two men interrogated by Jeff Bridge's Rooster Cogburn to the whereabouts of the murderer on the run Chaney is one of the highlights of the Coen Brothers' masterpiece. Gleeson plays Moon, the equivalent of Dennis Hopper's role in the original film and creates an unsettling mess of emotions in the man in the few minutes he is onscreen, standing as another solid part of a great film.

4. The Revenant

A performance which like the film I've grown more fond of over time. Gleeson may have been an odd choice for the role of the officer in charge of the trapper expedition, but he really does disappear into the role of Andrew Henry. He's good as one of the crucial moral centres of the film, making so much out of his small appearances throughout in showing the discontent of Henry towards John Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy), and making a lot out of his louder scenes.

3. Anna Karenina

I could've watched a whole film about Levin since Gleeson makes him such a wonderful figure to follow. Never cheating in his portrayal of the character as a well-intentioned romantic but also a bit foolish at times, Gleeson like Vikander makes a lot out of his character's arc within the film and absolutely nails the dialogue spot on, his speeches and digressions always feeling so stylized and yet, so genuine.

2. Ex Machina

Probably one of the more underrated performances of last year, Gleeson may not have the complex, deceptive personas of Ava or the exuberant, stylized brutishness of Nathan to play with, but he fulfills his role every bit as well as Vikander and Oscar Isaac within the scheme of the film. His chemistry with Vikander, as in Anna Karenina, is fantastic, and he gives a realistic and compelling depiction of a computer geek seriously out of his depth, a perfect straight man to the more colourful characters, and makes you really feel for his character by the end.

1. About Time

His biggest role to date, he plays the Hugh Grant equivalent in a Richard Curtis film, although I must admit, I prefer this performance greatly to any of Grant's performances. Gleeson is exceptional as a seemingly unexceptional, normal lad...who happens to have inherited from his family line, the ability to travel back in time. A winning romantic comedy, Gleeson is first and foremost great as a leading man in this regard, as he's so charming and sweet, and also funny without trying too hard. He's particularly entertaining in showing his character's initial struggles with attracting Mary (Rachel McAdams), or his interactions with his kooky father (Bill Nighy) where he's a great balancing act to his dad's warm-hearted wisecracks. The film gradually takes a more serious turn, and over the course of that transition Gleeson moulds his performance into a suitably more serious and heartrending turn. His chemistry with both Nighy and McAdams is brilliant and helps play into some of the most emotionally powerful moments of the film. A great leading turn, and I'm excited to see if filmmakers give him another chance to show this side of his abilities again.