There comes a point in every attractive actor's career where they transcend the usual limits of film appreciation and become paragon's of sexual attractiveness. For some, that can be a reductive experience, which is precisely why Matthew McConaughey - an actor who started out strongly with Dazed & Confused - ended up needing a renaissance, but Scarlett Johansson is an entirely different prospect. The actress, who had a comparatively dismal start with the widely hated North, has undoubtedly used her looks as a tool in her performances (see Don Jon, The Avengers and this week's release Under The Skin,) but she isn't limited to so-called sex-pot roles. Though the sexual element of Under The Skin has been talked up massively - inevitably - it is not quite the hipster Species clone some seedier commenters might have you believe. It all comes down to smart decisions; something that Johansson should pride herself on in recent years, especially considering the fact that as recently as 5 or 6 years ago, a couple of mundane offerings suggested she might have gone off the boil. Under The Skin is another to chalk in the success column, but it's important to remember that times haven't always been quite so rosy for the Avenger, with almost as much red in her ledger as her special agent superhero character. But first, as ever, we look at the five great performances that have made Johansson one of the most bankable young actors currently working...
