6. Amy Adams
To be fair to Amy Adams, she could appear on this list most years; she's one of the best young actresses we have, and consistently manages to be a diverting presence in just about everything that she appears in. Though the year saw her appear in two films that were met with mixed critical receptions - Trouble with the Curve and On the Road - it's her staggering performance in Paul Thomas Anderson's challenging marvel The Master that cements her as an ever-exciting, relevant cinematic talent. As Peggy Dodd, the wife of The Cause's leader Lancaster (Philip Seymour Hoffman), she was one of the year's most interesting characters, initially painted as a doting wife who we slowly come to realise is, in fact, perhaps more sure of The Cause's trajectory than Lancaster himself, and therefore, its true leader. Adams, who already has three Academy Award nominations under her belt (for Junebug, Doubt and The Fighter), is almost certain to rack up another for her work here, wonderfully subtle and, like most of Anderson's films, leaving plenty for us to ponder once the credits roll. As for the future, she's starring in Spike Jonze's new comedy Her, and most notably will be playing Lois Lane in Zack Snyder's upcoming Superman reboot, Man of Steel.