2. Milla Jovovich
This may come as a head scratcher to some, most of which either question her talent or the need for her career to improve in the first place. One thing is unquestionable: Milla is a true Geek Goddess. Ever since The Fifth Element, shes had men drooling at her feet. This is only furthered by her most prominent role, Alice in the Resident Evil film series. Shes clearly having a great time doing it, as shes coming back for a fifth installment. This is likely because of her ability to work with her husband, Paul W.S. Anderson, who also directed her in the recent The Three Musketeers adaptation. So whats wrong with this picture? I think Milla is so into her current status as a genre actor that she rarely steps into other roles. But when she does, its revelatory. One of her best performances is actually in a genre film, the little-seen A Perfect Getaway. I wont give away the twist, but I will say that her performance is key in selling it, and she definitely doesnt hold back. My favorite performance of hers, however, is in last years Stone. The film itself didnt get the recognition it deserved, but her performance as the classless femme fatale is captivating. Her sharp eyes and purr of a voice draw the audience in, and it was in that moment that I knew Milla could do more. Even in the Resident Evil films, she has the audience firmly in her grasp. How else could she have carried five of them?
Is there hope for her yet?: Completely. It is more or less confirmed that this will be her final Resident Evil movie, whether or not the franchise continues. She only has one confirmed upcoming project, but it sounds outstanding: The Winter Queen, a mystery thriller co-starring Anton Yelchin that promises to not only let her speak in an accent more native to her, but also give her a ton of scenery to chew as yet another femme fatale. She has been trying out new things, as evidenced by her role in STONE, so its clear shes not necessarily content with slumming in thankless action or horror roles.
My suggestion: Milla knows what shes good at (how many times can I say femme fatale in this writeup?), so now its time to take that and run. The Winter Queen is a period piece, which is a step in the right direction. Stone was a more philosophical drama. By no means am I telling her to stay away from genre, as I think her talents lend themselves nicely that style. However, if she gives her chops room to breathe in smaller movies like Stone, I think she could be on her way to something big.