5. Zac Efron, The Paperboy
One of the greatest joys of Lee Daniels grimy Southern tale is watching the cast slink and sleaze their way across the screen, putting themselves out there in new ways every frame. Efron, however, doesnt seem to be in on the joke. The world around him is keen on turning into full-on camp, but Efron insists on staying in his Troy Bolton comfort zone with a Southern accent thrown in for good measure. Sure, Daniels knew he had a good thing in Efrons admirable physique, but without the precise insanity provided by the likes of Matthew McConaughy, John Cusack, and especially Nicole Kidman, Efron comes across as whiny and just plain boring.
4. Julianne Hough, Rock of Ages
Rock of Ages was a casting fail across the board (aside from the gloriously inspired choice of Tom Cruise as Stacee Jaxx) but Julianne Hough was especially egregious. This movie needed to be nothing but a good time, but the anchor of the story fizzles on all counts, especially when they let her bust out nary a dance move, the one thing she has proven shes good at. Her comedic timing is off, her singing is done with little inflection, and she doesnt provide a single moment that feels genuine. Hough is an artifice where we needed an ingénue.
3. Marion Cotillard, The Dark Knight Rises
The top three on this list come from movies that I loved. Maybe they werent the biggest casting fails of 2012, but theyre the three that stick out to me like a sore thumb because of the brilliance surrounding them. First up is Marion Cotillard. This decision felt like overindulgence on Chris Nolans part in one too many Inception cast members. Because the script requires her to be a looming presence without actually being present, this role needed to be filled by someone with a lingering mystery about her. Even with all of the anarchy in Gotham, this subplot is secretly the most important of all as the denouement reveals. So why does it feel so unimportant? It is possible that Cotillard didnt even know the truth until the final scenes were filmed so as to maintain secrecy, but as it reads now, her performance is phoned in and gives no hint at her characters motivations. Even in the few scenes where her true identity is revealed, she lacks the charisma to sell this characters tragic backstory. True, its a lot to put on her shoulders to convey this in such a short time, but if you want a master class in selling a character in a few short lines, watch Anne Hathaways first scene as Selina Kyle. Its possible, and Cotillard did not live up to the challenge. And dont get me started on that death scene.