9. Eddie Izzard - Valkyrie
Eddie Izzard is a fine comedian; if I wanted help writing a rambling surrealist monologue or choosing a bra, he is the first person I would tweet. But the wooden performance he gave in Valkyrie does not recommend him. His approach to the film had all the tropes of the comedy actor going serious - the major image change, from tranny to Nazi; the persona change, from nice guy to Nazi...he was even acting across from Tom Cruise, the world's first pocket-sized Scientologist! But it just wasn't meant to be. Valkyrie featured some excellent actors on fantastic form; Kenneth Branagh, Bill Nighy, Terrence Stamp etc. Their performances were precise and carefully pitched, while Izzard looked like he was performing improv in Big Boy Pants. And even though his appearance in the film amounts to little more than an extended cameo, Izzard stuck out in my mind as one of my major concerns with the film, and ever since then, I've never quite been convinced that he is any good as an actor. Perhaps he'd be better off trying out as a serious actress?