To be fair, anyone who stars alongside Michael Fassbender probably isn't going to get a ton of attention. But how does James McAvoy go through his life, consistently being the guy who never gets credit for his remarkably consistent performances? Sure, he got a fair bit of positive attention back in 2004 with his striking turn as Rory O'Shea in Inside I'm Dancing (or Rory O'Shea Was Here, if that tastes better going down), but that was ten years ago. He's lovely as the young version of Charles Xavier in X-Men: First Class, creating a remarkably honest and believable interpretation that is impressive for two reasons. First of all, Xavier is usually played by Patrick Stewart, one of the greatest and most-liked actors alive, and he's certainly put his mark on the role. But also, Professor X has always been an older man in a wheelchair to most casual viewers - it would take a convincing performance right off the block to have people buy the character as a twenty-something. Next year, he'll be starring as Victor Von Frankenstein in the newest adaptation of Mary Shelley's classic novel, with Dan Radcliffe as Igor. Of course, word on the street is that Igor is the central figure in this interpretation, so he'll likely be shunted off to the side once again. But we can hope!
Audrey Fox is an ex-film student, which means that she prefers to spend her days in the dark, watching movies and pondering the director's use of diegetic sound. She currently works as an entertainment writer, joyfully rambling about all things film and television related. Add her on Twitter at @audonamission and check out her film blog at 1001moviesandbeyond.com.
