After giving it a great deal of thought, we blame The Time Machine for throwing a wrench into the upward trajectory of Guy Pearce's career. He was an up-and-coming star, and then that movie came out, and while he continued to give fantastic performances, the momentum just wasn't there. Which is probably why, over a decade later, he's doing great work that we don't even realise is good. He's always had an ever-so-slightly smarmy vibe to him, which he uses to tremendous effect in films like The King's Speech, where he plays Albert's selfish, bullying older brother David (aka the short-lived King Edward VIII), and Iron Man 3. But honestly, we'd like to see him get back to playing leading roles. His most well-received role critically was 2000's Memento, which proved that he was capable of carrying a film. Having a starring role would help him get out of the shadows a little bit, and remind everyone how good he is.
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.
