10. Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom - Idris Elba
Nelson Mandela has been portrayed by many great actors over the years: Danny Glover, Sidney Poitier, inevitably Morgan Freeman - the safest of bets (who has ever gone out of their way to pick out a poor performance from Freeman?), and now Idris Elba. Perhaps not an obvious choice, but in recent years he has become one of the most talented and exciting actors to emerge from Britain, most notably impressing in BBC's brilliant series, Luther. Early reviews coming from the US ahead of the UK release (3rd January) for the biopic have been mixed, but all of them have one thing in common, and that is the fantastic starring turn from Idris Elba, performing in one of the most daunting and intimidating roles feasible as one of the most loved and respected individuals in the history of humanity. Judging from the trailer, Elba looks to have gotten the voice and the accent spot on. Close your eyes and listen to him speak - you'd be convinced you were listening to the great man himself. He may not look all that like Mandela, especially as he plays an aged version of the man, sporting dodgy looking make-up, but it hardly matters. This looks to be the ultimate performance of one of the biggest cultural and political icons that has ever lived. The film is made even more important due to the recent death of the former South African president - Elba looks to have done justice. Expect to see some huge roles and opportunities to be thrown Elba's way over the coming years.