3. Kristin Scott Thomas
Kristin Scott Thomas is an actor mainly known for very traditional and romantic roles, from the likes of The English Patient (1996) and similar fare. Thus her appearance in Only God Forgives, is staggering, and certainly against the grain compared to her other roles. Kristin plays that of Julian's mother, a cruel and vindictive figure who seeks revenge for the death of her son. She's kind of a godfather figure in ways, who takes over the crime syndicate. She could be a likened to a mixture of the doubting and the unapproving mother, blended with the femme fatale. Kristin packs some defining screen presence as the looming maternal figure, who puts a lot of pressure on Julian to seek vengeance. She also has a lot of character depth, as she lightly touches on how Julian was always a disappointment to her. In one scene she dines with Julian and his prostitute friend, and goes as far as to insult his manhood at the dinner table. Now, that's controversial. Anyhow, Kristin's performance as a mother scorned is fantastic, and certainly a refreshing cast choice.