Bryce Dallas Howard: 5 Awesome Performances & 5 That Sucked

2. 50/50 (2011)

Continuing her growing penchant for seeking out more divisive characters, her role as Rachael in the comedy-drama 50/50 was another success. Following hot on the heels of The Help, this picture again placed Howard in the shoes of a character audiences were never supposed to like. 'Like' would be a strong word, but Howard does remarkably to ensure her character doesn't slip into the realms of panto villain. When her boyfriend (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is diagnosed with cancer, Rachael is expected to be a rock of support. Instead she finds hospital visits difficult and is eventually caught cheating on him in an art gallery. A lesser actor would have played Rachael as a morally ruined person, and in many respects she is, but somehow Howard manages to squeeze a bit of humanity out of the role. Your response to the character is never one of hatred, and, actually, you even feel a bit of sympathy for Rachael, though her behaviour remains unacceptable. Overall she plays it just right, adding complexity to a role that, arguably, wasn't there in the script. This film may not have earned as much at the box office as some of her other movies, but it was a resounding critical success, and a sign that she really was coming into her own, picking the right parts and putting together some really solid performances as the 2010s gathered pace.