Every Best Actress Oscar Movie Winner Of The 21st Century Ranked

Who should have won: Natalie Portman - Black Swan.

For her portrayal of haunted ballerina Nina Sayers in Darren Aronofsky's Black Swan, Natalie Portman lost twenty pounds and undertook a vigorous twelve-month course in classical ballet. Like Nina, she proved to be a woman chasing perfection.

Throughout the drama's harrowing, twisting horrors, Portman never falters. She's timid and scared by her declining mental health, beaten down by her inability to reach her own standards, and completely destroyed by the violent mysteries circling her like vultures.

This is the kind of performance where every movement, every glance and facial expression counts toward the bigger picture, and Portman wastes not a single frame allowing Nina to consume her.