2. 6 Different Characters - Cloud Atlas (2012)
One of the most talked about and the most widely anticipated/debated films of 2012,
Cloud Atlas is a brave and bold attempt to turn an incredible - and many say unfilmable - book into a motion picture, one which largely pays off thanks to the strength and ability of everyone on board, unfortunate and ill-judged racebending aside. Halle Berry is arguably one of the best actors here and this role really acts as a comeback of sorts for the actress who has long been largely missing in action regarding decent films and/or major Hollywood exposure.
Cloud Atlas, therefore, is rare in that this is a solid comeback with fantastic performances from Berry - she plays six different characters in each of the film's six different time frames, a feat managed only by other men (the always fantastic Tom Hanks, Hugo Weaving, Jim Sturgess... and Hugh Grant). From her central role in the 1970s as spirited heroic reporter Luisa Rey to her spiritual turn as apocalyptic future survivor Meronym, Berry pulls everything out of the bay here, displaying a dazzling spectrum of emotions that fortunately revitalised her career. Here she reminded everyone exactly how good she truly can be when given the right opportunities to truly shine.