The Good
5. Heat (1995)
Never being one to hog the limelight, Portmans career is peppered with small yet important roles, roles that could have perhaps been taken by actresses of a lesser profile and stature. Yet theres a reason Natalie Portman takes these roles and a reason great directors like Michael Mann hire her to do so. While others are off chasing leading lady status in mediocre fare, Portmans work is notable for its service to supporting turns, playing interesting characters in films like Mars Attacks!, Beautiful Girls and Cold Mountain, but perhaps most significantly, Heat. The cast for Michael Manns masterful 90s crime thriller Heat is as epic as the film itself, yet in her sophomoric feature Portman doesnt just fade into the scenery while De Nero, Pacino et al do their thing. Portman plays Lauren, the depressed stepdaughter of Lt. Vincent Hanna, played by Al Pacino back when he was still trying. Displaying an assuredness perhaps unbefitting of a 14-year-old in her second film, Portman goes toe-to-toe with Pacino in a small yet integral part showing exactly why Mann cast her. In her short screen time Portman creates a well-rounded character with depth and pathos, ensuring the stepdaughter sub plot doesnt come across as cheap or maudlin but gut-wrenching and tragic, and a crucial cog to Manns vision.