Why: Martin Scorsese’s Hugo put Butterfield on the map, but with Ender’s Game, the 16 year-old Brit established himself as one of the most talented, capable young actors working today. As Ender, Butterfield masterfully balanced the complex, morally ambiguous nature of the character, showcasing Ender’s adolescence, uncertainty, fear and ultimate brilliance while holding his own against Harrison Ford’s Colonel Graff. Though the film had a few problems, Butterfield’s gripping performance was certainly not one of them.
What’s Next: Butterfield will play another child prodigy in the comedic drama X Plus Y, then re-team with his Hugo co-star Chloe Moretz in the dark fairytale The White Circus, which will be executive-produced by Terry Gilliam.
[h2]Henry Cavill – Man of Steel[/h2]
Why: Unlike my fellow critic Jonathan Lack, I had problems with Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel, but star Henry Cavill was far and away not one of them. While I found the film to be deafening and underwhelming from a storytelling perspective, the British actor provided a grounded, gritty take on Superman that cut to the core of his loneliness and uncertainty more effectively than any previous interpretation of the character has.
No actor this year was put in a more intimidating position than Cavill – after graduating from Showtime’s The Tudors, he turned in bland performances in forgettable films like Immortals and The Cold Light of Day, only to land on the receiving end of DC Comics’ demands for a dramatic, intelligent and innovative take on a legendary character. Luckily for Cavill, his performance was nothing short of super.
What’s Next: Cavill will jump-start another franchise with next year’s spy adaptation The Man for U.N.C.L.E., then he’ll reteam with Snyder and screenwriter David S. Goyer for a 2015 Man of Steel sequel that also stars Ben Affleck as Batman.