Sundance 2009: Top 10 New Faces

Every film festival allows for the opportunity to admire new acting talent and Sundance this year was no different. Here are some names that casting agents should look out for.

10.) Chloe Moretz (500 Days of Summer)
Chloe Moretz might be a child actress, but her resume would take up many pages in the phone book. She did some voice work for Bolt and she was hired on several horror movies as the obligatory “little girl” in a horror film, but I imagine it is a small role in 500 Days of Summer that might break the ice. She plays the most stable character of the film in the form of a smart talking, 5th or 6th grader, younger sister role with the qualities of a 24 hour on call shrink. In her handful of scenes she is beautifully juxtaposed to Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s central character.

9.) Margarita Levieva (Spread) & (Adventureland)
Levieva has been racking up acting cred as of late in a series called Vanished, and had parts in The Invisible and Noise, but Park City was especially comfy for her as she shined in not one, but two roles. While I didn’t bother catching Adventureland (out in theatres soon) I saw her in Spread — she plays the girl meets boy and then girl gets chased by boy role with enough conviction to warrant a “have I seen her before” knee jerk reaction. There is something distinct about her look that might make it easier for her to get casting agents interested in her.

8.) Alexie Gilmore (World’s Greatest Dad)
Alexie Gilmore has popped up in bit roles one episode roles in television and has minor roles in Descent, Definitely,Maybe, and the little seen movie Surfer, Dude – but Bob Goldthwait allows the actress to play a supporting love interest/co-worker role to Robin Williams‘ lead. Victim of an upskirt and male immaturity, see comes across as someone we’d meet in an Alexander Payne film.

7.) E.J. Bonilla (Don’t Let Me Drown)
There is probably a ton of stay at home moms that are already familiar with this young American actor, but the soap star E.J. Bonilla was probably a new face for anyone covering the film scene. The young actor has a convincing urban look about him that gave his character (a streetwise youth who is both sensitive and smart) instant cred. He even helped out his co-lead hit the right notes in some of their scenes together.

6.) Gabourey Sidibe (Push: Based on the Novel by Sapphire)
The plus size non-actress might not have stolen the show, Mo’Nique is frightingly great, but this festival winning feature should propel the plus size actress into some more parts. Gabourey Sidibe might have benefited from some great direction from Lee Daniels, but she still had to put herself in the mindset and difficult predicament of an endless continuation of suffering and abuse.

5.) Edgar Flores (Sin Nombre)
Cary Fukunaga landed his lead thanks to an open casting call and the beautiful part of the process of filmmaking includes finding that one face that represents what was intended with the central character literally out of nowhere. With a character that that embodies a resilient, strong-willed, survivalist look, the Honduras born Edgar Flores won’t have a career in English language films, but perhaps he might be able to parlay this into a career into the Spanish speaking territories.

4). Stella Schnabel (You Won’t Miss Me)
Stella (the daughter of the famous painter/filmmaker) got a chance to “act” in her father’s first pair of films, but her breakout start comes in the shoes of this insecure, tell it like it is character named Shelly. There are parts where you are unsure whether Schnabel is acting or not — it’s that good. 

3.) Carey Mulligan (The Greatest) & (An Education)
I didn’t care for her character because the screenplay didn’t care for her character, there was a slight sign of je ne sais quoi in her malnourished role in The Greatest, but as a girl embracing the adult world, as a conformed daughter wanting to break free from regiment, she steals the show in the period piece set in the late 50’s coming-of-age portrait in An Education. If Sundance started off the year for her in a great fashion, she next has – Michael Mann’s Public Enemies and Jim Sheridan’s Brothers.

2.) Tom Hardy (Bronson)
Going into the film I knew the name and had probably seen the actor before and the person sitting next to me was stunned I hard never heard of the thesp…I guess this means I’ve finally taken notice. He started back in don’t blink or you’ll miss him part in Black Hawk Down, had a part in Star Trek: Nemesis, added experience came in Layer Caker and Marie Antoinette – but I believe he finally got noticed in Guy Ritchie‘s RocknRolla as Handsome Bob. In Bronson he needed to pack on the pounds, lift weights groomed a nice Tom Selleck and went ape-shit before I thought out loud: so this is Tom Hardy? Well not exactly. The transition from thin man to bulky muscle man is this year’s equivalent to what Michael Fassbender’s transformation in Hunger.

1.) Edward Hogg (White Lightin’)
The top piece of acting from an unknown is this truly mesmerizing performance from yet another Brit actor.
After making rent payments with bit parts in Nicholas Nickleby, Alfie and Brothers of the Head, Edward Hogg doesn’t miss a skip, beat or ‘tap’ in this interpretation of someone living with the devil in vein. I’m not sure how many at Sundancers discovered him via this experimental film that is part biopic/part plea for insanity – but it should make bigger strides at the Berlin film festival.