Predicting 10 Performances That Might Surprise You This Summer

The last thing I look for in a summer blockbuster is a standout performance. By law, thespian prowess takes a backseat when CGI spectacle and slapstick humor enter the fore. But this summer, we're keeping an eye out for ten performances to defy the odds, mark breakout roles for their respective actors, and even validate an entire movie's existence. Hopefully, these ten performances will add critical depth to a season traditionally devoid of actorly gravitas.

Rose Byrne, Bridesmaids

Yes, this comes out in May, but if Jen Yamato's SXSW preview is any indication, I'll be paying for repeat viewings of Bridesmaids until at least July. Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph may topline this Apatowian treat, but Aussie beaut Byrne, who spews legal jargon and sighed retorts on Damages, could be a comic revelation as the snide, villainous Helen. After surviving the deadly furor of Patty Hewes for three seasons, Rose Byrne must be thrilled to embrace alpha-female brassiness.

Yasmin Paige, Submarine

Rare is the indie romance that allows its female lead to be its least cloying character, but Paige's no-nonsense performance as Jordana Bevan looks like an anomaly in many ways. She's mocking, unsentimental, and cool. Compared to the maddening ladies in 500 Days of Summer and Youth in Revolt, this is a thrilling evolution.

Freddie Highmore, The Art of Getting By

Save August Rush and The Spiderwick Chronicles, we haven't seen much of this young talent since his breakout role as Kate Winslet's son in Finding Neverland. Here, he's playing a jaded artiste who falls for Emma Roberts (who, henceforth, shall be called "Avril Rachel Wood"). Normally I'd cringe at a self-consciously precocious role, but his straightforward rapport with his paramour could make for a surprisingly mature performance.

January Jones, X-Men: First Class

If Kevin Bacon's return to Hollow Man-like diabolical characters isn't awe-inspiring enough, X-Men: First Class gives January Jones the chance to expand her repertoire beyond the juvenile stammering of Betty Draper -- and into Jon Hamm's territory. As Emma Frost, Jones plays the "mutant telepath" White Queen. What could be a more direct, comic-book parallel to Don Draper?

Amanda Michalka, Super 8

Little is known about J.J. Abrams' explosive tribute to backyard moviemaking, but one of the more intriguing pieces of the puzzle is A.J. Michalka, the CW-unattached member of Aly & AJ, who plays a supporting role. Costar Elle Fanning has been an august, rising young star for years now, but Amanda Michalka's track to prominence has been considerably less highfalutin. Will this Spielbergian foray vault her far beyond her sister's tepid success on Hellcats?

Craig Ferguson, Winnie the Pooh

We're admittedly torqued for the new Winnie the Pooh, but we're also confused and slightly titillated by the inclusion of Craig Ferguson's vocal talents as Owl. Can he handle the tree dweller's meandering dialogue? If I were casting, I'd have given the part to a born orator like Jeremy Irons, but I have high hopes for Ferguson's ability to speechify. Perhaps he'll pull off the woodsy creature's patois and act -- ideally -- like the

male counterpart to Agnes Moorehead's goose from Charlotte's Web.

Harrison Ford, Cowboys and Aliens

Han Solo somnambulated through Morning Glory, but that weary daze can only mean arch delights in Cowboys and Aliens. As Colonel Woodrow Dolarhyde, Ford rules Absolution, Arizona with stoicism. I expect this will be his finest work since the last time such blank-faced unawareness was acceptable -- Regarding Henry, maybe?

Aziz Ansari, 30 Minutes or Less

The consummately funny Parks and Recreation star pals up with Jesse Eisenberg as a kidnapped accomplice in this adventure comedy. Ansari's Tumblr-friendly humor is ready for big-screen expansion, and I'm hoping this role adds a touch of real urgency to Tom Haverford's faux-finesse.

Octavia Spencer, The Help

In the upcoming adaptation of Kathryn Stockett's best-seller, the Ugly Betty vet is flanked by Viola Davis, a major dramatic player, and the snowballing visibility of stars Emma Stone and Bryce Dallas Howard. I'm counting on Spencer, whose role as rabble-rousing maid Minny Jackson could derail the rather condescending tone of the movie's trailer and achieve a restrained greatness.

Woody Harrelson, Friends with Benefits

The two-time Oscar nominee has outdone his Cheers legacy with such dramatic gusto that I'm excited he's retreating to a blithe supporting role here as Justin Timberlake's wise gay friend. Do I expect another Oscar-worthy role? No. But I do expect a layered, smart character that will outshine Timberlake and Mila Kunis's utterly expected arcs.

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