2. Brad Pitt, 'Moneyball'

The downside of being a movie star? That you don't get a lot of credit for acting. That's a problem that has chased Pitt throughout his career of great performances, but perhaps 'Moneyball' finally allowed him to marry star qualities with talent. In the film, Pitt plays Oakland Athletics general manager Billy Beane as a dashing devil-may-care adventurer -- the type of man who learned through failure that taking no for an answer is fruitless. Beane pushed baseball into a new generation, and Pitt sells all that, while looking like Robert Redford in his prime. A truly great performance that hopefully won't get forgotten come Oscar time.