the reviews are in

I have never been a fan of Claire Danes but it seems she's getting a lot of slighty unfair and harsh criticism from The New York Times film critics. She is an average presence, I suppose, but out of all the actresses to pick on, why her? Can't the wooden limitations of Jessica Alba or the desperation of Jessica Biel be on the receiving end of this kind of hatred:

"The most glaring of several mistakes in casting is Ms. Danes’s charm-free Yvaine, a cranky older version of her teenage character on the television series 'My So-Called Life.' Even after Yvaine mellows and warms to Tristan, who discovers her in a crater and becomes her protector, Ms. Danes has a distracting habit of scrunching her features into a scowl unbefitting a supernatural heroine who aspires to live happily ever after. At a certain point you may find yourself imagining how much better “Stardust” might have been with Gwyneth Paltrow in the role."--Stephen Holden on her new film, "Stardust"

And then there's the review for "Evening":
"Among other things, Ms. Danes looks agonizingly uncomfortable, as she now often does on screen."--Manohla Dargis

Watch the ragingly underrated "Shopgirl" for evidence of what I think is an actress with the means to command an impressive performance.