Top 5 Saoirse Ronan Performances

An expertly woven comedy from Wes Anderson, “The Grand Budapest Hotel” has no shortage of well-written characters and brilliant performances. Saoirse Ronan plays Agatha, a baker willing to risk her life in order to help her new fiancé and the film’s protagonist Zero Moustafa protect a priceless painting. Though her role in the film is a relatively small one, Ronan is simply a wonder to behold. Aided by Anderson’s Oscar nominated direction and screenplay, Ronan turns in a performance that is both sweet and truly quite humorous. A relative newcomer to the genre, the young actress never feels out of place; dashing in and out of scenes with the grace of a seasoned comedic vet.

A unique action thriller loaded with awesome performances, “Hanna” is the Saoirse Ronan film you didn’t know you needed. She portrays the titular Hanna, a 15 year-old girl raised in rural Finland and trained by her ex-CIA father Erik to become a deadly assassin. Ronan’s take on the fish-out-of-water character who must learn to navigate the modern world while being hunted by a slew of ruthless killers is, in a word, badass. Her performance has more layers than an onion, at times a wide-eyed child yearning for love and at others a one-woman-army capable of snapping bones at breakneck speeds.

Ronan picked up her second Academy Award nomination for her performance in this film, a subtle yet powerful look into a bygone era. She plays Eilis Lacey, an Irish immigrant struggling to find her way in the hustle and bustle of 1950’s New York City. A truly striking performance that helped elevate her to the top of the Hollywood A-list, Ronan’s Eilis is both instantly likeable and endlessly fun to watch. She is the ultimate projection character in that viewers will identify with her struggles on the most basic of levels. This is the performance that let the world know Saoirse Ronan was here to stay.

At just 12 years of age Saoirse Ronan delivered one of her finest performances. Set in the years before, during and after the Second World War, “Atonement” is the stirring account of a young girl’s lie and the repercussions it has for everyone involved. An incredible achievement for the young up and comer, Ronan was nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Oscar at the 80th Academy Awards; and it’s easy to see why. As the young Briony Tallis she expertly straddles the line between precocious and villanous, proving from the first moment she appears on screen that she is more than capable of holding her own against her seasoned co-stars.

What can we say about Ronan’s performance in this film that hasn’t already been said? “Lady Bird” is the coming-of-age dramedy which made waves upon release when it set a record for being the most reviewed film to hold a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. A surefire Oscar contender, much of the praise has been directed towards Ronan, who turns in one hell of a performance as the titular “Lady Bird”. Sassy, sweet and brimming with exactly the kind of energy that has become the staple of Best Actress winners, Ronan is at the top of her game from start to finish.