Zooey Deschanel

Zooey Deschanel's deadpan delivery lets a joke arrive without much fuss, which is worth remembering when so much fuss is made about her supposed quirkiness. In Cameron Crowe's Almost Famous (2000), she plays Anita Miller, an early supporting role in a film whose performances make its teenage enthusiasm convincing. We recommend it readily, with a reservation about Crowe's willingness to forgive the people he likes. The nostalgia softens behaviour that deserves a harder look, though the warmth is also part of what makes the film enjoyable. It is a better starting point for Deschanel than any checklist of endearing peculiarities.

Her early character-driven work includes All the Real Girls (2003), while Jovie in Elf (2003) took her into family comedy. The complaints about Summer in (500) Days of Summer (2009) concern a familiar danger: the quirky woman whose purpose is to interest somebody else. The move to New Girl (2011–2018), playing Jess Day, gave her a sustained lead and made physical comedy an important part of her reputation alongside the dry delivery. We rate the timing, but the repeated demand to be endearing can become restrictive, especially when eccentricity is expected to do the work of character. That is where the writing needs scrutiny: a recognisable manner should not be all an actor is given to play.

Bridget, her voice role in Trolls Band Together (2023), gives her still less to work with. We were disappointed that she gets her wedding and scarcely anything to do afterwards. A distinctive voice is useful in animation, but it cannot compensate for a part that the story has little use for. The film's carefully made textures deserve credit; the story receives less attention, and the boy band jokes cannot make it a satisfying evening for much beyond its young audience. For a longer stretch of her comic work, try New Girl, with some tolerance for the effort spent making Jess endearing.