ok seriously? SERIOUSLY? Have you seen The Professional? Garden State? Beautiful Girls? Star Wars aside (considering I don't think ANY of the actors could make that leaden and heavy handed group of films take flight and be good) Portman has consistently shown a depth of talent and skill both in her acting and in the roles she has chosen. I mean OMG!

and Keira is cute - but really come on... not a very good actress. She can light up a screen but once she opens her mouth, usually not believable and pretty vapid. Aside from her strong showing in Bend it like Beckham I have been woefully under impressed.

Keira Knightly always looks like she is wearing a retainer or something. Even in the picture above. It was very disconcerting every time she opened her mouth in any of the Pirates movies.

As much as I like Portman, I've never seen her give a performance as fragile, nuanced, or beautiful as Knightley's work in The Jacket.

As I said earlier, are you KIDDING ME? Completely different. In my mind, 2 different genres altogether. Whether one is better than the other...I think Keira is as capable as Natalie...I think.

Both Kiera and Natalie have shown great range; Kiera in The Jacket and Atonement and Natalie in all her movies except Star Wars (the Lucas cash-grabs that should never have been made). The real major difference is that Portman looks like she might enjoy some BBQ and college football. Also, Kiera is probably sleeping in a scrooge-like money pit after the god-awefull Pirate sequels and smoking long cigarettes filled with diet pills.

I don't like either of them, truthfully. If someone held a gun to my head and (for whatever sick reason) made me choose one or the other, I'd have a really hard time giving any kind of answer. Knightly was pretty damn good in THE JACKET, while Natalie Portman brought an element of humanity to V FOR VENDETTA that made it relatively tolerable.

That being said, the only reason I watched the abysmal wreck that was DOMINO was for the Tom Waits cameo.

Leon, or the Professional, it was released with different titles,, was my first introduction to Natalie Portman,,, and the rest of the cast made a lasting impression that Keira (she looks like a vampiress) will most likely never surpass. i did enjoy Bend it Like Beckham,,, sounds like i need to find the Jacket.

Ms. Portman was fantastic in The Professional, and I honestly can't think of anything of hers I've enjoyed since then. Her performance in Garden State was so not believable especially against the sincerity of Zach Braff.

I'm convinced Keira has talent. She was fantastic in Bend it Like Beckham and Atonement. And let's face, she did way more with her trilogy of over the top action movies than Natalie. Yes, she could use a sandwich, but so could half of Hollywood.

i am 100% with the Portman can act and Knightly is another pretty face crowd. I too was underimpressed with Portman in the Starwars films, but wow! a few years later i bumped into in a film she was in and didn't recognize the same actress. she's phenomenal and in many films is the main reason to see it. i think she is the best young english speaking actress out there right now. Knightly is adequate in the way most pretty actresses are fine in venues that don't demand a whole lot of depth. i suspect Portman will grow into a long term "real" actress, and Knightly into a "star."

Both are young actress and interesting to watch