Just a Little Bit of Authenticity...Please?

Usually we talk about who we would like to see play a part, but I'd like to diverge here a bit to talk about a phenomenon we've all witnessed - the "box office draw vs. the person who is actually good for this role" conundrum. What is this you say? This is what happens when commerce overtakes art (common I know) purely to put derrieres in seats, instead of serving the story. Colin Farrell in Alexander anyone?

As it happens, it was another historical figure that drove me to this post, someone that I have been interested in, nay, obsessed with, for years: Cleopatra. Let's put aside the Elizabeth Taylor/Richard Burton calamity (it should really only be watched if you're interested in the chemistry between Liz and Dick, and even then you should only proceed with caution) and focus on the excellent book by Stacy Schiff. There is only so much we can know about the elusive figure that is Cleopatra; most of what we do know comes from accounts written years later and by men that weren't necessarily her biggest fans. But here's what almost everyone (scholars anyway) can agree upon - she was attractive because of her wit, charm and intelligence, not her looks. As Schiff says in her book, "Plutarch clearly notes that her beauty 'was not in itself so remarkable that none could be compared with her, or that no one could see her without being struck by it.' It was rather the 'contact of her presence, if you lived with her, that was irresistible.'"

So when word started to leak out that Angelina Jolie would be cast as Cleopatra in Paul Greengrass' (probably, Greengrass hasn't been officially signed yet) movie version of Schiff's book, I just wanted to go bang my head against a wall. Whether or not you believe Angelina Jolie is beautiful (I think she is....amazingly so), I think we can all agree she is no plain Jane. I like Jolie, but she is NOT Cleopatra!

What we need here is a 20-ish actress (Cleopatra was 18 when she ascended the throne and just 39 when she committed suicide) that can do haughty regality with an ability to convey unrestrained intelligence and charisma. I am not sure this can work, but I keep coming back to her, so I am just going to throw it out there: Keisha Castle-Hughes. Did I just hear a collective "who?" Go way back to 2002...a little film called Whale Rider...remember? No? Thank goodness for imdb. Okay, you've looked her up...what do you think? Yay? Nay? If you can't get on the Castle-Hughes bandwagon, this might be one of those instances where an unknown actress might be a good move...especially if you can find a native Egyptian of Macedonian Greek heritage.

So there you have it my dear readers, my personal pet peeve. Don't mess with Cleopatra. So tell us, what casting decision-gone-wrong irks you the most?

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

It's been pretty hard to think about anything other than The Hunger Games casting lately, but before Mockingjay was even published, there was a little gem called Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Originally attached to the project was Natalie Portman, a great choice for Elizabeth "Lizzy" Bennet but she dropped out - It's still not confirmed why but my guess is that she was tired of waiting for the rest of the casting to materialize and went ahead with squelching her period-film yen with Thor and Your Highness. Oh, and then there is that baby on the way.

I'm a huge Jane Austen fan. And maybe even a huger zombie fan. I enjoyed this book - and I'll probably like the movie, too. But it HAS to be good so it doesn't end up a throw-away spoof. It HAS to have a good cast. With Natalie out - who's in?

My vote is for someone who is age appropriate, strong, British, playful, and proud. This is why I think Emma Watson would be perfect for this role. She needs a vehicle post Harry Potter and the producers of the film would be well served by the fan-base she could bring to the theaters. I also think she could bring the maturity needed to pull-off a Austen heroine - and, well, quite frankly we've seen her kick some serious ass in the Potter movies.

So, who else should be cast in the film? Whose Darcy would compliment Emma's Lizzy? Let us know here in the comments below.

The Hunger Games

It really started with Taraji P. Henson. The news had just come down that Elizabeth Banks most likely will be cast as Effie in The Hunger Games. Each new cast addition had been met by careful dissection and with apologies to Elizabeth Banks, she is not what Amy and I had in mind for Effie. I had a Catherine O’Hara type in my head while reading the book, someone that always seemed slightly exasperated. It all fit in my imagination, until Amy said, “What about Taraji Henson?”

“Damn.” I thought, “That’s brilliant!”

Those of you who have read the books, come on, you can see it right? She’s got the exasperation part down, and without a doubt, the sass required to make Effie, well, Effie. However, as the books proceed, there is a sense of gravitas that Effie needs and those familiar with Ms. Henson’s film work know she’s got that down too.

Is she exactly what was described in the books? No. So, this is where I am going to make my plea – let your preconceived notions go. What we’re really looking for on the screen is the actor who embodies the qualities that made us care (or loathe) the character right? Do we really need them to look exactly what we had in mind? Sometimes it’s good to be pried out of our comfort zones, non?

So what about the rest of The Hunger Games casting? Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss? I’m firmly on board and those of you that have seen Winter’s Bone probably know why. Josh Hutcherson as Peeta? Eh. I was on the Hunter Parrish bandwagon, but Hutcherson convinced a casting agent, so maybe he’ll win me over too. Liam Hemsworth has been cast as Gale; I only know him as Miley Cyrus’ sometimes boyfriend, so we’ll see what he has to offer. Others that have been cast so far tend to be unknowns; a strategy that I think will work well for this franchise. There are still some biggies to be cast…Haymitch and President Snow have sparked the most conversation between me and Amy. But that’s another post. So. What do you think of the casting so far?

How This Little Blog Came to Be

It started innocently enough; a conversation between two friends about a book series we both loved. “Who do you see as Katniss?” Ideas were tossed around and then the conversation took a wider turn. “What about Peeta? Gale? Haymitch? President Snow?” Offbeat suggestions were met with “Mmmm, interesting,” or “I can absolutely see that!” So our fun little guessing game started to branch out and our self-congratulatory “We’re good at this!” exclamations became a blog. We hope our fun diversion will be your fun diversion too. We’ll pick books that we think will be fun to “cast,” whether or not they are currently slated to be movies. And we’re open to suggestions! Your input makes it fun, so don’t hold back – just keep it respectful. Time to meet your bloggers!

Amy – Often lamenting “so many books, so little time”, Amy got hooked on the book after reading Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in 2^nd grade and never looked back. With a thirst for history, whimsy, and anything macabre, Amy also grew up on 70’s and 80’s TV making her a viable candidate for the next episode of Cash Cab.

Sarah – A lifelong voracious reader who has been often overheard saying “The book was better,” Sarah exhibited pop culture savant tendencies from an early age with an uncanny ability to recall Scooby Doo plotlines. Countless books and movies later, she has all the makings of a trivia champion as long as there are no math or science questions.