Saturday, April 25, 2009

The right Scarpetta?

I was very surprised to read a little snippet in the newspaper that announced Angelina Jolie would play Kay Scarpetta in a series of movies based on the Patricia Cornwell novels. See the Variety article here.

I know a lot of thought goes into the choice of actors or actresses to play lead roles in adaptations of books. The British in particular seem to have a knack for finding the right person, Hermione Norris as DI Carol Jordan, Jill Scott as Mme Ramotswe as a scant few examples. (And yes, I'm aware Scott is American.)


For the life of me I can't imagine Jolie as Scarpetta. I am not a fan of hers, although I have enjoyed her performances in a couple of movies, including as a policewoman in The Bone Collector, but that performance was a long time ago, and I find her personal life baggage rather distracting. Yes, call me shallow, and incapable of escaping wholeheartedly into the fantasy world of the big screen. But I have my doubts.

Is this a case of the studio wanting a big name bankable super-star at the expense of character integrity?

5 comments:

Dave B said...

I agree. I don't think Jolie is right for the part at all. But then the question is, whom would be?

Speaking mis-cast actors, Tom Hanks as Dan Brown's Robert Langdon was daft. I never once looked at Tom Hanks (in that movie) as anyone other than Tom Hanks. Same with Sir Ian Mckellen as Teabing.

They should have used some relative (but talented) nobody in those parts like they did with Sophies character.

So I think I will watch the movie and have a hard time divorcing Jolie I know from the Scarpetta character I know.

Cheers Dave

Vanda Symon said...

Oh yes, Tom Hanks was the biggest mis-cast ever! As much as I like Tom, he turned it into a big yawn, and there was no chemistry between him and Sophie. I reckon Clive Owen would have been better, someone slightly rough around the edges.

I don't know who I would cast as Scarpetta, which is probably the point - for a character so important and well known they would have been better off casting, as you put it, a talented relative nobody, and let them develop and grow with the role, which is what real people do.

I will watch with interest.

Anonymous said...

I'm all for banning Angelina - she is so boring and I'm worried about the market being flooded with autobiographies in years to come "Angelina adopted me" six or seven of them on the best-seller list at once.

And what about "The Reader", Ralph Fiennes is so wrong... they should have cast the gorgeous Bernhard Schlink himself (well not really) and although I thought Kate Winslet was terrific, she was perhaps too beautiful and youthful (?) - Mind you, the young man (David Kross) was perfect, absolutely. But, as always happen they focussed on the sex, and forgot to properly develop the important moral perplexities of the novel. But the sex was pretty well done, so congrats to Kate - can't take that away from her.

I did enjoy the Topp Twins though, cast as themselves, and irrepressibly deightful with their Mum and Dad as fabulous co-stars - their Dad I think stealing the limelight a tad.

Who to cast as Scarpetta - hmmm...
what about Charlize Theron?

In Real Time said...

I know!

So wrong! Too young. Too glam.

Isn't she supposed to be of Italian stock?

Vanda Symon said...

Yep, looks by general consensus Angelina is all wrong!