The blog C’est la Gene had an article posted a while back during the release of Nine, titled La Plus Grande Actrice du Monde. That’s a big name to uphold… but you know, in honor of the positives reviews that Kidman’s Rabbit Hole has received, and for getting picked up by Lionsgate for distribution and entering the Award race, I decided to take some time to “translate” and dust off on my French.
Archives For meryl streep
I was thinking of adding a new set of posts highlighting good casting on films. It’s not about picking the greatest actor for a part… I mean, picking Meryl Streep for any role is not really “good casting”, it’s just that Meryl is that good — and to quote Cam on Modern Family… Meryl Streep can be Batman and be the right choice. Those are just things that simply are.
But this is more about picking the right actors to make an on-screen family, or actors that look the part for historical figures, or casting actors to play characters in different periods of their lives… and the likes.
So here we are with the troublesome film Die Päpstin, or Pope Joan — whatever your thoughts they may be on the film. How Telenovela it was, or how Pope Joan aged, but no one else did. LOL The most striking thing on the film, besides actress Johanna Wokalek’s face as she was getting her Pope-powder on, was the resemblance between Johanna (the character) aged 10-14 played by Lotte Flack, and grown-up Johanna played by Wokalek.
With casting by Anja Dihrberg and Toby Whale.
My mom thought they were real-life sisters xD
I approve. =)
Mama Mia!’s director Phyllida Lloyd is apparently working on Margaret Thatcher biopic for BBC and Pathé, and it seems like Streep is in talks to play Thatcher. EEK! And Jim Broadbent is in talks to play Thatcher’s husband. EEK!
The biopic will center around 1982, during the Falklands War (or Las Malvinas ;P), which lasted 74 days… ultimately, winning her the elections in 1983.
via Empire Online.
Of course Streep is in talks. Everyone wants Streep to read their script. Who wouldn’t? Right? Plus, Thatcher is such a fascinating contemporary subject. You gotta admit, without Thatcher’s gov. Britain would have continued with the recession… and you’d be worse than you guys are now. Actually, now that I think about it… the Conservatives always get the country in a crappy state, eh? xD
Okay, I took a WHOLE lot more time on getting names for this list, because apparently I am not knowledgeable enough in female actresses and well singers from Asia as I first though…
AfterEllen.com also made their annual list of Hot 100 2010 [as well as Top Women of Color, Top Out Women, Top Women over 40], only they made it backwards, so I’m linking you to their last page, and you’re going to have to work your way backwards… Ovbiously, I thought AfterElton worked better because I took the time to look through it more than once to make sure I wasn’t missing anyone.
Tips for a better list for AfterEllen:
- Start from #100
- Point out with arrows who’s going up or down in positions, and who’s a new entry.
And really? No Asians on your list?
Not that I don’t appreciate the likes of Alicia Keys, Jennifer Beals, Cate Blanchett, Julianne Moore, Anne Hathaway, Natalie Portman, the girls from Glee (Cheerios plus Rachel, woah that’s bizarre xD), Meryl (who doesn’t need a last name), Rachel Weisz, Amanda Seyfried (even though the things that are coming out of her mouth lately), Christina Hendricks, Tina Fey, Penelope Cruz, Jodie Foster, Rachel McAdams, the whole cast of The L Word… right? Pink, Emily Blunt, Kate Winslet, Ellen Page, all whom often make appearances on this blog. And to top it with Olivia Wilde…
but then again… no Asians?
So me, barely scraping made a list of Top East-Asians that you might want to consider for future editions of your Hot 100. I would also offer a weekly/monthly (a la my AfterElton offer), but I don’t think I’m as knowledgeable in this area. I could try pimping Asian talents on a monthly basis if you want xD
Okay… once again, in no particular order.
Talk about Oscar History in the making.
It is amazing that has taken over 80 years to even consider a female director a serious contender for the Best Director category… let alone to actually see her win.
*edit*
“I hope I’m the first of many,” Bigelow said. “I’d love to just think of myself as a filmmaker, and I long for the day when a modifier can be a moot point. But I’m ever grateful if I can inspire some young, intrepid, tenacious male or female filmmakers and have them feel that the impossible is possible.”
*end of edit*
Of course I have dreamed of being the first female director when I was 14 [I wore a pink dress in my dream, very unlike Amy... or was that a nightmare?], though I have detoured from that dream somewhat, it is still amazing to see Bigelow picking up such an honor. I can only imagine what this means for so many other little girls who dream to make films… like I once did, to see a woman being named Best Director.
What it means to them seeing the photo of Bigelow holding that Oscar with such fierceness. It’s just every Girl Power [another shameless Spice Girls mention here] supporter’s dream. It tells you it is possible. It is awesome. Even though I was personally supporting Inglourious Basterds and Tarantino, it is still incredible to think that Kathryn Bigelow was the favorite during the race. A female director was THE favorite to win.
Even that’s a first.
In an industry where many of the stars are women, but so many of them are exploited as just “that pretty actress to look at”, an industry where women turn 35 and are already considered “too old” or where sex appeal is a must. Luckily things seem to be changing… even if it’s in small degrees. With a wonderful Meryl Streep, vibrant at 60 years old, critical acclaim and mass-appeal. Moreover, add to that the many female screenwriters from the last 2 or 3 or 5 years like Terri Tatchell (from VFS!) who co-adapted District 9, or Nancy Oliver who wrote Lars and the Real Girl, or Diablo Cody (I know some of you hate her) for Juno, or Tamara Jenkins who wrote and directed The Savages… and don’t forget Miranda July who wrote and directed Me and You and Everyone We Know.
It is indeed looking pretty good for women in Hollywood.
Now, let’s only hope it is a change in the way they make films and not just a trend that will fade away in… let’s say 5 years, and that we don’t have to wait eight decades for another female director to be seriously considered for Best Director ever again.
Also, hello!? Male directors and their muses~ I love you guys. Without you, there will be no strong female characters on the big screen.
