Fashion and Coldfire

[winter]

Mall today, mostly so I could take a gander at various mp3 players and chew out unsuspecting ignorant salespeople about their features and sound quality. The fact that between three electronics shops there wasn't one where I could actually listen to the players is rather mind-boggling.

Fashion-wise, I rather like this spring's lines, especially the jewelry, but I've got two general comments:
- Can we have some non-lowrise jeans, please? Not everyone wants their arse hanging out of their trousers, really.
- I get it that most clothes are cut "flatteringly" to disguise any lack of breasts, waist, hips and leg length in the wearer. But on people amply supplied in all of these, they just look grotesque.

And during the shopping trip, we started discussing Coldfire again, and casting of a hypothetical miniseries. I'd post this on hunters_forest, but I'm sure they had a ton of casting threads already, so just here for the perusal of those interested - who I think would fit various roles.


Gerald Tarrant - the hardest to cast, hands down. I'm not fond of whatsisname that the author mentioned. A young David Bowie might fit. Visually, it might be Hugh Panaro the way he looks in the Lestat trailer...

Damien Vryce - Russel Crowe? He fits visually and he'd do the raging great, would have to see about the humour.

Narilka Lessing - a china-doll beauty, both fragile and strong, so Natalie Portman by default.

The Patriarch - very, very stereotypical... but really, who else but Christopher Lee?

Hesseth - for some reason I'm thinking Tina Turner, or someone like a younger version of Tina. The same bone structure and regal warmth.

Ciani - Emily Watson. Not quite the visual type, but I think she could convey the warmth and strength and fragility and amorality that's required of the character at various points of the story.

Riven Forrest - Christian Bale. Partly because Christian Bale can play everyone, but also because Riven-in-my-mind has that sort of cynical half-smile.

Gerald Tarrant Mark Two - oh come on. Beautiful, charming, somewhat shorter than Damien, dark hair, golden skin, looks young but with old dark eyes, a swaggering walk-on part at the very end of the story? Johnny Depp or bust.

Comments

[fyrie.livejournal.com]

Just finished book one and am all aflail with the love :D

[winter]

Knew it :D

BTW, any better ideas on who could play Gerald? That one's really bothering me. I need to visualise him properly for fic purposes...

[fyrie.livejournal.com]

*ponders* He really is a trixy one, isn't it? There are so few leading men who look good in a blond wig ;DI have Hugh Jackman on the brain, though, and with him getting in the way, it's hard to think of anyone else.

[winter]

See, I'm not sure whether Hugh's refined enough to play Gerald, even the way he cleaned up in Kate and Leopold. Too... playful, perhaps, not sure if he could bring off the cold cruel bits, or the unconscious fussiness.

[fyrie.livejournal.com]

I can't see him as Gerald, persay, but maybe as the mpreg spawn of Gerald and Damien ;)

However, for some reason, Viggo Mortensen has popped up. Not sure how he would look with fairer hair, but he would be ethereal and eerie enough, I think. Viggo seems to have a quiet, agelessness about him and he can definitely play dark and completely mentally messed-up so beautifully.

I'm just trying to think of someone - anyone - British, who isn't Jeremy Irons, who could pull it off...

[winter]

...you know, Viggo might just work. Cleaned up, put in fancy clothes, and he'd surely do the role justice even if he's not quite as beautiful/fragile as Gerald is described. Might be a bit old for it now since he's pushing fifty, but the way he looked in American Yakuza...

[fyrie.livejournal.com]

The problem is looking for any beautiful and fragile-looking men who can play ruthless and dangerous while not being openly and flamingly camp, which is - alas - what a good many pretty men end up type-cast as.

*ponders and pokes about on imdb*

Alas that Peter O'Toole went and got old, because that was a beautiful, beautiful, beautiful man and a fabulous actor to boot.

[carmentalis.livejournal.com]

For the record, this is the first casting thread I have ever seen.

Jude Law for Gerald, and possibly Eric Bana (in the Troy hairstyle getup minus beard) for Damien. ;-)

I'm flexible on the rest. And I love the idea of Christopher Lee as the Patriarch!

[winter]

Heh, maybe worth posting it to the comm later, then.

Jude Law... urgh. I hate him with a passion. He's so annoying. Plus, I don't see him doing either dignified, or dangerous. Eric Bana might be a possibility, though maybe too handsome for Damien...

(This is mostly me wondering about how to visualise my own fic characters, mind you.)

[winter]

Uh-huh. About the only one I can think of is Johnny Depp, and he doesn't have the height. He'd be perfect for new!Gerald though....

[carmentalis.livejournal.com]

Go ahead. I'm sure the rest of the girls there would like to play. :-)

I'm flexible on the Jude Law issue, actually. He's simply the only actor I can think of who has the right kind of face. And as for Bana, he just needs to be a bit scruffy and it might just work...

(Nice visualisations... )

[winter]

Oh, Jude is pretty. Just... bland otherwise, really. And you know, I might just go post it on the comm now :)

[mariem-1.livejournal.com]

Have you seen the cast list at csfriedman.webpark.pl?

[winter]

Yeah, but still looking for further options :) Not too fond of Halle as Rasya, either. At least this one (unlike another I've found) doesn't propose Tom Cruise for Gerald...

[mariem-1.livejournal.com]

I agree about Halle. And I really can't see Jude Law in Gerald's role too.

[carmentalis.livejournal.com]

*blink* Tom Cruise?

Gerald would never let himself be seen with that nose!

[winter]

Since the other options included Jack Nicholson, Depardieu, Brad Pitt and Fabio (!), not to mention both Keanu and Tom Cruise as Damien, I'm willing to blame it on people pulling names out of a hat...

[winter]

I was thinking maybe Jared Leto purely for The Pretty, but I don't think he could pull off the acting parts either :/

[fyrie.livejournal.com]

*ponders* You know, I think Jack Davenport has the potential to be a great actor, if only they would let him. Plus, it helps that he's pretty. Not quite Gerald-y enough, but judging from comments below, definitely a whole lot better than the Midget Cruise-chap.

[fyrie.livejournal.com]

Ooh! Ooh! Oooh! How about Ralph Fiennes? :D He's got the arrogant-to-the-tips-of-his-hair thing going for him ;)

[winter]

...you know, my first reaction was "no way", but then I googled a bit and found a picture of a younger Ralph that could just work. And he's got the arrogance, and while I used to be iffy about his ability to menace he did it perfectly (and in such a charming way) as Ralphdemort...

:D

[fyrie.livejournal.com]

I'm not the man's biggest fan, but he certainly has character :D

[azarias.livejournal.com]

Hmm. Have yet to read the books (lack of funds + lack of access to library = woe) but if Gerald is supposed to be tall, fair, regal, and cruel ... Sean Bean? He's certainly got the chops for antiheroes, and while he generally plays earthier types, he cleaned up very well for Goldeneye.

[winter]

Alas, not quite. Gerald's also supposed to be beautiful in a fragile, aristocratic way - described as His features were elegant, delicately crafted, and in another man might have seemed unduly effeminate; that was his mother’s beauty, she knew, and in its male manifestation it gave him an almost surreal beauty, a quality of angelic calm that belied any storm his soul might harbor, and in other places as A tall man, lean, with delicate features, arresting eyes and Handsome, refined - attractive to women, Damien decided. Much as I adore Sean Bean, a fragile flower he ain't ;)

[azarias.livejournal.com]

A tall man, lean, with delicate features, arresting eyes and Handsome, refined - attractive to women, Damien decided.

If that line don't reek of The Gay, my slash goggles need cleaning.