Amph That's Some Casting Director: "Catch Me If You Can" (2002)

Patience...

Next: "Emma" (1996)

The cast included Gwyneth Paltrow, Greta Scacchi, Alan Cummings, Jeremy Northam, Toni Collette, Kathleen Byron (yes, the same one from "Black Narcissus"!), Sophia Thompson and Phyllida Law (sis & mom of Emma Thompson) as Miss and Mrs. Bates, Polly Walker, Ewan McGregor (the very same), and Juliet Stevenson.

 

Next: "My Best Friend's Wedding" (1997)

The cast included Julia Roberts, Dermott Mulroney, Cameron Diaz, Rupert Everett, Philip Bosco, M. Emmet Walsh, Rachel Griffiths, Susan Sullivan, Christopher Masterston (of "Malcolm in the Middle"), Harry Shearer, and in a very small role as a bellman, Paul Giamatti.

 

Next: "The Age of Innocence" (1993)

The cast included Michelle Pfeiffer, Daniel Day-Lewis, Winona Ryder, Alexis Smith, Geraldine Chaplin, Mary Beth Hurt, Alec McCowan, Richard E. Grant, Miriam Margoyles, Robert Sean Leonard, Sian Phillips, Jonathan Pryce, Joanne Woodward, Norman Lloyd, Thomas Gibson, and Claire Bloom.

I guess everyone wants to work with Scorsese, because I can't see him being able to pay all these people full wages.

 

I'm about halfway through this book. Loving it and as soon as I'm done, I'm going to watch the movie.

 

I loved this movie so much. The acting was great. Michelle Pfeiffer's Madame Olenska was likable. Daniel Day-Lewis' Newland Archer made me emotional every time he made a mistake, and he made quite a few in my opinion. I was in tears at the end of this movie. The actors were perfect.

 

Next: "The Big Lebowski" (1998)

The cast included: Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Julianne Moore, Steve Buscemi, David Huddleston, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Tara Reid, Peter Stomare, John Turturro, Richard Gant, David Thewlis, Sam Elliott, Ben Gazzara, and John Polito.

 

I have to suggest Murder by Death at least as an upcoming...great casting for that movie.

 

Another example of 'cast can't save it from being ponderous and hackneyed.' Bridges was very good as was Buscemi and Goodman, but everyone else was just doing shtick.

And, yes, Murder by Death is pitch perfect casting.

 

The roles for this film were written almost entirely for the actors portraying them.

 

..yeah, i don't think you can credit the casting director so much as you can the Coen Brothers for being able to pick out ridiculously cool actors..

"Obviously you're not a golfer.."

 

Okay, Kudzu: "Murder by Death"

This movie had a house party with equivalent of the major literary and movie detectives. The cast included:

Maggie Smith and David Niven as the Nick and Nora Charles figures;

James Coco as the Hercule Poirot figure;

Peter Falk and Eileen Brennan as Sam Spade and his secretary;

Elsa Lancaster as Miss Marple (more or less);

Peter Sellers as Charlie Chan;

Alec Guinness as the blind butler; Nancy Walker as the dumb maid;

James Cromwell and Estelle Winwood;

All this good casting was negated when they cast Truman Capote as Lionel Twain. He was terrible.

 

I'd hardly say that. I think it's a funny movie. Falk and Niven are particularly good.

 

It's enjoyable, but he just kills the ending.

 

I thought Capote did a good job. He was flamboyant and ridiculous, and that worked really well for his character.

My favorite character of the movie was, of course, Peter Sellers' Inspector Sidney Wang.

"Conversation like television set on honeymoon: unnecessary."

Then there was Estelle Winwood's batty old lady, Miss Withers...and Peter Falk as Sam Diamond...James Coco as Inspector Milo Perrier...

One of my all-time favorite comedies, I must say.

 

I am completely unqualified to give an objective opinion on anything Alec Guinness But, that aside... c'mon. Peter Sellers is funny and this movie's pretty funny.

Eeeeeek! Ok, maybe it's a good cast, but this is not good casting for this film. Daniel Day-Lewis is the only one who seems passable as his character. Still, the way he played Newland drove me crazy. In the novel, he seems more stuck up than beaten down. And why on earth is Michelle Pfeiffer playing the dark, mysterious Ellen? And why isn't May blonde?! These might seem like small things, but really, the characters came out completely differently in the film than in the novel.

 

It is true that a good cast is not necessarily good casting. I actually haven't seen this film, though Rogue and obviously you have. He votes for; you vote against; I will try to reserve it through the library.

 

Wait, Rogue didn't say he'd seen the film, just that he was reading the book. Has that changed? Because I love the book, I just didn't think the film was right.

 

I thought he had seen the movie; but perhaps not.

Did you see Gillian Anderson in "The House of Mirth"?

 

I thought it was a great cast.

Sydney Wang: "Is confusing."

Moose On The Wall: *shakes head* IT! IT is confusing! Say your Gawd Damn pronouns!!"


Favorite character was Sam Diamond played by Peter Falk though.

 

Finished the book, the film is on my Netflix queue at position fifteen or thereabouts. I'll keep this thread posted.

House of Mirth is one of those films where people seem to be generally badly cast, but they are in fact brilliant. Anderson seems not the type for Lily Bart. She has too much gravitas to play flighty. Or so I thought. She is in fact absolutely stunning.

Same holds for Eric Stoltz as Lawrence Seldon . . . I rolled my eyes over that one. Guess what? He works. And Ackroyd gives what is probably his most understated performance in a small supporting role.

La Paglia is very good, but then, well, he's always excellent.

But Age of Innocence I have not yet seen.

 

Next, by request: "Sneakers" (1992)

I don't watch Robert Redford movies, but the cast included:

Robert Redford, Sidney Poitier, David Straitharn, Dan Ackroyd, River Phoenix, Bodhi Elfman, Timothy Busfield, Eddie Jones, Mary McDonnell, Donal Logue, Ben Kingsley & James Earl Jones.

 

Good fun movie, a caper-type movie with a big cast. Similar to Ocean's 11, they have pretty good chemistry, but nobody shines.

 

Kingsly simply made this movie. His scenes with Redford are by far the most disturbing, and fascinating in the whole story.

"The world changed Marty. It's not about who has the most bullets anymore, its about little bits of data, it's all about who controls the information!"

 

Great movie. It's so funny and it keeps you thinking. The ending with James Earl Jones is classic. I always wished they did a sequel. There was so much more they could do with those characters.

 

This is absolutely one of my favorite films for one simple reason: it's SMART.

It's a smart caper film with smart people. And it's an absolute damn shame to see the huge potential of River Phoenix.

But the casting of this film was top-notch. Honestly, Ben Kingsley adds to every film he's in (his short screen time in Dave proves this) and his scene on the rooftop with Redford at the end has perhaps the greatest score piece I've ever heard. James Earl Jones also is great in the literally five minutes he's on-screen.

"We're the United States GOVERNMENT. We don't DO that sort of thing!"