Ignoring that this new movie is Nolan, here's what the performance demands:
- Famous
- Classical male hero
- Almost divinely wise
- True of heart through fantastic tragedy
- Weathered
- Hale
Actor: where they fail
Tom Cruise: 4, 5. I don't trust him after Magnolia and Scientology, and has he ever worn a beard? He may not be tall enough for 2 either
Timothee Chalamet: 2, 5
Matt Damon: 2. This is the studio's actual choice, and it won't fail, but he isn't grand or serious enough for me. He's soft and silly. The Departed and Interstellar make him despicable, and stuff like the Dunkin commercials make him too silly
Tom Hanks: 2
Joaquin: 2, maybe 3-4
The Rock: 3. Hercules checked some boxes for him, but alas, dumb and cheesy
Ian McKellan: 6, 2? I really want this to work, I just haven't seen him in anything besides Gandalf and interviews, and those offer conflicting images
Sean Bean: ...😯 If I remember right, Iliad lasted 10 years and Odyssey 10, and it's been 20 years since he portrayed the character in Troy... Also come on, Ned Stark checks every box
Leo: 2? Has Leo done an epic like this? I shouldn't doubt him though, he's proven himself across the board. The Revenant alone is compelling resume for The Odyssey
Fiennes: portrayed Odysseus recently, apparently, but I'm skeptical of 2 and 4
Day-Lewis: I can't discount this guy for playing just about any guy, but I also can't ask him to do so. He does that which he does, and he doesn't do that which he doesn't. He might be too cerebral and old for 2 anyway.
Wahlberg: 2, 3. Dumber Damon
Clooney: 5, maybe 2
Pitt: hmmmm. 3? He's a bit more Achilles jock than wise Odysseus. Interesting though...
Mikkelsen: ooooooh. Rough journey of Valhalla meets moral battle of The Hunt. He isn't a slam dunk on 1 though
Denzel: see my comments on Macbeth and Gladiator. He's too idiosyncratic
Dafoe: 2. He has this inherent ugliness
Pascal
Eric Bana
Viggo
Krasinski
Daniel Craig
Sean Penn
Christian Bale
McConaughey
Will Smith
Crowe
Fassbender
Cumberbatch
So many interesting suggestions here.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to ignore the beard requirement. Is that really essential? Even if it's in source material it could result in a -EV casting decision.
And I can't really say why 1-6 are the requirements, so my own requirements are:
1. Masculinity threshold X. Basically need to be masculine enough.
2. Has a brain. Mostly thinking of battlefield IQ, but also maybe a street smarts IQ? Not a coward, but not a true believer either (soldier who transforms into killing machine)
3. A believer. Can't be total secular/scientific. Has to trust instinct/the signs.
Tom Cruise - I'm biased because I love him. But hard to make a better choice.
Chalamet - This sort of feels like the default. It could work, right? I don't have the affection for him I have for the previous gen of males.
Matt Damon - Not masculine enough. But makes up for it by sheer competence. It will work.
Tom Hanks - This would be extremely interesting. Not sure why this choice would be made. He's not masculine enough by a long shot.
Joaquin - He's done too many adjacent projects. Alexander the great, I think. Also the Caesar in Gladiator. I don't want Odysseus to have cleft either.
The Rock - This could be captivating. Imagine if they never are ironic, play it completely straight. It could be masterful. He'd be using exact homeric dialogue. Somewhat wooden acting. This isn't a Nolan type scenario though. But it would be compelling.
Ian McKellan - I assume this guy's like 90.
Sean Bean - Obviously perfect. But he's too old. Need to wheel out the Irishman de-aging machine.
Leo - would be great. He really checks every box. It seems like he's more attracted to Achilles type roles though. Might be a little old technically, but functionally young enough. Would he have to get into shape?
Ralph Fiennes - No. He's a rat
DDL - It's hard to argue against. It's easy to imagine him saying the dialogue. Probably too old. Phantom Thread was a decade ago? It could still work though.
Wahlberg - He doesn't seem to have the stature for this. It could work though.
Pitt - DQd b/c he's Achilles. But it could still work. Seems like he's the right age.
Mads - His face is too weird. I am also biased. Find his place in culture now annoying.
Denzel - He's black which is a hurdle. Though is it? To a literalist like Nolan I think so. He could work though. He'd probably have to escape the Denzelness, which he also seems to inhabit?
Willem - Lol. Imagine him making the Willem face when he encounters the Cyclops. Dude's way too old.
Pedro Pascal - He's Oberyn. Disqualifying.
Eric Bana - You can't cast Hector as Odysseus. He's also too much of an NPC.
Viggo - Do it. How could this not work?
John Krasinski - Jim from The Office face as he sees the Cyclops?
Daniel Craig - Instictually hate this idea.
Sean Penn - Too old. Not likable.
Christian Bale - Yes, has great looking into abyss stare.
McConaughey - Interstellar version could work. Can't be jokey version.
Will Smith - He doesn't do roles like this. But it could work. I'm not sure why. But I'm convinced it would.
Russell Crowe - Probably too old. But maybe my No. 1 pick. I love him. Isn't Gladiator basically the same story?
Fassbender - Nice idea. I'd be fine with it.
Cumberbatch - Sherlockified Odysseus would be funny.