Today’s Variety (sub rq’d) reports that Gwyneth Paltrow has decided to only play iconic historical real-life women from now on (thanks Reuters). Following her take on Sylvia Plath (I must confess I have not seen Sylvia; I have heard she was good and the movie was not), Paltrow apparently plans to follow her maternity leave by portraying silver screen star Marlene Dietrich.
As usual, not only has the Cinetrix beat me on reporting this news, but she also perfectly expressed what was apparently our shared initial reaction: AAAAIIIIIIEEEEEEEE!!!!
Variety’s story reminds us that this is the second attempt at a Dietrich biopic, a film that should most definitely be made, but with better casting. The first go ’round, Louis Malle was planning to direct from a script by John Guare. Uma Thurman was to play the title role, but than Malle passed away.
Uma would have been a more interesting choice if only because of the resemblance between the two actresses. In fact, if you can access the Variety story online or see the cover of today’s issue and see the picture they use of Dietrich, it is not so difficult to picture Uma made up to look just that way. But does she have the chops to pull-off the performance of such a strong, complex and influential screen icon? Probably not.
This role definitely needs someone of the Cate Blanchett (good one, Cynthia)/Tilda Swinton variety. A younger Meryl Streep. A less crazy (and younger) Judy Davis. I know I’ll be called crazy for this, and she’s probably too short, but it could be a (finally) starmaking role for Helena Bonham-Carter. Oooh, what about Julianne Moore — or she’s too fair-skinned, and also probably too old. And why can’t I think of any actual appropriate German actresses?
Start the suggestions … maybe we can start a petition or something.
Out of Focus 
younger judy davis would be great. not julianne moore though…i’m not a fan of helena bonham-carter but maybe she could do it.
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Gwyn really isn’t a very good actress.
I thought she was HORRIBLE as Sylvia. SO wrong for the part.
I think the only film where I actually enjoyed her performance was Se7en.
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Was it the fact that she was only in the movie for fifteen minutes or the fact that she got her head lopped off that made it enjoyable for you?
She wasn’t terrible in Possession, though I have a hard time speaking ill of anything Neil LaBute is involved in, and she was good in The Royal Tenenbaums. Her ratio of yucky to good is very uneven according to my interal calculations, running through her oeuvre off the top of my head: Possession, The Royal Tenenbaums, Emma, Sliding Doors, Shakespeare in Love, Seven, Great Expectations, Bounce, Shallow Hal, The Pallbearer…the list just goes on.
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Emma, Sliding Doors, Shakespeare in Love, Great Expectations, Shallow Hal each one a cinematic nightmare. (Great Expectations was noticeably painful.)
I actually felt sympathy for her character in Se7en — how she hated the city and all, and then got her head cut off.
Possession wasn’t too bad, though it was a far cry from the novel.
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Alright, I’m sure I’m going to get some hate for this it being “popular” and all, but Shakespeare in Love was not a “cinematic nightmare.” It wasn’t Best Picture of the year, but it was a fun, frothy and imaginative take on a subject and era that is either treated with ultimate seriousness or utter slapstick. I never saw Emma or Sliding Doors, but I do agree that both Great Expectations and Shallow Hal were major disappointments, albeit for different reasons.
Possession was just kind of dull. I’ve heard the book is marvelous, and I like Niel LaBute (although apparently not as much as Marleigh), but the movie … kind of meh!
And I don’t think Gwyneth is an awful actress by any means. I think she’s incredibly competent, and maybe one day she’ll be very good. But to bring Dietrich to life? Nah … she’s still missing those chops.
More importantly, why can I still not think of an appropriate young(ish at least) German actress. There must be someone, no? The only person I can think of right now is Franke Potente, but she’s not right. I love her, but not as Dietrich.
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Shakespeare in Love was a nightmare for me because, speaking as one who has appreciated Tom Stoppard’s writing in the past—Arcadia, or even Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead—Shakespeare was a piece of happily-ever-after Hollywood bullshit. Shakespeare wrote enough quality gender-bending on his own; they didn’t need to make up some bizarre, real life story to back up his cross dressing plots in the guise of explaining his Dark Lady.
A.S. Byatt is a competent writer, but I haven’t heard anything about the new book yet. And Neil LaBute is the man. His plays are consistently amazing; despite my dislike of Nicholas Sparks, I’m going to see The Notebook because he’s directing it. Well, that and Sam Shepard is in it.
As for German actresses, I’m afraid I’m no help. I’m much better versed in British actresses.
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Exactly right about Stoppard and SIL. There are a few Stoppardian moments in the film, but the rest is utter shite. (The last act is painful.)
Gwyn is too whiny for me, and while she may put on a good English accent, there’s no depth behind it.
I’m also stumped on who could/should play Dietrich. I think J. Moore might be able to get away with it, but she’s not perfect for it. Maybe Bjork. Oh…how about Jennifer Jason Leigh? Jodie Foster?
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Jenny McCarthy.
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