By now Carrie Hill Wilner has convinced all of us to read Villette. I can neither add nor take away from her words, lest God take away from me my share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll. What I can do is dream-cast the Villette film adaptation that does not yet exist, even though Jane Eyre gets remade every eight years with an increasingly younger and hotter cast; by 2016 Jane and Rochester will be played by Stoya and James Deen, who are great people with fantastic careers, but could never be described as “poor, obscure, plain, and little.”
Let us anticipate a correction to this oversight, and begin at once.
Lucy Snowe
You cannot cast Kristen Stewart, I told myself firmly. BUT SHE WOULD BE SO –
NO. YOU CAN’T.
Fine. Fine. Fine. (But she would be.) I will confess that Lucy is where I find myself at most of a loss; it’s possible that a total unknown would be best for this. Because, first of all, there’s only so plain you can get, right? Even the most awkward-looking of actresses is still several orders of magnitude hotter than your average person. So the problem with pretty much everyone we talk about casting is going to be “BUT SHE’S SO GORGEOUS.” I KNOW. It is a problem.
Lucy is supposed to be in her mid-20s, but it’s hard to find someone that age who can pull off that kind of severe repression and bristly reserve. And then, I don’t know, we’ll have to really bust out the de-glamorizing team, because you’re still going to be pulling from a Murderer’s Row of Babes.
I think Nathalie Emmanuel is the best way to go here. She’s fairly underutilized as Missandei on Game of Thrones (and guys, I am trying HARD not to just pillage actors from the three popular period dramas on TV right now), but what I’ve seen of her there, she can pull off QUIET SURFACE BELYING A THOUSAND EMOTIONS in her sleep. The success of a Villette film has to rise and fall on the strength of its Lucy, and it’s already hard as hell to translate such an interior novel to a medium of primarily WATCHING PEOPLE DO STUFF. So you need someone whose face is just wildly expressive, but in a restrained way. And if she cannot pull off a flawless English accent, you might as well just go home; I think she has to be English. Also, I have a feeling Emmanuel’s reading of “My heart will break!” towards the end would be absolutely murderous. Nathalie it is.
M. Paul Emanuel
“A dark little man he certainly was; pungent and austere. Even to me he seemed a hard apparition, with his close-shorn, black head, his broad, sallow brow, his thin cheek, his wide and quivering nostril, his thorough glance and his hurried bearing. Irritable he was; one heard that, as he apostrophized with vehemence the awkward squad under his orders.”
Oh, friends and lovers, this role was a JOY to cast. Who but the Tooch could pull this off? The key to M. Paul, right, is that he’s an absolute thorn in Lucy’s side, like Ginevra’s frowning counterpart, but he is slowly and irresistibly lovable. It has to be believable that someone could fall in love with him, but it has to be equally believable that he would be a poison and an irritant and easy to overlook for a long time. The Tooch has more layers than Hungarian spongecake. He’ll sneak up on you, heart-wise. He’s a tiny tempest wrapped in an adorable, hairy package. He makes no sense, but it’s perfectly understandable.
Dr. John Graham Bretton
One of the Chrises. Pratt, Hemsworth, Pine, whatever. Blandly hot but ultimately undeserving. I don’t care which one. Maybe Jamie Bell if you want the audience to feel more than a pang of regret when Lucy thinks about him during the hallucinogenic parade, but he might be too good for Graham, WHO IS A DUMB IDIOT.
Ginevra Fanshawe
NATALIE DORMER, I HOPE YOU NEVER STOP GETTING CAST AS PERFECT BITCHES. She was scientifically created in a lab to play Ginevra, who is vain and selfish and the actual worst and has more than a soupçon of GAY AS HELL SEXUAL TENSION with Lucy. Gahhh, their scenes together set me AFLAME. Ginevra always shows up at Lucy’s side demanding that she tell her how pretty she looks and making her give her food, and Lucy’s response is pretty much always a swift kick in the ribs. It’s “I hate you, you’re the worst, don’t go.” It’s Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn, only with two Katharine Hepburns, which is how things should have been to begin with.
Polly Bassompierre
Gugu Mbatha-Raw has a DAMN ANGEL’S FACE. She’s also the only actress I can think of who could save Polly from being completely insipid. There’s a wonderful creepiness to Polly’s whole vibe that’s easy to lose in her CRUSHING GOODNESS – when she’s little, she’s like a surreal little doll-baby who doesn’t have emotions, and when she grows up, she’s sort of terrified of everything and everyone? And she kind of…invites her father to lock her up in a convent and send the man she loves away, which is incredibly creepy in the way that only Victorian ladies can be creepy.
Madame Beck
WHO WOULDN’T WANT GINA TORRES STARING AT THEM SURREPTITIOUSLY AND GOING THROUGH THEIR THINGS AT NIGHT. I mean, you wouldn’t want those things to begin with, right, but if someone had to do it, you would want it to be Gina Torres. Madame Beck is pragmatic and terrible and SENSUAL with a STRONG MASCULINE ENERGY and has a piece of clockwork where her heart should be, and I want to watch Gina Torres place a beautiful boot on everyone else’s throats.
Okay, I was able to make the Galaxy Quest TV show happen through the force of my dream-casting, so I guess get on this, please.
Tags: dream-casting, movies, villette
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Hmm. 100% agree on Stanley Tucci. (I always pictured Paul Giamatti, but after reading If Stanley Tucci Were Your Boyfriend, I have transferred all my affection.) I am having trouble with Nathalie Emmanuel though. She does not seem mean enough to me. Also, and I know you address this BUT STILL — waaaay too pretty.
I know she’s probably too old now, but Anna Maxwell Martin for Lucy? She can shoot daggers from her eyes. http://www.bbc.co.uk/staticarchive/6866265a7464ca…
NO ONE COULD EVER LOVE PAUL GIAMATTI ALL YOUR OPINIONS ARE HEREBY INVALID
Even getting yelled at by Mallory is a thrill!
Still, I must point out that I did not say I loved him! Just that he would pop into my head being cantakerous when I pictured Emanuel.
He played a middle-aged manchild Hamlet at Yale Rep when I was there. It was….special.
Oh yes to Anna Maxwell Martin, but like 10 years ago. How about Faye Marsay? Too petulant?
ANNA MAXWELL MARTINNNNNNNN WOULD BE PERFECT *aggressively points to avatar*
Didn’t she play Jane Eyre at one point? I may just be imagining this because she actually plays Jane Eyre in most of her roles.
Not to my knowledge, but she did play older, married Lizzie Bennett in Death Comes to Pemberley a year or two ago. She’s got that 19th-century independent lady thang down pretty good.
She was also in Bleak House, so I may be thinking of that. Gloomy house, overbearing atmosphere, abusive guardian, etc.
I honestly think that this cast is worse (and better, SO MUCH better) on the “too smexy to plot” front than Deen and Stoya would have been.
but who will play the cretin? this needs to be cast immediately.
uhhhh
you know it’s the pivotal role of the book.
Eddie Marsan
If not him, perhaps Walton Goggins.
OH MY GOD NATALIE DORMER AS GINEVRA. I ALREADY SHIP IT EVEN MORE IF THAT IS POSSIBLE.
While we’re recasting GoT actors, I think Richard Madden would make a good Graham. Ginger, blandly hot, nice smile but ultimately kind of callow.
Mine sort of gravitates to England in the 40’s and involves Barbara Mullen as Lucy, Jean Simmons as Ginevra, Stewart Granger as Dr. John, Peter Lorre as Paul Emmanuel (a nice break from villains!) Pamela Browne as Polly and Hermione Gingold as Madame Beck, but as it only happened in an alternate universe this sounds fine.
Also, due to Villette and Gaudy Night on the Toast on the same day I have melted into a little puddle and will be deliquescing under my desk if anyone needs me.
Uhhhhh this is perfect casting. Where do we get our hands on the technology from S1m0ne so we can make this happen?
I would also suggest Tatiana Maslany for Lucy. She’s gorgeous but can also pull off plain, and she’s tiny. Hell, she could play all of the characters.
Seconded!
Uh, have we had if Tatiana Maslany was your girlfriend yet? CAN WE PLEASE???
If the cast of Villette were your polyamorous lovers . . .
I do not remember hearing of Vilette before this article, but the Revelations quote convinced me I had to read that linked article, and that linked article convinced me I need to read Vilette. Well done.
You 100% have to read Villette, yes.
Eileen Atkins for Madame Walravens. Eileen Atkins for everything.
Always.
I yield to no one (NO ONE) in my admiration for Gina Torres but I must admit I’d like to see Taraji P. Henson try her hand at Madame Beck. Steely, manipulative, sensual, purring until it’s time to show her teeth, big fish in a medium-size pond?
“It’s Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn, only with two Katharine Hepburns, which is how things should have been to begin with.”
TRUER WORDS THO.
Well, fuck it all, here’s my re-read of “In This House of Brede” getting pushed back AGAIN…
In This House of Brede is amazing, though!
Completely agree with Stanley Tucci as M. Paul – but don’t cast Chris Pine as Dr. John, if you please. I like him too much (Chris Pine, I mean). 😉
Man, I need to re-read Villette. I have to be in the right headspace to read Bronte without being borne under by a great dark wave of melancholy, but I think I’m in a good place right now to appreciate the furious homoeroticism, without being caught in the ferocious thunderstorms of wrecked fortunes on the moors of discontent.
I have loved Villette since 1986, and have said it would be what I wrote a dissertation on if I were to do a PhD. This past summer I read Villette aloud to my 13 year old, and she loved it and read it again with the Audible recording, and has gotten some of her homeschooling friends to read it and the boy next door, and now we are working on a script (for summer home movie making) and hope to have a Kenneth Branaugh worthy screenplay ready in the not too distant future. SO COOL to read your casting and everyone’s comments.
My daughter takes offense at anyone’s disliking John Graham Bretton (he’s the prince to Polly’s princess after all) and she finds Ginevra redeemable (since a friend down the street is so much like her)! We were thinking of Rupert Perry Jones (Persuasion 2014) for Graham.
A nice song for the end credits of the movie is “Ready for the Storm” (youtube it; I like Rich Mullens’s version best)
Rupert Penry Jones once played St. John in an adaptation of Jane Eyre so this works!
It’s gonna be part of my MA Thesis!!!
My images of the main characters are invariably wrapped up in my charismatic yet mysterious French teacher (M. Paul) with Lucy stuck in my head as my best friend at the time, because they were so similar
Not to my knowledge, but she did play older, married Lizzie Bennett in Death Comes to Pemberley a year or two ago. She's got that 19th-century independent lady thang down pretty good.
I missed this yesterday and I am kicking myself. The Tooch as M. Paul! I finally really get the appeal of this character. Yes PLEASE.
Also I am thinking maybe Liam Hemsworth for Dr. John? Pleasant and handsome enough, but insipid compared to the rasping depths of M. Paul (sorry Hemsworth the Younger, I am sure you are not insipid but you would play to it so well)
Villlette is my favorite novel ever!!! But I’m not feeling this cast. Then again as much as much as I want a movie of it I will probably never feel any cast of it,
I’d rather read a dirt-bag Villette to be honest. Another down-trodden governess living the rest of her life out in misery. To this day I resent the bookstore guy who said it was a nice read. *Warning: Spoiler below*
Although if I look at it from a another (gayer) perspective, her man dying at sea (as he deserved) does free her up from years of being shouted at by a clearly disturbed and emotionally abusive man. So in a way it had a happy ending! Hopefully he willed her some moneys too. (Can’t remember if he did. Probs didn’t. Typical.)
“M. Emanuel was away three years. Reader, they were the three happiest years of my life.”
Amen sister
I think the movie version should totally should have Kstew in it and the crazy financial guy who shouts a lot in America. She can look sad for most of it and that will be enough.
I'd rather read a dirt-bag Villette to be honest. Another down-trodden governess living the rest of her life out in misery. To this day I resent the bookstore guy who said it was a nice read. *Warning: Spoiler below*
Although if I look at it from a another (gayer) perspective, her man dying at sea (as he deserved) does free her up from years of being shouted at by a clearly disturbed and emotionally abusive man. So in a way it had a happy ending! Hopefully he willed her some moneys too. (Can't remember if he did. Probs didn't. Typical.)
"M. Emanuel was away three years. Reader, they were the three happiest years of my life."
Amen sister
I think the movie version should totally should have Kstew in it and the crazy financial guy who shouts a lot in America. She can look sad for most of it and that will be enough.
well done mallory but who will play the hallucinated sphinx (antony hegarty and/or ghost of klaus nomi)
also can someone confirm that there was in fact a hallucinated sphinx in that book and that that was not a second order hallucination of my own?
I would like to submit Mark Strong for M. Paul.
I would like to submit Mark Strong for M. Paul.
Michael Fassbender as M. Paul Emmanuel. Tucci could be great too, but think how terrifying Fassbender could be, he’s such a scary shape-shifter, and he’d nail the accent.