Carey Mulligan: Films So Far, Films to Come

With rumors of Carey Mulligan starring in a My Fair Lady remake, I looked at her other films and attempted to judge what her future in Hollywood will have to offer: big-budget blockbusters and sequels or smaller, plot- or character-driven films. Perhaps a mix of both.

Mulligan got her big acting break as Kitty Bennet in Pride & Prejudice (2005) alongside Keira Knightley, Judi Dench, and Donald Sutherland. The period piece was a hit. But while it did a lot for director Joe Wright's career, as well as Knightley's career but for Mulligan, the next few years were limited to appearances on British television programs.

Her next American big screen appearance was in a film called And When Did You Last See Your Father? (2007). The film centered around Colin Firth's performance and Mulligan had a very small role, much smaller than her next two roles.

The Greatest (2009) and An Education (2009) both premiered at Sundance and were met with positive reviews (my reviews included). In The Greatest, Mulligan plays a young pregnant woman who's forced to meet her lover's family when he dies unexpectedly. Acting alongside Susan Sarandon and Pierce Brosnan, the young unknown completely stole my heart and then stole it again in An Education. If you've yet to see An Education, shame. Her performance was one of the strongest of the year--even if she was overlooked by Academy voters--and if you can get past the lovers' 20+ year age difference, you'll most likely find it enjoyable. Greatest has yet to seen a wide-release date, or even a limited-release date, An Education is everywhere.

On the heels of her Oscar-nominated performance, Mulligan signed on to three films guaranteed to see the light of day. Michael Mann (Heat) directed her in Public Enemies. Next, she co-starred with Tobey Maguire, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Natalie Portman in Brothers. Mulligan's next film is a sequel to Oliver Stone's classic, Wall Street.

It's this one, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, that has me worried. First, she's co-starring with her boyfriend, Shia LaBeouf (of Transformers fame). Second, it's a big budget sequel. Third, it's supposedly not too good. There's just something about big budget sequels (especially the ones that aren't too good) that convinces talented performers to give up smaller, introspective, character-driven, CGI-less films forever. I really hope that's not the case.

Never Let Me Go is scheduled to come out later this year. Mark Romanek (One Hour Photo) is directing another thriller, this one adapted from Kazuo Ishiguro's ("The Remains of the Day") novel of the same name. Keira Knightley co-stars and from the info I've been able to find online, Wall Street: Part Deux this is not. Don't quote me on this (unless I turn out to be right) but Never Let Me Go will be a step in the right direction for Mulligan's career. And if My Fair Lady ends up happening, I think it will be too.

All is not lost for Carey Mulligan. As long as she avoids any Transformers scripts that Shia has lying around the house, I'd bet we have years of high-quality films/performances from my new favorite actress.

My Fair Lady (2012)

Gabourey Sidibe & Carey Mulligan

Bullshit. Utter bullshit. Tonight's Best Actress award will likely be handed to either Meryl Streep (Julie and Julia) or Sandra Bullock (The Blind Side). Bullshit. Utter bullshit. Excuse my rant but I cannot fathom how anyone who's seen Precious or An Education could cast their vote for anyone besides Gabourey Sidibe or Carey Mulligan. The votes should be split between these two--not the Biopic Queens who starred in two of this year's least interesting films. If there is a Movie God, and I'm not sure I believe there is, one of these two talented women will take home a statue tonight. If not, at least Hurt Locker will win Best Picture. Right? ... Right? Bullshit. Utter bullshit.

Casting the Live-Action Beauty and the Beast Movie

Face it, Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland remake is going to make at least $10,000 in theaters, maybe more! With that kind of draw, you know there's going to be more Disney cartoons being turned into live-action romps. Here's my take on the Beauty and the Beast remake that's bound to happen. And if it does, I want my cut.


Belle - Carey Mulligan: Amy Adams might have a lock on any Little Mermaid adaptations made in the next decade but the role of bookish Belle goes to Hollywood's latest darling. Look at those pictures. Millions of dollars went into creating the pretty princess-to-be. All it took to make the actress playing her was...well, you know... I may not believe in God but Carey Mulligan makes me believe in the power of genetics. And we have to support this casting decision because if Carey doesn't get the job...you know who they'll pick.

Beast - Daniel Day-Lewis: I'm going to get a lot of hate for this but Ron Perlman wasn't even considered for this role. Here's why. Perlman probably didn't request that mane but we can't take the chance. My Beauty and the Beast vision doesn't include anyone looking like Great White's lead singer.

Beast needs to be crazy. Animalistic. Loud, and at times, incomprehensible. With The DDL, you get all of those and more. The DDL was the last Mohican. The DDL only needs his left foot to kick your ass. The DDL will drink your milkshake! You think the Beast needs more than one limb to kill you? You think there were Mohicans left after Beast? You don't think Beast likes milkshakes? Stop being ridiculous. Stop it.

Gaston - The Rock: You're supposed to hate Gaston. You probably hate The Rock. You probably even hate that he's even being suggested for the role. Don't underestimate The Rock's ability to make you hate him. Maybe it's the muscles. The catchphrases. Maybe it's how easily he can shit on your childhood memories. Whatever it is, no one in Hollywood posesses the pure hateability of the man who named himself after a "naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids."

Maurice - Richard Griffiths: There's nothing I love more than fantastic Fatstaches. And here, I give you two. Belle's father is a bit nicer than Harry Potter's uncle but they both share the same sort of ineffective parenting style that inexplicably turns their children into unstoppable heroes. Some use magic to revenge their parents' deaths while others marry well. In their own ways, each of these tormented children are heroes. What does this have to do with Griffith's casting? I don't know, but what I do know is that one mustn't just stand and wait for heroes to save the day but instead should hold onto the wings of the eagles while others watch as you all fly away.

Lefou - Nick Frost: Lefou was the most difficult role to cast. As it turns out, Hollywood produces actors who look like this almost on a daily basis. ABC's primetime lineup is chock-full of them, has been for years. Jimmy Kimmel almost took this job but only one thing stood in his way: his acting ability. This gap-toothed half-tard requires a professional ac-tor to capture his tongue-waggling nonsense. Nick Frost is best known for his dead-on gorilla impressions. The second I saw him pounding his chest and puffing out his cheeks like a lunatic, I knew I had my Lefou; a character less fit to live in public than the Frankenstein monster.

Mrs. Potts - Angela Lansbury: (If) Angela Lansbury is still alive, she'd still make a great teapot. Her voice is the most recognizable in the film and Mrs. Potts is the sort of role that only gets better with age. To recast her would be to shit on your own grandmother.

Chip - Freddie Highmore: Eh, this kid'll do.

Cogsworth - Tim Curry: Curry might not seem like a clear pick but he is. I'll prove it. Home Alone II: Lost in New York. Remember Mr. Hector the hotel employee who makes all sorts of trouble for Kevin? Sure, he was no match for Talkboy technology but he could switch between emotions with the best of the lower bourgeois. He was a suckup when he needed to be and an asshole when you pushed him. And if there's a better way to describe this clock, my ears are open. Someone stuck a stick up that clock's gears and if I had a Talkboy, I'd use it to get that annoying timepiece kicked out of the castle.

Lumiere - Vincent Cassel: If this guy looks familiar then you've probably seen La Haine. If he doesn't look familiar then you should watch La Haine. This rough-and-tumble Frenchman (is this a swear?) would make a good candle stick. He's smooth with the ladies (see: Monica Bellucci) can sing and dance (well, he can rap and breakdance). The only trouble the director (I'm thinking Harold Ramis) might have is Cassel's insistence to incorporate hip-hop into the film. But then again, a Dre-produced "Be Our Guest" remix might work. Let Lansbury lay down some tracks and you've got a Billboard hit.

Feather Duster - "Feather Duster": I'm gonna let this lady handle the role of Feather Duster as I didn't even remember this character existed until I started this post. She seems like she's got a good handle on what the job entails. If she owns the costume, even better.

Feedback: Who would you cast in a live-action

Beauty and the Beast movie?

How were my choices?