Not backing down from any stereotypes our favourite British Butler Alfred Pennyworth will be played once again by Michael Caine. But first he has to play a battle of the wits with Jude Law in Sleuth.
In January I start shooting a remake of “Sleuth” with Jude Law directed by Kenneth Branagh with a very different screen play from the original by Harold Pinter. After that in March I reprise my Butler roll in the second “Batman” again directed by Christopher Noland starring Christian Bale. This one is “The Joker” and the Joker is Heath Ledger. Great casting.
Two things I would like to note about this. First has to deal with Sleuth. In 1972, Michael Caine stared as the younger antagonist who steals the main character’s wife. And now 34 years later, he stars in a remake of the same movie but this time he is the man to lose his wife. More on that in Sharon’s post Here I can’t wait to see this movie. Caine has the wit and charm to just make this movie roll. Again.
Secondly was the Batman Dark Knight News. We all knew he was going to be in it and that he would soon have to report to the set to reprise his role. I think Caine did a wonderful Pennyworth, and better than any previous TV or movie Alfred yet. Good to see him back.
But did you catch what he said about Heath Ledger? “Great Casting”. So is this part of the publicity train where all actors are obligated to say good things about their movie? Or does Caine actually believe that Ledger will be a great pick for the Joker?
I happen to agree, and I look forward to seeing Ledger take on the role. I cast a benefit of the doubt to Caine, and tend to believe that he genuinely meant it when he said “Great Casting”.
i’m still on the fence about ledger. seeing as how the only movie i’ve ever seen him in was the patriot and i never saw the ending. but from what i saw he is an okay actor…
You know, if someone said putting ME in a movie was great casting I would think that meant the casting option regarding me was… whats the word im looking for… “great”… yeah.. thats it.
You make it sound like this was Michael Caine being put on the spot for the question of Ledger and all he said was this. Ledger wasnt even brought up. Caine was talking about a different movie altogether and then tagged on in 3 lines that he was involved in the Batman movie with Nolan and Bale, that it was about the Joker and that Ledger as the Joker was great.
You are reading FAR too much in a simple sentence. The statement was clear and precise. It has meaning. You cannot debate linguistics here because you don’t have a point. He said it was great, and that means it was great.
Sorry, man. Not gonna debate linguistics on a blog … that’s frelling ridiculous. And, since the point escapes you, I’ll try to make it a wee bit simpler: given the response to the announcement surrounding Ledger’s casting (you do know that it’s been negative, eh?), one would hope that someone WITHIN Ledger’s camp (be it co-stars, Nolan, anyone) would come out with some kind of stronger defense of the casting choice. Even Ledger himself has dribbled in shit, saying “I’m going to concentrate more on the eyes and less on the smile” (yes, that’s paraphrased). If that’s the best they can get — if all they can do is roll out Michael Caine, an actor who admits he takes his acting jobs BASED on where he wants to vacation (and, yes, I still think he’s a highly skilled actor — and have him say something as insignificant as “great casting” — two words that could be interpreted in dozens of different ways — then let ’em have Ledger. Certainly, the Joker deserved better stronger chops that Ledger’s displayed, but perhaps you and Rod have been more sidetracked in keeping the Richard fiasco afloat to have any real opinion on the subject.
As always, thanks for giving me the chance to sound off. Despite some recent dips into non-movie-chat lately, I still have a lot of respect for what you do.
Hey Edward,
I’ve got to agree with Rod on this one. When one person says “GREAT casting”, ummmmm… how on earth or any other planet do you NOT consider that an endorsement??? You’ve really got me confused on this.
I respect having diferent opinions… but what you just said is like saying “Michael Cain said the chair was soaked. That’s hardly him saying it was wet”.
It doesn’t make any sense. I respect your opinion, I’m just trying to understand your opinion. How is “Great Casting” not an endorsement? linguistically I’m stumped.
Rod, chill pill again. You’ve got an opinion. This is a blog. Express it. Personally, like I said, if that’s the best Caine can say, that’s VERY LITTLE. That ain’t spin. It’s dismissing the topic. I don’t understand why you can’t see that, or, if you do, why you can’t say it. Could it be that you don’t HAVE an opinion? Was the purpose in blogging then?
Says volumes more than “I cant wait for this to be over so I dont have to work with that comic hating punk Ledger”
It was a statement, which I speculated might have meant he too thought Ledger was a good pick as the statement “great casting” tends to imply. He added the bit about ledger at the end of his comment about doing the movie. Out of everything he could have said in one brief statement, he chose to endorse the “great casting” of Ledger. Now if he was asked specifically about how he felt about Ledger and simply said “great casting” and dropped it, then I would think it was a professional spin statement to avoid saying anything negative. But this is what it is. A simple statement where he says Ledger as the Joker is “great casting”.
I dont see why you have to over analyse simple things to suit your consistent opposition
I think its more interesting that he keeps refering to the second Batman film as “The Joker” instead of the “The Dark Knight”.
FYI, Rod: if all Caine can say about Ledger is “great casting,” then that’s really not a show of endorsement.
I agree, Michael Caine was an excellent Alfred. Oddly, he’s nothing like the upper crust Alfred I remember from the comics, but he was good enough that it didn’t matter. I’m looking forward to seeing what they do with him in the next film.