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Deneuve is certainly the only actress currently active who comes close.

I should note, since I've been hard on Pfeiffer, that Patrick is right - she's not a bad choice for Lea given our current options. It was good to see her again, too.

Re Deneuve: Yes, and that is more a comment on the direction than on Pfeiffer's portrayal; only Deneuve could have extracted Lea from Frears' concoction.

Re Pfeiffer and current casting options: You're probably right. Juliette Binoche would have been too young, and Lena Olin too old (and not a major box-office draw, either). Alas, even I - who would have had perfect chemistry with Friend - am too old and obscure to have played Lea. :wink:

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Since my comments earlier on this thread I have read 'Secrets of the Flesh: a Life of Colette' by Judith Thurman and thoroughly recommend it, Colette was a fascinating woman who led an event packed life.

I enjoyed the book very much, as well. And weren't the photographs wonderful!

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Alas, even I - who would have had perfect chemistry with Friend - am too old and obscure to have played Lea. :wink:

I feel strongly that Rupert and I would have hit it off just fine, as well. Alas, indeed. :)

A few years ago Pfeiffer made another movie with a May - December theme, the very weak comedy 'I Could Never Be Your Woman.' She played a sitcom writer having an affair with the much younger Paul Rudd, and some things never change - as in Colette's day, it's all about the woman's age.

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Yes, indeed, to this day the age/gender issue is fraught.

I just read on International Movie Database that Jessica Lange had originally obtained the film rights for Cheri...many years ago, when she would have been the right age to have played Lea. Her intention was for Judi Dench to play Charlotte. Now, that would have worked beautifully, I think! There was so much political wrangling and professional in-fighting with production companies, backers and so on, that by the time Lange could have started the film, she and Dench were too old for the parts. Such a shame!

Edited to add: One of the wags at IMDB said that we should begin to prepare ourselves now for a future remake starring Angelina Jolie and one of the Jonas Brothers. :rofl:

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That is a shame. Lange would have been promising casting and physically very close to Lea (at least before the unfortunate plastic surgery that has robbed her face of expressiveness and puts one in mind of the late Doris Duke). Dench would have been good as Charlotte, too, but if we're going British then I might give preference to Joan Plowright.

It is unfortunate that so many good projects wind up never seeing the light of day. The old studio system had its flaws but movies did get made.

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Oh, I so agree with you about Lange's plastic surgery! She really does put one in mind of Doris Duke now. And I like your substitution of Joan Plowright for Judi Dench - she would have given Charlotte just the right amount of dry wit and sparkle.

Rounding out the cast, Lange wanted Hayden Christensen to play Cheri. Another good choice, I think.

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I think Lange would be at least as good as Pfeiffer and she had a wonderful lush figure in her day. Maybe too American, but we'll never know now, unfortunately.

Rounding out the cast, Lange wanted Hayden Christensen to play Cheri. Another good choice, I think.

"Cheri, please put down the light saber for just a minute. We need to talk." Sorry.

I think he is a good choice, although I'd not have thought of him myself. I was thinking Hugh Grant or another Rupert, Everett. DiCaprio?

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Though Mirren is four years older than Lange, she's definitely a fascinator...but Lange bought the property for herself, so our only real hindsight options involve the co-stars. If Deneuve had bought the rights, I somehow doubt that producers and backers could/would have stalled production...it makes me verklempt to think about it! :crying:

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