But by then she'd already been in the The Professional, among other roles and people lauded her then. It's not like that was her first role or she was considered a poor actor.
And I saw the revival and she really was dreadful.
I'm willing to cut the sixteen at the time Natalie Portman some slack for her performance there, and note that she has grown tremendously in the past fifteen years since that revival opened. She's turned in some amazing performances in film since then, and I do think she'd turn in another one if she were to play Sally.
But in the case of Cabaret, Sally Bowles is explicitly a second rate night club singer.
Why? Isn't it more interesting in the film, where Sally is a first-rate singer stuck in a dump because of her character, not her lousy pitch?
I've read Harold Prince's bio, too, and I know he wouldn't cast Minnelli (despite the pleas of the songwriters) because he had this idea that Sally was a "third-rate" (in his words) singer. That's fine for Isherwood and Van Druten, but musicals have their own conventions.
Does anybody think Velma Kelly can really dance as well as Chita Rivera or Bebe Neuwirth?
If the only point of a remake is to make people listen to "Mein Herr", "Maybe This Time" and "Cabaret" sung badly, ya'll can go to any gay bar in the country and listen to people sing along to the soundtrack.
I think Liza really made her version of Sally work on screen. There was simply no way to disguise her fantastic voice. I remember hearing that she took advice from her father on how she should play it and he told her that, yes, Sally could be singing in much better places, but that wouldn't be as much fun.
I'd still like to see a film closer to the Mendes production. That was such a masterpiece, IMO. Hell, get Mendes to direct the film, too, and we're all set.
Portman is such a great actress, I love her work consistently, don't really care whether she is a good stage actress or not. She'd be such an intriguing Sally Bowles. Carey Mulligan has already played versions of Sally in SHAME and now THE GREAT GATSBY, yes, she'd be interesting but I think she's already played similar roles to it. Lawrence is an inspired idea, after her luminous turn in SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK, I could see her delivering a great Sally.
This thread is cracking me up because I was just thinking about this the other day. I thought I dreamed it or made up that they were thinking of doing this film with Zellweger (who would have been a good Sally). I find the character of Sally much more tragic when she's played by a good singer (Joley Fisher in the revival was mesmerizing).
I'm also reading some great casting choices. How about Rooney Mara?
For me it makes more sense for Sally to be a great singer than a bad one. It adds to the tragedy of her story that she's really talented and stuck in a local bar. If she were to be a poor singer, I'd think, well, she's lucky she even has a job, lol!
I'd still like to see a film closer to the Mendes production. That was such a masterpiece, IMO. Hell, get Mendes to direct the film, too, and we're all set.
Co-direct with Rob Marshall, who also choreographs. Let's face it; Mendes' production was already well on the way in the West End, but Marshall helped solidify it in NY.
There's valid arguments to be made for Sally being a good singer or being a bad one. But I think for a musical, whoever plays her needs to at least be able to carry a tune. It's a shame Nicole Kidman isn't younger because she would be ideal for this.
I almost kind of have a hard time caring much about Sally in the movie compared to the rawness that Richardson brought to the role. She just seems so helpless in her despair compared to Minnelli's more conventionally selfish take on the role. Richardson's Cabaret
People throw out the word "revelation" constantly around here to the point that it's all but meaningless now, but Natasha Richardson was in fact, a revelation in that role.
I've said it many times on this board, but Imma gonna say it again. Natasha Richardson is the single best performance I've ever seen on any stage in my life.
And I have a very hard time imagining any actor doing anything to top it. It was as close to perfect as acting can be.
So...Gaveston...no. It's not 'more' interesting in the film. The film works really well on its own and Liza is terrific in it. But it's certainly not a 'better' choice. Just different. Justified. And thrilling. But not more interesting.
The Mendes CABARET is such a totally different animal than the Liza film, I really don't even see them being comparable. To me, the original film doesn't hold a candle to the '98 version and I think a filmed version of it has the opportunity to be one of the greatest movie musicals ever made.
But if someone wanted to show a little imagination and create a new film about what happened to Sally Bowles before or after what happens in "Cabaret"... that might be interesting.
Natasha Richardson's Sally is up there on the list of greatest performances I have ever seen.
So is her Desiree, which I saw at the Actor's Fund benefit shortly before her death. It's part of the reason I detest Catherine Zeta-Jones so much. If Natasha had lived, we all would have seen a Desiree for the ages.
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joined:2/5/09
Posted: 1/2/13 at 08:32pm