Brontë
There seems to be a British author biopic trend at the moment - Austen, Beatrix Potter et al. I'm not really interested in those two (well, the idea of Ewan McGregor with a moustache certainly intrigues me so I'll probably see Miss Potter and if Anna Maxwell Martin really is in Becoming Jane, that'll be another one for me to watch), but Brontë? Sign me up.
I've been in love with the Brontë family since before I ever picked up one of their novels. I live in what is known as 'Brontë Country' so they've always been around me. In fact, I live halfway between their birthplace and the village in which they spent the majority of their short lives. At age 8, I started Jane Eyre and I suppose I've never really looked back.
I have to admit, though, to being quite wary of it already. The first bit of casting that made me think 'uh-oh' was Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Branwell.
Let me start on why not. Ever seen his paintings? They were far from flattering but you sensed that they're perfect likenesses. He captured some kind of spirit in each of them, at the expense of the sitter. He never would have been a successful portrait painter because he painted people as he saw them - and it wasn't necessarily a pretty sight. You just look into the eyes of these people in his paintings and you see nothing but Branwell and this wicked sense of humour of his.
And let's face it, he's a pretty boy. Branwell - well, Branwell was far from it.
I'm intrigued by the choice of Michelle Williams. To start with, she's obviously not British which seems somewhat... odd, seeing as Charlotte is such a characteristically British novelist (interestingly, Beatrix Potter and Jane Austen are both being played by American actresses - what's with this?). She does look the part - she has that sort of round faced freshness to her and I think she can pull it off in that respect. Let's hope her accent sticks.
I'm so very excited about the casting of Nathalie Press. She's a brilliant, brilliant young actress - and she looks just like Emily.
Emily by Branwell - from a painting of all four siblings but Charlotte's husband had all of it but Emily's section destroyed for he believed that none but her portrait were of a likeness.
Nathalie Press in Bleak House - I thought it was a good choice for a comparison. Fairer, sure, but with darker hair she'll look awesome.
I don't think I really have very much more to say. Only that I'm looking forward to this and I will go and see it - but they'd better not mess anything up. They shall probably make a great deal about Charlotte's professor and if they don't make a big deal about Branwell's Mrs Robinson I will be very sad (for I love Branwell and I think he is one of the most tragic figures).