MovieChat Forums > Iris (2002) Discussion > Inspired casting (and makeup)

Inspired casting (and makeup)

posted 18 years ago by daoine
2 replies | jump to latest

During the film I was struck by how alike Judi Dench and Kate Winslet looked - then I started wondering what Iris Murdoch had really looked like. Have a look at these and tell me the choices of Winslet and Dench, and also Jim Broadbent, weren't as close to perfect as you can get:

Older Iris: http://www.zenunbound.com/graphics/murdoch.jpg
Younger Iris: http://www.leksikon.org/images/murdoch_iris.jpg

Older Iris and John Bailey:
http://www.famous-couple.com/pics/iris_murdoch-john_bayley.jpg

[–] twm-2 18 years ago

WOW! You're right. Dench and Winslet are virtual dead-ringers. Of course, they would have been good choices even if they HADN'T borne such a close physical likeness with their characters. The acting of Winslet and Dench--well, it doesn't get much better. Strange how it was Broadbent--whose performance I thought very capable but hardly Oscar worthy--actually garnered the award (even though he was competing against Ben Kingsley's powerful performance in Sexy Beast) while Winslet and Dench were snubbed. Very strange.

Cheerio!

"Nothing in this world is more surprising than the attack without mercy!"--Little Big Man

[–] starcrossed24 18 years ago

Kate Winslet and Judi Dench as the same character would never have occurred to me before, but in Iris it just makes perfect sense.

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