Poll: Anne Hathaway as Catwoman: A Thought

[vid87]

From an interview with Oprah, Anne Hathaway, recently cast as Selina Kyle in The Dark Knight Rises, may have blurted out that she will indeed also be playing Catwoman. And I've been wondering: what exactly is that going to look like with someone like her?

First off, I absolutely love her: she's bright, talented, full of energy, and was easily the best part of an otherwise bland Oscar Night. And between her hosting duties and her exuberant tale of waiting to be cast, then told she'll be hosting the Oscars I think I've got a bit of a crush on her.

http://screenrant.com/anne-hathaway-confirms-catwoman-the-dark-knight-rises-benm-103748/

(Really, listen to "I'M CAT WOMAN!!!! ....wait, what?" and tell me that's not adorable. And I certainly hope it's not "the only time she'll ever hear this in her life;" I'm sure she'd do just as great if she were asked to host again.)

But, is she TOO cute? I suppose only seeing her strip in Brokeback Mountain, and not having seen stuff like Love and Other Drugs, I'm not really aware of her more sensual side, so I'm having a bit of trouble really connecting her to a character that is mostly about sexual allure. Maybe it's a problem of her being too famous and making me too "aware" of her to let me lose myself in the character. Even if the costume is more contemporary (scaled down ears, weaponized claws, cats really more of a theme than a defining characteristic ((think of CW during the 70's campy TV show where every line of dialogue is a cat pun))), and even if her obvious talent is more than capable of delivering a mature, interesting version of the character, there's just something not quite clicking with me about Anne in tight leather trying to seduce Batman. I'm sure that last statement...agreed with some people, but still: what do you think?

 

[manythings]

I'll care when I see something I can make a judgement call on.

OP: Add "Too Early to Decide".

 

[Daystar Clarion]

She doesn't do anything for me, and she isn't nearly 'feline' looking enough to be Catwoman.

Olivia Wilde on the other hand...

Spoiler: Perfect eyes for the part...

 

[Carnagath]

You never know. A while back I'd probably say "no", but that's what I would have said about Portman in Black Swan too and, well, fuck me.

 

[AvsJoe]

I think it's an excellent casting choice. She's a bit famous but she has both the looks and talent to pull it off.

Then again, I think they missed a glorious opportunity by not casting the store clerk from There Are Monsters.

Spoiler

C'mon, she'd be the perfect Selina Kyle!

 

[Sniper Team 4]

I think she can do it. She'll have to work on her "bad side" a bit, but I've never seen Catwoman as a villain. Just someone who breaks the law occasionally, but never crosses the line.

 

[Verlander]

I don't think so, but then I don't like Nolan's Batman films, so don't really care

 

[Woodsey]

She's an actress.

ACTRESS. People need to get that into their head before they start complaining about her in the role. The general idea of being in such a profession is that you play different people, and different types of people (although that's not true for some).

Besides, the only miscasting I've seen in one of Christopher Nolan's films was Katie Holmes in Batman Begins, and that was hardly a terrible mistake, it just didn't quite work as well as it should have. The guy knows what he's doing.

This also happened to Ledger when he was cast, and anyone else remember all that fucking ruckus when Daniel Craig was announced as Bond? Most people soon shut up when they actually saw the film.

 

[evilstonermonkey]

Anne Hathaway is kind of hot in a cutesy kind of way I guess, but unless she's shown it in a movie I haven't seen (very possible, since I haven't that she's been in) she isn't Catwoman. Catwoman is sexy, lithe and sensual. Hathaway is... not so much.

Still, if that's who has been cast complaining wont change it so I'll just wait til it comes out to judge. I'm more interested as to who gets cast as Bane to be honest.

 

[evilstonermonkey]

Double post for great justice

 

[misterv]

Actors and actresses have surprise me before, so all I can do is sit back and have faith that this will turn out to be a great film.

 

[Casual Shinji]

Anne Hathaway will do just fine. She's got the looks and the talent.

Besides, since when does Catwoman have such an iconic look that it's impossible for Anne Hathaway play her? I'm glad they went for an actress with some character in her face rather than some run of the mill hot chick like Megan Fox or Olivia Wilde.

I think we all need to be more concerned with how Nolan is going portray her. All his movies have a distinct lack of sexuality, so for him to write a character that is very seductive might result in a very boring, asexual Catwoman.

 

[vid87]

@ninja In terms of physicality, there are personal trainers for that. Hell, Portman had to learn a lifetime of ballet in a year or so and, while I haven't actually seen it yet, supposedly she did wonderfully.

@Shinji I like to refer back to Moviebob's review of Inception (as I'll probably do all too often) about Nolan's "hyper-masculine" perspective of logic over feelings and how the later seriously screws with the former. In my mind, I can see no other way BUT to have CW confront BM on a rooftop, get really close, maybe whisper sweetly, then flee, leaving BM completely unnerved by both her wiliness and his conflicting attraction to her. It's the type of set-piece that completely gels with Nolan's supposed style.

As for the whole Ledger-as-Joker thing, I remember not being familiar with him before Dark Knight came out, so I thought I'd watch something of his (10 Things I Hate About You) to get up to speed. The turning point came around the time BM was interrogating/pummeling Joker. That odd little smile, the one where Ledger's eyes squint a little, was I think the only time I really SAW him, Ledger, through the act as the Joker and knew "He is AWESOME."

Again, I'm not sure if that immersion will be possible, especially given how popular she is right now, but if that great little moment happens where I catch the actor beneath the act and realize how "into it" he or she is, I'll know she did great.

 

[Programmed_For_Damage]

As long as she's in a PVC or latex bodysuit I really don't care.

 

[Hero in a half shell]

To know whether Hathaway is right for the role we need to know how Nolan will interpret catwomans philosophy on crime, justice, punishment etc.?
Neesons' character in the first was a vigilante who was doing the wrong thing (destroying Gotham)for what he thought was the right reasons (to bring back justice) So Neeson portrayed him as a sincere, likable man, but also ruthless and condescending.
Ledgers' joker was an anarchic nihilist, intent on showing everyone in Gotham that they are all capable of being monstrous, and bringing out their worst sides. He played him as seemingly insane, having no preservation value on his own life or want of anything else, able to pleasantly get to know his victims and be civil until he trapped them in circumstances that would ruin them.
Two Face was again doing the wrong thing (murdering policemen) for the right reasons, (they were corrupt and needed punished) he was played as slightly unhinged, no time for chit-chat, determined and no regard for his own life:- he had nothing to live for.

So it all depends on how Nolan portrays catwoman. Traditionally she needs to be seductive, playful and not necessarily bad or good; Chaotic Neutral, if you will. The sort of character that will stop a dangerous group of thugs from shooting up a store and murdering shoppers, but then rob it anyway.
I think Hathaway could play that character pretty well, but Nolan may tweak it a little, or a lot to suit her role in the movie.