I am shooting a suspense thriller short film and there is a psycho femme fatale character. Now in most movies them female villain who uses sex as a weapon is a good looking, thin to average sized woman. I don't have a lot of actresses to pick from and don't wanna hire on beauty or body size mainly, because that would be kinda shallow really. I wanna hire based on acting skill. So does it matter if the femme fatale is not good looking, or is over weight to most mature audiences? I want to send this into film festivals to get my foot in the door as a newcomer director. Therefore, I want to make the right casting call that most critics will get the right tone from, and not feel that that the casting choice takes them out of the story, or gets any unintentional laughs. So can a unconventional choice pull it off, and make it different? Thanks.
Question about casting the right actress for the role.
- Thread starter harmonica44
- Start date
Now that you mention it, making the femme fatale a larger woman is a brilliant idea. Very original. I would also suggest messing with other expected femme fetale qualities, too, like, maybe she seduces people with wit more than sexuality. Maybe someone could make a movie with a male femme fatale!
After all, you shouldn't do anything just because it's *normal* for a certain genre! Your goal is to be original, is it not?
After all, you shouldn't do anything just because it's *normal* for a certain genre! Your goal is to be original, is it not?
I think that's the right attitude! Casting a "generally called attractive woman" would be what you always see in Hollywoods Mainstream movies. Make something different, a clever, intelligent, manipulating female psycho.
As superamazing already said "maybe she seduces people with wit more than sexuality".
Just make sure the actor matches the role, then I think it could be very interesting.
Sure. I have already written it so she uses her wit anyway, so it works.
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A male femme fetale! I'm still excited about that. I sense a short film coming on...
Just on the "it's shallow" idea.
As is true in theatre AND film. She has to look the part as well as be able to give the performance. If I saw the character as an attractive woman and I had two actresses one gorgeous but just "above average" actress, and one kind of homely but incredible actress, 95% of the time I'd cast the woman who looked the part and was just "good enough" on the performance side. This being said, she can't suck, I mean she would have to be "good enough" by my definition of it.
As is true in theatre AND film. She has to look the part as well as be able to give the performance. If I saw the character as an attractive woman and I had two actresses one gorgeous but just "above average" actress, and one kind of homely but incredible actress, 95% of the time I'd cast the woman who looked the part and was just "good enough" on the performance side. This being said, she can't suck, I mean she would have to be "good enough" by my definition of it.
From a practical standpoint; make sure she can do all of the things you need her to be able to do. No point hiring a leading femme 'fatale' if the actress is going to whine about breaking a nail every time you need her to dive/roll/come-up firing all John Woo-y and what-not.
Does she need to be in a lake/pool/river? Make sure the actress CAN SWIM. You'd be surprised how often this is a problem. No, seriously. I have personally seen it on set at least 3 or 4 times.
Does she drive a picture car with a manual transmission? Make sure she knows how.
Is there a high level of physicality to the roll? Make sure she is okay with that.
Think about the unique demands of the role, if any, and address the more dire ones (like swimming, driving, aversion to firearms - fake or otherwise) during casting.
No, seriously, I swear on Kurosawa's memory that the next time I see a director cast an actor who can't swim in a roll that requires swimming, I'm putting my boot in their @#$.
Does she need to be in a lake/pool/river? Make sure the actress CAN SWIM. You'd be surprised how often this is a problem. No, seriously. I have personally seen it on set at least 3 or 4 times.
Does she drive a picture car with a manual transmission? Make sure she knows how.
Is there a high level of physicality to the roll? Make sure she is okay with that.
Think about the unique demands of the role, if any, and address the more dire ones (like swimming, driving, aversion to firearms - fake or otherwise) during casting.
No, seriously, I swear on Kurosawa's memory that the next time I see a director cast an actor who can't swim in a roll that requires swimming, I'm putting my boot in their @#$.
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BBW is a niche section in certain stores... so... i am sure people out there will think of her has beautiful if she has the ability to act with a very nice personality... and is sweet... and maybe hooks men in with the homily feel... like she can take care of men... and then does her evil...
As shallow as it seems, there's a reason why Hollywood uses Angelina Jolies and Megan Foxes. Men buy tickets to pictures with pretty girls because they want to see pretty girls. Women buy tickets to movies with pretty girls because they want to identify with pretty girls.
There are exceptions to the trend, but not as many. Not every attractive person can act, but many can.
Just thought I'd play the advocate, since no one else has brought this up.
There are exceptions to the trend, but not as many. Not every attractive person can act, but many can.
Just thought I'd play the advocate, since no one else has brought this up.
Well my film is a very dark, and I don't think the men will be going to it to check out the women. I mean in Double Indemnity, Barbara Stanwyck isn't as good looking to a lot of guys as say, Megan Fox, but the movie was about a lot more than the characters looks.
And yes a male fatale would be cool, and I thought about doing that, but I need a female because there is a big twist and the character has to be a woman for that to happen.
And yes a male fatale would be cool, and I thought about doing that, but I need a female because there is a big twist and the character has to be a woman for that to happen.
Yeah, you have a point. However, the talent-pool available for Hollywood productions is considerably more rich than that for low-budget indies. Plus, the pretty-face-factor is, I think, only important for slick productions that need to get butts in seats, and so they're going for the lowest common denominator. But for people who watch indies, I'm not sure that that's such an important factor. Considering the comparitively small talent-pool that we have to select from, I think it's FAR more important to select someone who fits the role, because of their acting abilities.
Hopefully that's true, and I only have a few to choose from. Are there any indie films where a femme fatale was played by a very odd choice, that was successful?
The one that occurs to me is that girl from Brick. (She's at 1:20.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cVzHeJ0Z3I
Then again, maybe she's not that unconventional, comparatively. That movie was full of unconventional portrayals of noir characters... kinda the point...
Might have to get back to you on this one.
Yep, said it several times.
Unless there is a good reason not to cast the hot chick, cast the hot chick.
What if I wrote it so the character acted naughtier and sexier than any character Jolie or Fox has played? Could that make up for lack of physical attraction in the male viewers eyes?
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