# Scorsese is going to a make a Bernstein movie. Who should play the title role?



## 20centrfuge (Apr 13, 2007)

Martin Scorsese is going to a make a Leonard Bernstein biopic (movie). Who should play the title role? Why did you pick that person?

http://www.classicalite.com/article...rd-bernstein-biopic-renews-paramount-deal.htm

http://www.playbill.com/news/articl...leonard-bernstein-biopic-to-the-screen-369688


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## Sloe (May 9, 2014)

Since it is Scorsese I guess it will be Leonardo Di Caprio.


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## Fugue Meister (Jul 5, 2014)

Depends on the span of time... I just hope it's not Leonardo DiCaprio, nothing against him but he can't be Bernstein just because he's Scorsese's favorite actor and the first name similarity..

Mark Ruffalo could pull it off I think.


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## Templeton (Dec 20, 2014)

Frank Finlay's dead, so can't be him. Adrien Brody?


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## isorhythm (Jan 2, 2015)

Fugue Meister said:


> Mark Ruffalo could pull it off I think.


This is an excellent casting choice.


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## Fugue Meister (Jul 5, 2014)

isorhythm said:


> This is an excellent casting choice.


Why thank you, not a bad choice if I do say so myself... Bears a slight resemblance to Lenny (movie make up can take it the rest of the way) and he's a proven himself to be a very nuanced actor.


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## Harold in Columbia (Jan 10, 2016)

As Debussy said about somebody else, is there no one who likes Scorsese enough to tell him that he's directed enough movies?


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## Arsakes (Feb 20, 2012)

*Bill Murray* kinda looked like him...

But he's too old to act as the young age of him.


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## Arsakes (Feb 20, 2012)

I was thinking about Quentin Tarantino making a movie about Beethoven or Wagner...


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## Stavrogin (Apr 20, 2014)

Gabriel Byrne would be in my shortlist.


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## 20centrfuge (Apr 13, 2007)

Daniel Day-Lewis would be my number 1 choice. Intelligent, nuanced, capable of explosive passion (a la Mr. Bernstein).


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## Stavrogin (Apr 20, 2014)

Mmm Gabriel Byrne may be too old. 
Colin Firth maybe - he should lose some weight. 
Sean Bean also in the shortlist.


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## Blancrocher (Jul 6, 2013)

20centrfuge said:


> Daniel Day-Lewis would be my number 1 choice. Intelligent, nuanced, capable of explosive passion (a la Mr. Bernstein).


I worry that he'd scare the children at the young-people's concerts.


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## Morimur (Jan 23, 2014)

I am sure he'll cast Decrapio in the role. If we're talking solid Hollywood actors, I'd cast Joaquin Phoenix or Clive Owen . . . leaning more towards the latter.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Liam Neeson. He has just the right "upper class" accent to carry it off. A little makeup....


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Di Caprio looks nothing like Bernstein. He looks a lot like Orson Welles.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Please let the actor have some knowledge about music


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## DeepR (Apr 13, 2012)

Al Pacino 
He doesn't have the face or voice for it, but if he sets his mind to it I think he could do it better than anyone. You'd have to see the film "You Don't Know Jack" to see what this actor is still capable of (as opposed to DeNiro who has become a charicature).


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## Abraham Lincoln (Oct 3, 2015)

Charlyne Yi.

...wait, you meant a *male* Lenny?


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## Fugue Meister (Jul 5, 2014)

Morimur said:


> I am sure he'll cast Decrapio in the role. If we're talking solid Hollywood actors, I'd cast Joaquin Phoenix or Clive Owen . . . leaning more towards the latter.


Look I'm all for not casting _DiCaprio_ again (it's beginning to wear as thin as the Tim Burton/Johnny Depp collaboration but not as low brow) but he's not a bad actor as I feel you are implying.

I do find your notion of Joaquin Phoenix quite interesting however, that could work.


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## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

These biopics often work best with a less well known actor taking the lead.


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## Kieran (Aug 24, 2010)

DeepR said:


> Al Pacino
> He doesn't have the face or voice for it, but if he sets his mind to it I think he could do it better than anyone. You'd have to see the film "You Don't Know Jack" to see what this actor is still capable of (as opposed to DeNiro who has become a charicature).


Did Leonard Bernstein shout a lot? Because if he did, then - _ooh ah_ - call Pacino! :devil:


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## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

Voice would be as important as looks. Who has a rich professorial baritone?


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## Guest (Feb 20, 2016)

How many people will be murdered in the movie?


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## Templeton (Dec 20, 2014)

If Scorsese is as passionate about classical as he is about cinema, then I suspect that we have little to worry about in relation to this particular biopic. Expect good, old-fashioned entertainment, similar to what he achieved with 'Hugo', his homage to the early days of cinema. I know that not everybody liked it but I thought that it was a beautiful work, one of the most personal cinematic works that I have ever seen.


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## norman bates (Aug 18, 2010)

Fugue Meister said:


> Depends on the span of time... I just hope it's not Leonardo DiCaprio, nothing against him but he can't be Bernstein just because he's Scorsese's favorite actor and the first name similarity..


what about Joe Pesci


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## Fugue Meister (Jul 5, 2014)

DavidA said:


> These biopics often work best with a less well known actor taking the lead.


Perhaps, but in hollywood that's taking a risk, stars or at least semi-known actors bring in a lot of box office so I doubt this will happen. Scorsese is good about giving newer actors a chance but usually in smaller roles, and most of his films have pretty big casts, so I'm sure there will be plenty of room for newbies..


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## Reichstag aus LICHT (Oct 25, 2010)

The late Leslie Nielsen would have been perfect, visually-speaking, but my vote would go to Tom Hanks. I've been impressed by everything he's done.


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## motoboy (May 19, 2008)

Too bad Pete Postelthwthwthwaite is gone. His conducting was pretty poor in "Brassed Off" but his acting chops would have been well suited. 

Shia Lebouf almost looks the role. Although he would probably defacate on the podium, shack up with a designer purse and refuse to leave his trailer sobbing about the moon's gravitational pull. 

But who now could possibly smoke that much during the filming?!

Maybe William Defoe?


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## MarkW (Feb 16, 2015)

Bernstein had probably the most distinct voice in the classical business (partly because of his TV ubiquity), and if they can't get the voice right, I can't imagine it working for me. Really mixed feelings about the project.


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## regenmusic (Oct 23, 2014)

jake gyllenhaal


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## regenmusic (Oct 23, 2014)

You guys are recommending actors that are in their 60s, maybe 70s. You need someone
who will look young during the right times the movies depict.


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## norman bates (Aug 18, 2010)

motoboy said:


> Maybe William Defoe?


I've laughed hard thinking Bernstein as Bobby Perù.


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## 20centrfuge (Apr 13, 2007)

regenmusic said:


> jake gyllenhaal


I can see that one!


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## Morimur (Jan 23, 2014)

Will Smith

They look so much alike.


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## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

The perfect choice would be......Laurence Olivier. But rumor has it that he's not available. Close match, though.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Strange Magic said:


> The perfect choice would be......Laurence Olivier. But rumor has it that he's not available. Close match, though.


Don't believe rumours, this one however I can confirm: not available.
( Can't read sheet music, ore anything else for that matter)


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## Arsakes (Feb 20, 2012)

Morimur said:


> Will Smith
> 
> They look so much alike.


or Jackie Chan?


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## Badinerie (May 3, 2008)

Jude Law? !"£$%^&

Please pardon the random characters. The message wouldn't post without 15 characters or more.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Badinerie said:


> Jude Law? !"£$%^&
> 
> Please pardon the random characters. The message wouldn't post without 15 characters or more.


The best idea so far :tiphat:


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## Kieran (Aug 24, 2010)

Just for the record, I couldn't find mention of this on Scorsese's iMDB page...


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## Fugue Meister (Jul 5, 2014)

Kieran said:


> Just for the record, I couldn't find mention of this on Scorsese's iMDB page...


Well there's not even a script yet so it's just in development. It probably won't show up on IMDB until it's in pre-production and Scorsese is doing another film even before he gets to it (if he even does) so it's a ways off.


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## Morimur (Jan 23, 2014)

Scorsese is way past his prime so it doesn't matter who he chooses for the role — the movie will turn out to be yet another expensive, empty spectacle.


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## Fugue Meister (Jul 5, 2014)

Morimur said:


> Scorsese is way past his prime so it doesn't matter who he chooses for the role - the movie will turn out to be yet another expensive, empty spectacle.


Wrong. For the past 30 years he has still been putting out superb work. Scorsese is one of the best living directors we have and just like some of the great conductors do brilliant work in their 80's I have every confidence Marty will pull off another great film. Sidney Lumet's last film was excellent and he was 82 when he directed it and Scorsese is a better film maker, so how did you arrive at your ill informed statement? We get it your not a fan of films from America. Seriously just go watch some 50 year old foreign films if you can't appreciate anything American or non-horror genre films.


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## Kieran (Aug 24, 2010)

That's right, Scorsese is on a roll. Shutter Island, Wolf of Wall Street, Hugo, The Departed, in no particular order, each completely different to the other, each one excellent, or as good as...


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## Fugue Meister (Jul 5, 2014)

Kieran said:


> That's right, Scorsese is on a roll. Shutter Island, Wolf of Wall Street, Hugo, The Departed, in no particular order, each completely different to the other, each one excellent, or as good as...


Exactly. On top of it all he created two of the greatest films ever put on celluloid, Goodfellas & Raging Bull.


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## Mahlerian (Nov 27, 2012)

Kieran said:


> That's right, Scorsese is on a roll. Shutter Island, Wolf of Wall Street, Hugo, The Departed, in no particular order, each completely different to the other, each one excellent, or as good as...


His next movie is Silence, an adaptation of Shusaku Endo's novel about Jesuits in Japan. The book is quite harrowing, if you haven't read it, but it's really quite famous. It was even made into an opera in the 80s.


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## Fugue Meister (Jul 5, 2014)

I for one can't wait for that, it has been Scorsese's passion project for the last two decades and I'm sure it will be one of his most personal films (he was at one point going to be a priest).


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## Kieran (Aug 24, 2010)

Liam Neeson is in it. Scorsese also waited a long time to make Gangs of New York, and while it was still a very good film, I think he expected more from it. Silence looks like it has the kind of depth and tension he excels in. No release date yet, but definitely a film I can't wait to see. And again, totally different to the recent films he's made. He's also made some good documentaries, and gotten involved in tv series. He's certainly on a roll...


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## Bellinilover (Jul 24, 2013)

Liam Neeson could play the older Bernstein. Adrien Brody could be wonderful as the young Bernstein, like from the period when he was doing the Young People's Concerts. Brody would be very passionate and refined in the role, I feel. Mark Ruffalo I'd be afraid would seem too "common" and not erudite enough. Colin Firth has the air of refinement and a great voice timbre for Bernstein.


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## amfortas (Jun 15, 2011)

hpowders said:


> Liam Neeson. He has just the right "upper class" accent to carry it off.


What he does have are a very particular set of skills . . .


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

amfortas said:


> What he does have are a very particular set of skills . . .


My brains making overtime now .


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## Sloe (May 9, 2014)

I would like to see Tiffaní Amber-Tiessen in a role.


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## Xenakiboy (May 8, 2016)

Arnold Schwarzenegger needs to play the title role, it's no debate. He's perfect for the job!


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## kartikeys (Mar 16, 2013)

Me, for the younger version.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

kartikeys said:


> Me, for the younger version.


Casting still open


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## TwoFlutesOneTrumpet (Aug 31, 2011)

Has anyone mentioned Joe Pesci?


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## millionrainbows (Jun 23, 2012)

I think Ralph Fiennes is close enough for rock and roll, and he's a damn good actor.


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## amfortas (Jun 15, 2011)

Xenakiboy said:


> Arnold Schwarzenegger needs to play the title role, it's no debate. He's perfect for the job!


Arnold's already busy on the upcoming _Lives of the Great Composers_ movie.

When asked who he's playing, he replied, "I'll be Bach."


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## Bellinilover (Jul 24, 2013)

millionrainbows said:


> I think Ralph Fiennes is close enough for rock and roll, and he's a damn good actor.


I feel Ralph Fiennes is one of the greatest actors alive today. Plus, he's played Jewish men in two or three movies, so I don't think he'd be that far-fetched a choice for Bernstein. I'm half-hoping Colin Firth gets the part, though, just because his voice timbre would seem to be ideal.


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## Xenakiboy (May 8, 2016)

amfortas said:


> Arnold's already busy on the upcoming _Lives of the Great Composers_ movie.
> 
> When asked who he's playing, he replied, "I'll be Bach."


Looks like he's doing the Bach movie then, damn


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