Who would play

[Smurrey]

I generally despise movie versions of the books I love. In fact, I mentioned in one previous posting on another thread that I may picket the opening the The Seeker (they couldn't even get the name right, BAH!) But I do like to visualize the characters in my own internal movie reel and was wondering if there were any like-minded individuals out there.
In my internal movie the cast runs along these lines:

Holmes.... Ralph Fiennes
Mycroft...Michael Gambon
Mrs. Hudson... Brenda Blevyn
Dr. Watson...Jim Broadbent
Miss Donleavy... Kristin Scott Thomas
Ali... Jason Isaacs
Mahmoud... Toby Stephens
General Allenby... Sean Connery
Karim Bey... Ben Kingsley
Veronica B. ... Jemima Rooper
M. Childe ... Helena Bonham Carter

Who is Russell? An egocentric might put herself... and, afterall it is my movie, but why look as myself since I'm being completely unrealistic here... hmmm. She has to be youngish, lithe, and a chameleon when it comes to beauty. Keira Knightly-- when she's not all done up, perhaps? I'm not sure, who would you pick?

If you don't recognize the actors, try www.imdb.com for help.

[vicki]

The only one I've ever seen who might work is Evan Rachel Wood (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evan_Rachel_Wood). She's a wonderful actress with the right physical features--feminine, but a strong jawline and large enough nose so as to be able to impersonate guys without it seeming ridiculous. She could nail Russell, I think.

If they can't film it within the next couple of years, however, she'll be too old.

Voldemort as Holmes is interesting. When he's not playing Voldemort, Finnes certainly has the nose and the hooded eyes thing going. And Bellatrix Lestrange as M. Childe--I'm going to have to think about that one a bit.

<Edit> ERW is dating Marilyn Manson--eeeek! Has she lost her mind? Blech!

[Smurrey]

Vicki--To imagine Ms. Carter as M. Childe, try picturing her as one of her less sadistic characters. I see Childe's character as powerful and etheral when she wants to be, but also earthy and grounded when she "turns it off." Through whichever character HBC portrays she always seems to hold a secret and that is what connects her to Childe the most for me. Some of her other characters that bring Childe in some sense to mind for me are her Ophelia from Hamlet, Jenny from Big Fish, Helen from Howard's End, as Elizabeth from Frankenstein.

[Tara]

The only one I've ever seen who might work is Evan Rachel Wood (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evan_Rachel_Wood). She's a wonderful actress with the right physical features--feminine, but a strong jawline and large enough nose so as to be able to impersonate guys without it seeming ridiculous. She could nail Russell, I think.

If they can't film it within the next couple of years, however, she'll be too old.

Voldemort as Holmes is interesting. When he's not playing Voldemort, Finnes certainly has the nose and the hooded eyes thing going. And Bellatrix Lestrange as M. Childe--I'm going to have to think about that one a bit.

<Edit> ERW is dating Marilyn Manson--eeeek! Has she lost her mind? Blech!

She's Jewish too.
Eww, Marilyn Manson? She could do SO much better.