No Path to Victory?

 

This stunner showing Julianne Moore's total Alaska makeover made the rounds this week to much ooh-ing and ahh-ing. Her channeling of the madly committed "grin and point" of a politician in full campaign mode appears uncanny (it makes me shudder in advance to see Ed Harris given the full McCain).

Still, I worry Moore has taken on a no-win situation here. Simply put Palin the public figure is not a three-dimensional character. Moore is too skilled an actress to leave it at that, but is a deeper Palin still Palin?

Now, I have no doubt that in private the former governor is a real, complex person like everybody else. But that Sarah is a secret carefully shielded from the media. I don't doubt Julianne's abilities to master every tic and wink and "You betcha" by the time the camera's roll, but when Game Change heads behind the scenes Moore is either going to have to conjure up a so far nonexistent depth or settle for a shallow imitation of Palin's public persona.

It doesn't help that - let's be honest - Palin behind the scenes is probably not a pretty sight. I'm sure Moore didn't sign on to do a hit job on the former governor, but somehow I doubt that Game Change's accounts of her backstage behavior are tales of grace and professionalism. Ms. Moore has her work cut out for her.

On a side note, how strange is it that Moore's Palin pics surfaced so soon after the test pics from her almost-happened Hillary Clinton performance? It makes me want to see Moore pull a Peter Sellers in Strangelove and play multiple roles in this. I don't see her as Elizabeth Edwards, but I think she could pull off a great Rielle Hunter, no?