Arwen

[Formendacil]

To weigh in with my not-so-humble, unasked-for opinion on this, erhem, "weighty" matter...

I thought that Liv Tyler LOOKED the part of Arwen well enough. From my own experiments (in LEGO, if you can believe that) I'm quite aware of the difficulties of making anyone (or thing) LOOK the part of an immortal, drop-dead gorgeous Elf. It's simply impossible. But she had the dark hair, otherworldly look, and otherwise LOOKED the part well enough to be possibly the best looking Arwen choice.

I'm not so sure that her gowns made me think Elven at all... but her face wasn't a problem.

However, that does not mean that I liked Liv Tyler as Arwen at all. I'm not saying that she can't act- I've not seen her enough to know- I'm saying that the WAY she played Arwen clashed totally with the way I pictured Arwen. This may or may not be the fault of the writers. Quite frankly, Arwen was too adventurous when I thought she shouldn't be (the Ford of Bruinen being the ever-classic example). But, at the same time, she was too demure when I thought that she wouldn't. Arwen would NEVER have gone to the Havens, in my book- Father telling her to or no. And appearing from behind a banner all coquette-ishly... that didn't smack of Arwen either.

And, as others have said, I never got the feeling of 3000 years old from her. Elrond, yes, despite his not looking like the Elrond in my head. Galadriel, yes, despite not acting quite like the Galadriel in my head. Celeborn, yes, what little we saw of him and despite the dissimiliarities with the Celeborn in my head. But Arwen? Not even a hint.

The verdict: Arwen didn't feel like Arwen in the movies. That may be the writers' faults, it may be Liv Tyler's. I would blame both.