Am I the only person in the world who finds it odd that Angelina Jolie is going to play a Black woman? And are we supposed to believe that she's been cast because . . . um . . . there aren't any talented Black or, like Mariane, mixed-race actresses that could give us a more acurate visual (Halle Berry, anyone? Thandie Newton?) without the aide of "makeup"?

Just wondering.

I hate to point out the obvious here, but Mariane Pearl is black. The casting choice strikes me as deeply bizarre. Why is no one talking about this?

So what were all the bankable black actresses busy? With so many few roles out there for people of color, it really pisses me off when a part that should be cast black goes to a white woman.

What does Brad think no one will care about the movie if the marriage is interracial?

Oh go to Namibia or whatever all you want, but give a role to a black woman, nah.

Oh and what Angelina needs her baby daddy to give her parts now?

Angelina Jolie does seem to be an odd choice to play Mariane Pearl.

Now, if Angelina Jolie played Minnie Pearl, there's a movie I'd like to see.

Dear Angelina:

Just because you had your baby in Africa, doesn't make you African. Or even bi-racial. And your British accent in Tomb Raider was so great, I cannot wait to see your rendition of Marianne's French-accented English. It's going to be great!

Also, please refrain from using blackface. And if you need a weave, I can give you the number of a good salon in Queens.

Signed,

Appalled with your audaciousness.

Salon's teaser for "The Fix" refers to Mariane Pearl in one sentence, then has fun with the "Holmes-Cruise baby's head" in the next. I'm sure the juxtaposition of the wife of a man who was beheaded, next to a playful comment on the price of a baby's head wasn't intended as a meet-cute of mindless, fluffy Hollywood gossip. However, it's just the sort of thing that Salon's commentators would leap upon if it showed up in another publication. Salon loves to play moral scold and crusader, but it likes to eat its cake too, plumbing the depths of the shallow even as it outlines politicians' most minute violations of proper etiquette. Is Salon a cynic or a guardian angel? I've never been able to figure it out. But it seems like someone on Salon's impeccable editorial staff might have shown some sensitivity (or at least, more acute commentary) when tossing the wife of a journalist beheaded on camera, and journalists' head-hunting of a celebrity infant, into the same frothy mix of giddily snarky movie news.

Marianne Pearl - who apparently visited Jolie and Pitt when they were in Namibia - is over the moon with the casting. Since it's 'her' being played on-screen, shouldn't she have the final say?

... who is going to play former Salon columnist Asra Nomani ?

Isn’t Angelina Jolie from a mixed background? If I remember correctly, her mom is half French half Native American. So, I guess Angelina would be considered biracial.

But I think Mariane Pearl should make the choice of who is going to play her.

Please, it's horrible that Angelina is playing Mariane Pearl. This is just another example of the white washing of history: a woman of color scrubbed into a white woman, history be damned!

Hello, there are mixed/black women actresses who could have done a damn good job in this role? You can't tell me that Halle Berry, Judy Reyes, Rae Dawn Chong, Troy Beier, or other women of African descent wouldn't have been a better choice.

Good grief, do you think if Nancy Reagan wanted Dihann Carrol or Cisely Tyson to play her people wouldn't be just as upset? If not more upset?

White actors have worn shoe polish to play black and slapped on thick glasses and buck teeth to play Asian.

What's next? How about Ben Affleck play Malcolm X.

As for the whole point about Angelina having Native American ancestry, so what! One drpp of non-white ancestsry does not make someone appear Caucasian. Angelina has built her career as a white actress. Jolie has never identified publically as a woman of color. More importantly, Angelina doesn't look a damn thing like Pearl.

It's really cynical to defend Jolie's portrayal, which is an insult to all women of color who struggle every day to find decent roles as actresses. Do you think it's easy for Halle Berry, Sandra Oh, or Lucy Liu to get decent roles in Hollywood? Hell to the no!

i never even knew mariane pearl was biracial. but aside from that, she has given the casting her blessing, so that's all that really matters. and for all of the people who are yelling for halle barry to be cast in the role -- she looks about as much like pearl as angelina -- not so much. non traditional casting works both ways -- in fact, halle barry was recently cast in a biopic. her character is white in real life. are people as outraged by that?