{"id":23958,"date":"2025-11-20T05:33:11","date_gmt":"2025-11-20T10:33:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aleta.life\/?p=23958"},"modified":"2026-01-01T16:05:07","modified_gmt":"2026-01-01T21:05:07","slug":"ricks-cafe-casablanca","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aleta.life\/index.php\/2025\/11\/20\/ricks-cafe-casablanca\/","title":{"rendered":"Rick\u2019s Caf\u00e9, Casablanca"},"content":{"rendered":"
Position: 33\u00b036’17.9″N 7\u00b037’13.3″W<\/a><\/h6>\n

Querying three different AI models on who should play the lead roles in a reboot of Casablanca<\/a>, arguably the greatest movie of all time, Oscar Issac\u2019s<\/a> name came up consistently for the role of Rick. I can see Issac successfully tackling Humphrey Bogart\u2019s<\/a> ghost and wrestling him to the ground.<\/p>\n

\"lorre<\/a><\/p>\n

The question of who should play Ilsa was a bit more controversial, but I think Margot Robbie<\/a> would do a fine job stepping in for Ingrid Bergman<\/a>. Rami Malek<\/a> would take on Peter Lorre\u2019s<\/a> Ugarte, while Michael Fassbender<\/a> would fill Paul Heinried’s<\/a> shoes as Laszlo. Major Strasser? I\u2019d cast Benedict Cumberbatch<\/a>. Captain Renault? Claude Rains<\/a> is a tough act to follow, but perhaps Martin Freeman<\/a> would bring the necessary balance of wit, arrogance and obsequiousness to the role. Lastly, I\u2019d have Vince Vaughn<\/a> tackle Sydney Greenstreet\u2019s<\/a> Senor Ferrari. That leaves Sam, played by the incomparable Dooley Wilson<\/a>. IMHO only Jamie Foxx<\/a> could bring an appropriately sharp edge and singing chops to an updated role.<\/p>\n

Now that it\u2019s cast, what else would need changing? In this day and age, the original is patently male dominated and as white as rice. It is a war film, after all. So, rather than dick around with the script, why not update the film and bring it forward for another four generations? Of course, that means Robbie would have to carry the entire thing as Bergman did, but she\u2019s clearly up to the task.<\/p>\n

Fizzes<\/h6>\n

Let\u2019s step off the Hollywood trolley for a moment. The original movie was made in Burbank, with a few exterior shots at Van Nuys airport. Not an inch of film was exposed in Morocco. That means Rick’s Caf\u00e9 Am\u00e9ricain also never slung gin fizzes in Casablanca. That is until Rick’s Caf\u00e9 Casablanca<\/a> opened there in 2004. Since Rick\u2019s never existed, you can\u2019t call Rick\u2019s Caf\u00e9 a reboot.<\/p>\n

The restaurant was the brainchild of Kathy Kriger, a former US diplomat and commercial attach\u00e9 to Morocco. We found out about it when our family friend Nancy Reynolds<\/a> told us she was a founding investor in the venture. I\u2019m sure her stake paid off well when the original owners sold out a few years ago.<\/p>\n

When we pulled up there were two queues outside, one for those with reservations and one for those without. Carol had dropped Nancy\u2019s name when she booked our table and we snagged one of the best seats in the house next to the piano. Around the time we ordered dessert, the pianist entered wearing a Fedora and opened with his rendition of ‘As Time Goes By’<\/a> and went on to serenade us with well rendered light jazz.<\/p>\n

\n\n\t\n\t
\n\t\t
\n\t
<\/div>\n\n\t
\n\n\t\t<\/a>\"\"\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/div>\n\n<\/div>
\n\t
<\/div>\n\n\t
\n\n\t\t<\/a>\"\"\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/div>\n\n<\/div>
\n\t
<\/div>\n\n\t
\n\n\t\t<\/a>\"\"\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/div>\n\n<\/div>
\n\t
<\/div>\n\n\t
\n\n\t\t<\/a>\"\"\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n\t\n\t