Carbon Costume

M. Jean (played by Jason Schwartzman) does not have a large role in The Grand Budapest Hotel. But the size of his role does not change how important he is in the film. M. Jean is a direct contrast to Bill Murray’s M. Ivan and Ralph Fiennes’ M. Gustave. Whereas the older men did their job with polish and pride, M. Jean seems to do his job simply because it is his job. The pins on his lapels mark him as a member of The Society of the Crossed Keys but he does not have the same polish as either Ivan or Gustave. And that is the point.

Because M. Jean represents the less splendorous present life of The Gran Budapest, his uniform is much simpler than the men that came before him. He wears a simple purple suit with a red tie and white undershirt. Black dress shoes round out the clothing while a thin mustache and a cigarette complete his appearance. And, of course, the pins signifying his membership in The Society of the Crossed Keys.

Rodrick Heffley is the antagonist in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books and movie adaptations. Like his younger brother, Greg, he doesn’t have any actual talents or skills. He enjoys heavy metal music and sleeping in late — but he hates school and putting in any effort. He plays drums for his band, Loded Diper (a misspelling of Loaded Diaper). In the first three movie adaptations, Rodrick is portrayed by Devon Bostick, as featured in this costume guide. However, for the fourth movie, he portrayed by Charlie Wright. Fans negatively criticized this recast, and the hashtag #notmyrodrick trended on social media when the trailer was released.

In the Netflix film The Old Guard, Sebastian Le Livre was once a soldier in Napoleon’s army.  Now known as Booker (played by Matthias Schoenaerts), he protects humanity along with his immortal comrades Joe, Nicky, and Nile under the command of Andy.

Sabina Spielrein (played by Keira Knightley in the 2011 film) was a very real person caught between two men who both sought to develop psychoanalysis in the field’s early days. Though much Freud’s work has been debunked, his name has still carried through time while Spielrein’s was less common until her story was more clearly told in A Dangerous Method.

When cosplaying this character, it is important to remember that she was a real person and a driving force in the early development of modern psychological treatment and practices. Even after parting ways with Jung and Freud she continued to train psychoanalysts until her death in 1942 at the hands of the Nazis. Spielrein was a brave and brilliant woman who should still be given the respect she deserves.

As the film is a period piece, Spielrein’s costume is as well. It consists of a blouse and skirt, hat, and period-accurate boots from the early 1900s. White gloves add another element to the costume while a long brown wig styled into a bun completes the character’s appearance.

Riley Andersen (voiced by Kaitlyn Dias) is a main character in the Disney/Pixar film Inside Out.  Much of the action of the film takes place inside of Riley’s brain as Joy, Anger, Fear, Sadness, and Disgust work together to help her adjust to her life in a new home.  Riley’s costuming often reflects her moods, but her yellow jacket and blue backpack are two of her most well recognized accessories.  Riley is also a fan of ice hockey, and eventually becomes a member of the Fog Horns, a youth team in San Francisco.

In 10 Cloverfield Lane, Michelle (played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead) is one of three people living in an underground bunker after the surface becomes uninhabitable.  Early in the film, Michelle’s vehicle is driven off the road by a pickup truck, after which Howard finds her and brings her below ground.  Michelle and Emmett become close and eventually decide to escape from Howard and his bunker when they uncover information about his past.  Michelle’s clothing consists primarily of jeans and a white tank top.  She also uses crutches for a portion of the film a result of injuries sustained during her car accident and has chipped red nail polish.

In Satoshi Kon’s science fiction anime film Paprika, Doctor Kōsaku Tokita (voiced by Tōru Furuya in the original Japanese and Yuri Lowenthal in the English dub) is a genius inventor.  He is the creator of the “DC Mini” device, which in the film allows users to enter other people’s dreams.  He works closely with Doctor Atsuko Chiba, a psychiatrist and researcher who uses the device for her work.  Doctor Tokita is shown to be have a childish personality and his wardrobe favors an orange polo shirt paired with green slacks.

Meriadoc “Merry” Brandybuck is a main character in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. He is a Hobbit who joins the Fellowship of the Ring and its quest to destroy it and defeat Sauron. Although Merry is actually one of Frodo‘s cousins, Pippin is his constant companion. They like to adventure and pull pranks together, and while more silly than resourceful, they’re the ones who form an alliance with Treebeard. Merry himself even fights in the Battle of Pelennor Fields, and helps Eowyn kill the Witch King. He likes boats and ponies, while also taking interest in the maps of Middle Earth. In the movie adaptations of Tolkien’s novels, Dominic Monaghan plays this role.