I keep seeing Kenneth Branagh as Achilles. I mean, I know Achilles is a huge warrior, who cannot be beaten and wears the armor of Mars as if it were skin, and Kenneth Branagh is a slip of a man. But still, I keep seeing Kenneth Branagh as Achilles.

It was this book I read that gave me that image. "Song of Troy," by Colleen McCullogh. She claims "achilles" means "the lipless one." Very soon after, I saw "Hamlet," with Kenneth Branagh. I saw those non-lips of his and thought, "Achilles! He'd be perfect!"

But that's silly.

And I still keep seeing Kenneth Branagh as Achilles. Nothing I tell myself can get that image out of my head. I know Kenneth Branagh is a scrawny fellow, and no amount of fattening and weight training could create of him the behemoth that was Achilles.

But still . . . it's that mouth that gets me. His lips are a straight line across and when he smiles they disappear. But he's such a fabulous actor that he manages to convey expression -- without lips! I mean, how does one even go about doing that? That slit in his face from which words and laughter emerge makes me want to see Troy fall just to catch the glory of victory on Achilles' face.

Or is it Kenneth Branagh?