DISQUS

Film School Rejects: Boiling Point: Accent the Negatives

  • FilmFemme · 10 months ago
    I think you make a good point. I also have a huge pet peeve with defaulting to British accents in the case of films that take place in ancient Rome. Why does that make sense?
  • David G · 10 months ago
    Its like watching Crouching Tiger... but with English accented actors. Uh-huh.
  • Alericc · 10 months ago
    Personally I would rather see the movie in the native language with subtitles. Take Das Boot for example, I though it was a better film in the German dialect instead of the English. It seems to lend more credience to a period piece when the characters are able to speak the language.

    Sort of like dubbing over Japanese films. The dubbed voices never match the originals nor do they carry the same emotion and inflection.
  • Josh_Radde · 10 months ago
    Fure I'm with you. I thought it was clever how they started the movie with Claus speaking German and then faded the language and accent out. Overall, it was underwhelming as a film, but Cruise was actually the brightest spot in the movie. And Alericc, I don't think they were looking to make Das Boot 2. This was clearly a movie made by an all-American director in an attempt to make the type of big star war movie like John Wayne and Jimmy Stewart used to star in all the time. Plus Cruise produced it, so he was the star. Just the way of Hollywood my friend.
  • david lockhart · 10 months ago
    I agree.
  • Davebaxter1989 · 10 months ago
    What of Daniel Craig nailing it in Defiance? I know they didn't speak English with an accent but I feel it brings you into the story a bit more.
  • MichaelM · 10 months ago
    I've seen Defiance, and he slips in and out of the accent. I'd have much rather Craig not had an accent, as it seemed distracting, and a bit forced, as it usually does. But to each his own...
  • Brian Rodden · 10 months ago
    Gary Oldman can do great accents. I even loved his hillbilly accent in the Fifth Element. He could have done a better job than Cruise and maybe even get that elusive Oscar nod...
  • MrDeath · 10 months ago
    Ehh. Sometimes I feel like Oldman drops his accents, especially in high emotion scenes. Take The Dark Knight. Listen during when he, Harvey, and Batman are talking on the roof about the Mob and you'll hear his english accent come through.
  • MosesMonster · 10 months ago
    Fure, you have my vote...in whatever position you run for. I completely agree. If they aren't going to do the native language, then don't bother with an accent.
  • Crash · 10 months ago
    viggo mortensen in eastern promises was a good accent but because he actually learned the language just to have a good accent
  • RobertFure · 10 months ago
    I like it when they giggle!
  • Jason Starks · 10 months ago
    Personally i think you are running out of things to write about in the new year. What do you think of Cruise’s lack of an accent?... Who cares.
  • Adam_Sweeney · 10 months ago
    Fure, you're way off. You clearly didn't listen for Optimus Prime's accent in Transformers. It is a bitch to nail down Cybertron-ese. Believe me, I have tried.
  • Kevin_Carr · 10 months ago
    For me, it wasn't necessarily the lack of accents... it was that they didn't care what accents they used... British, American, German, etc. There was no consistency there.

    And for your basic actor, sure, it's tough to nail an accent. But if you're paid $20 million a picture, you should damn well be able to talk with an accent that's needed. It's like seeing a porno star who squints her eyes and purses her lips during the money shot. Come on! That's why you get paid the big bucks.