What was the point? I mean, I like Don Cheadle as an actor, but I just found the whole accent to be pretentious and distracting. What purpose did it serve to the story?
Just because you could do something, doesn't mean you should.
I am not British but I think it was awful. I think as a general rule they should stick to British actors for the English accent. No offence but most other nationalities can not do it.
Maybe the reason he is uncredited is the fact that he fell out with them over his accent :)
I agree, though I find it odd that British actors can convincingly pull off an American accent, but it rarely works well the other way.
shareTotally agree with you there. I never quite understood the point of Cheadle doing a very strong British accent. It was indeed distracting.
"I'm the dude playin' the dude, disguised as another dude!"
He was a big Dick Van Dyke fan!
You are entitled to my opinion, whether you want it or not!!
I am watching it right now and I came here to say the exact same thing; he can pull the accent but it just doesn't fit him at all, it doesn't come off as natural per se, more like overdoing it.
shareQuite frankly, I just didn't buy it. It was distracting, and I couldn't take his character seriously. Absolutely pointless.
shareyeah, you guys stole my words. He has tried in other british movies too! It just does not suit him really!
shareI'm watching it on TNT right now and came to see if anyone else thought that the accent was just bad. I couldn't tell you how to do a British accent correctly, but I can tell you how you don't- the Don Cheadle way.
shareI thought it was annoying as well, it was probably the worst part of a good movie.
Don Cheadle will forever be Buck from Boogie nights.
it's not just the awful accent but the absolute rubbish he says, i cringed at every word
shareOh it's cringeworthy. Total dick van dyke. Oh it was so bad and so unnecessary. So bad. Embarrassing.
shareIt was probably written as a British part before he was even cast in the role. British actors are cast in American parts every day.
shareI'm British and I thought the accent was kind of amusing. "Blinder."
shareWhats the fact that British actors play americans every day got to do with anything?
His accent is awful, a joke even, it doesn't matter where you're from, if you can play the part properly then all good! But he was shocking.
*I'm not much on rear window ethics
I was responding to someone who said they should stick to casting British actors in British parts. If I had a nickel for every Brit who I've seen in American movie or TV show doing awful American accent...I'd quit my job.
shareAidan Gillen playing Tommy Carcetti in The Wire for one!
It can work in both directions. Spike in Buffy was a passable British accent, although he does slip up from time to time. There are other American actors who don't just do good British accents, they can do good regional accents too, which is much harder. In the other direction, how about Hugh Laurie in House? I've heard that when he auditioned for the role, someone in casting (the director maybe) said something along the lines of "At last, an American who can act". I can't vouch for the likes of Ewan McGregor and Helena Bonham-Carter in Big Fish, they sounded fake to me but I'd like to know what Americans think.
As for Don Cheadle, that was just embarrassing. I don't know what they were thinking (assuming thought even came into it) but that was on a level with Dick Van Dyke. And in case anyone's ever wondered about it, Barney Rubble is not rhyming slang for 'trouble'. That'sto say, it might be now but 'barney',meaning a fight or argument predates this film by a century.
A bad workman always blames his fools. Sorry, tools. Stupid keyboard.
His accent is bad, but the cockney rhyming slang is even worse (I cringe every time I hear the Barney Rubble line.....) and some of the stuff he came out with (do not think I have heard the word "knickers" used in 20 years!) that the only reason I can think that they kept it in was just a built in joke.
Thankfully he tones it down a touch in Oceans 12.
Probably not a great idea to have a cockney character. Bad idea to have the part played by someone who couldn't do the accent. Another bad idea to script it with (supposedly) cockney rhyming slang. Does any actual cockney talk in rhyming slang? None that I've come across (and I've come across plenty). Is it funny? No. Why do these Hollywood idiots do these things?
"I beseech ye in the bowels of Christ, think that ye may be mistaken."
I have been in a couple of pubs in East London and have heard one or two people use some cockney-style slang over a pint (but its not entire conversations, just a dropped word here or there).
I can understand it if they had checked out tv shows like the Sweeney or Minder to get a idea, but its like they got the basic idea, thought it was rather funny, then started to make up their own as they went along.
Big Fish wasn't so bad. I think the best Brits doing American accents are Christian Bale in everything and Jude law in The Talented Mr. Ripley. Bad American accents are harder to notice I think that bad British accents. Emma Watson, for example, is precious and awesome in many ways, but her American accent is awful.
shareBig Fish wasn't so bad. I think the best Brits doing American accents are Christian Bale in everything and Jude law in The Talented Mr. Ripley. Bad American accents are harder to notice I think that bad British accents. Emma Watson, for example, is precious and awesome in many ways, but her American accent is awful.
shareI thought it was intentionally bad...a running gag in the movie.
share