MovieChat Forums > Chocolat (2001) Discussion > Dame Dench's Accent

Dame Dench's Accent

posted 15 years ago by abigler_06
14 replies | jump to latest

I watched Chocolat a few years ago, and found it to be a very interesting film... but I bought it a few days ago and was really disconcerted by Dame Dench's obviously English accent. Everyone else in the film at least attempted a deviated French accent... except for her. For some reason it stuck out like a sore thumb on the second viewing.

I love her as an accomplished actress, but could she not just pull of a French accent?

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[–] Syxiepoo 10 years ago

The mere fact that everyone was speaking English, irrespective of the varying quality of their "French" accents, kind of makes that one aspect of the production quite false. Has it never occurred to you that Connery speaks with his true Scottish accent whatever nationality he's playing, even Russian. It never bothered me. So ... one just ignores that and moves beyond it to the otherwise truly excellent story and acting from all. Meanwhile, Dench is Dench!

I have a friend who won't watch foreign language films, not even with subtitles, as he finds these distracting. However, he might still complain, like you, about English spoken with some kind of foreign accent. Go figure!

There is real life ... and then there are movies!

[–] walkerus 9 years ago

Better to have no accent than put on a bad one, such as Depp's Irish accent.