This movie is on TV over here in the UK on BBC1. Anyway, I can't understand half of what it is they are all mumbling about? I've had to turn on the subtitles, and it really spoils it because half the time I'm just reading the subtitles and not watching the film. Casey Affleck sounds like he's doing a bad impersonation of Al Pacino in "The Godfather".
Ha! Was just thinking the same thing! Even when I saw it in the cinema in stereo I reckon about 40-50% of the dialogue was lost on me due to the actors mumbling and the use of street slang.The scenes between Affleck and the drug dealer who was informing for him were totally unintelligible. Freeman and Ed Harris gave them all a masterclass in acting and enunciation.You don't have to shout to be understood but you do need to open your mouth!
shareYes I had the same problem, I thought Casey Affleck had a speech impediment, it was dreadful. Most of the cast with the exception of Ed Harris and Morgan Freeman had poor diction. Of course this has been the method of enunciation on the screen for many years,'mumblespeak' - it's supposed to be natural representing how people speak - but in real life you have the opportunity to say "pardon", unfortunately you can't do that with films. I don't know about most audiences but I'm willing to sacrifice authenticity for being able to follow the story and all it's twists and turns, surely that's the most important aspect especially in a mystery crime thriller.
So once again what could have been an engrossing couple of hours was ruined and there is no sign of this insane style going away.
Mumblespeak indeed and taken to the nth degree. I had to guess half the time what certain characters were allegedly saying.
shareThat post gave me two delights! The first was the use of the term 'mumblespeak', which I'll be whipping out whenever I think the acting is supposed to be cool when actually it's plain annoying. Secondly, the point that in real life we get the opportunity to say 'pardon'. Pure hilarity! Another much needed remedy to this annoying habit of trying sound cool while actually sounding like the anesthetic hasn't yet worn off from your trip to the dentist.
shareFreeman and Ed Harris gave them all a masterclass in acting and enunciation.You don't have to shout to be understood but you do need to open your mouth!
I understood him perfectly fine, that's just his style of speaking.
shareI'll have to take your word on that but so far all the other posters had difficulty understanding what was said so there has to be problem whether you agree or not.
sharethere is actually another thread saying the same thing
Apparently, he does talk like that and also the Boston accent plays a part
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0452623/board/thread/229218808
It's kinda like understanding a British Accent in the US, No?
Nevermind Cockney... Nooo way
I have a difficult time understanding what is said in MOST movies today. And, when I watch any British movie or TV show, I always have to put the subtitles on. It has nothing to do with mumbling. It has everything to do with differing accents and diction from one country to another--indeed, one REGION to another (ex: eastcoast vs. midwest). Has any American here tried to understand Cajun or Louisiana? I can't understand a word and it sounds like mumbling, but it isn't.
It used to be that diction and enunciation was taught in the early grades in school. Children had to learn to speak properly as well as write properly. Of course, all of that has been thrown to the wayside for decades now. Young adults, kids, even older adults are unable to write a simple sentence properly, spell without spellcheck, or speak without using "like" "knowI'msayin" or using some form of inner city gangsta-grunts. But, they know how to put on a condom and feel good about themselves! That is why Americans can't be understood most of the time by anyone, including each other. When you throw in a regional accent, such as a thick Boston accent, it makes understanding even more difficult. I have my subtitles on all the time now. Even for the news.
This thread is so *beepin* pathetic.
shareIt's because it's a Boston accent. I actually love it. I love all Boston based movies for some odd reason. I understood them quite well, but I know I've watched plenty of London based movies and had a hard time understanding certain things. ...... but I guess
shareI'm from Norway, and I have no problems understanding their dialogue. But I've seen several times that native English speakers have problems with their own language in movies when it's accents or dialects they're not used to, while people from other countries often seem to not have that problem with the same movies. It's a strange thing.
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Dziga Vertov:
I am the machine that reveals the world to you, as only I alone am able to see it
I watched it last night on Australian TV with no subtitles available and found it hard to hear what was being said, especially when trying to follow the highly unlikely plot. So I set it to record, rewound it and watched again with headphones turned up. Still couldn't catch several phrases after repeated hearings.
shareThe problem was the microphone technique and sometimes the actor's delivery. I understood all the slang and the Boston accent is actually one of the easiest American accents to follow for someone used to "proper" English.
shareIt's really weird that people from US or UK complain about understanding dialog, especially scottish/irish or southern US accents (not so much Boston or other east coast accents). I have no problem understanding this movie, or most of the english dialog in any movie no matter how thick the accent is and I started learning english from the 3rd grade.
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