Conviction (2004) : comments [is it a kind of dream?]

I actually haven't watched this yet, although I've caught bits of it, and it looks very intense (probably what's keeping me from jumping in with both feet; you really have to be in the right frame of mind for that kind of thing, and, like you, I get affected by these things if I'm not). I just got done watching a bunch of depressing Geoffrey Rush movies, and I almost thought I was gonna do myself in for a couple days there! (And then I realized--nearly all his movies are depressing! I'd almost be better off watching something like Loving Deadly and being merely disgusted. At least then I can rant about it!)

"I miss commercials. Especially ones in that generic American accent that's slightly overpronounced and especially nasal."

Is that what we sound like from over there? Ouch. I guess I should be able to tell that from the bad attempts I hear by Brits to imitate an American accent--hey, it's harder than you guys think to walk that line between "overpronouncing" and outright caricature! Now nasal, on the other hand, I agree! (Ouch, don't rub it in!) That's why hardly any of my favorite actors are American--and why I think Americans should be banned from doing Shakespeare, unless they're trained in England ... have you ever heard Winona Ryder or Aidan Quinn attempting it in Looking for Richard? If so, I rest my case! (Not that I haven't heard a good number of Brits with annoying voices--e.g., Sybil Fawlty and Angelina Ballerina.

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Yeah its VERY intense. Be careful. I upset myself by watching 4 parts before bed and the last 2 this morning.

Yeah, the commercials are very nasal. Think Hugh Laurie in House. Overpronounced and nasal.

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Oops, I should've posted a warning on them or something! But not having watched them, I didn't realize they'd upset you that much.

Now actually, Hugh Laurie is one of the good ones--so many people here were shocked to see him on talk shows and find out he was British! Another one is Kate Winslet. Tracy Ullman is another. And Gary Oldman. But so many others (like Alan Rickman and especially the ones I heard on British TV) sound painfully like caricature. (I even felt vaguely insulted at times!) Even Geoffrey Rush overdoes his "r"s in The Banger Sisters. And then you've got the really exaggerated ones for comical effect, like Monty Python's "Bicycle Repairrrrrrman, how can I everrrrrrrr repaaaay you?" sketch. This is why, when you mentioned David doing an American accent, I was so curious to hear it! (Wait till you see Drive and hear him doing Fred Flintstone--it's hilarious.

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I did scan Drive briefly, and did hear the Barney-Fred exchange. Funny. Bloody weird film, though.

Nah, i didnt think Conviction would have ENGAGED me that much either - its not that it upset me as such, it just had my pulse pounding really well, sympathising with the characters and spending most of the night thinking 'omg what if it had been me?'.

I think that's the hallmark of a well made film, isnt it?

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I tried to get into House, but Laurie's accent put me off so badly that i couldn't do more than one episode, full stop. Not that I dont think Robert Sean Leonard isnt adorkable, and I'd love to get into House, but I. just. can't.

Maybe i think he sounds so common like that, and sounds os much more distinguished when he's himself?

Then again, i get off on RP, i really do. I mean, the Beeb and tv in general are much more lax on accents these days, hence you can get on tv with a really bloody northern accent and its ok, or be from souf' Lahndon and its ok, or roll all your Rs because you're from Glasgow wee laddie, and that's ok too, but me? I think RP makes the English sound more intelligent (is that classist of me? i admit it), and i love hearing RP, anywhere I can get it.

Sigh. That's why David's accent makes me melt into a muddle every time i hear him speak, yes. Because i know where he comes from and I know they dont naturally speak that way, so he had to teach himself to speak that way, and its beautiful.

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TELL me you saw this thread, please?

http://leoniedelt.livejournal.com/370043.html

I thought you'd laugh. Hee :)

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I just did now--I've been using my old computer for the last week or so, and it's so slow I don't dare load images or turn on JavaScript, so I was waiting till I got back on the real computer to look at them. Very nice! (Never heard the word "macros" in that context before--I guess they're just large icons?)

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