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Reviews
Blood Diamond (2006)
Blood Diamond: Leo's gem of an SA accent!
Finally Hollywood has brought through its ranks someone who can pull off a South African accent without getting laughed of stage.
This has been a point of some concern for South Africans who have seen their lovely accent slaughtered in films like Lethal Weapon 2 and Mission Impossible 2. It seems to always be villains that get lumbered with the task, that and cheesy action sequels. An exception was "the interpreter", where Nicole Kidman, wisely stayed away from doing a "full blown" rendition and opted for a softer inferred accent. Even so it was still a little crap, and if Nicole Kidman can't pull it off then who can. Remember she kissed Tom "alien lover" Cruise with a straight face!.
Strangely enough, South African actors in Hollywood, never get to use their elusive and enigmatic voice in films. Arnold Vosloo was "the Mummy" in the "The Mummy" and would have been much scarier if he was Afrikaans. Charlize Theron, would have been far more believable as a serial-killer-lesbian, if she spoke like us.
Apparently Leo is the man we were waiting for. Leonardo Dicaprio, is the first to my knowledge that has managed to get the subtle guttural tones without it sounding parodic or just plain silly. He also went one step further to mimic the "meat eating" body language of our fair nation. Our hats are off to him and he is welcome back anytime.
Actually while he was here filming, my wife bumped into him at the Diesel shop at the V&A Waterfront, the shop assistants were all in a tizz and dragged up rails from the other diesel shops and closed the doors for a private shopping spree. The pressure!, that's got to be annoying, maybe he was just going in to ask where the toilets were.
used with permission by www.southafricalogue.com
Groom Lake (2002)
The most hideous piece of garbage since....sheesh I can't think!
I got the fright of my life when I saw that it was directed by Shatner. Someone who has been behind the camera all his life and still manages to turn out this "worse than film school" abomination. Everything about this movie stunk to high heaven and I am amazed that it could possibly have been made. Surely Shatner could have secured budget enough to at least shoot on film stock and not freakin handicam. And the lighting hahahaha I don't know what to say.
I guess it gives me hope that if I one day scrawl out a 7 word treatise of a plot about nothing I could have it made and sell it a network. Shatner you have boldly gone out of your freaking mind :) PS the only thing that kept me watching was in the hope of the cast turning around and telling me that it was all a joke.........