Oh, "The Counselor." You continue to baffle us.
We're already well aware that Ridley Scott's once-anticipated thriller turned out to be a big ol' letdown, garnering a dismal 19 percent from top critics on Rotten Tomatoes. Now we've learned that Cameron Diaz had to dub her lines after shooting wrapped because Fox executives deemed her Barbadian character's accent too -- ahem -- Rihanna-esque.
The revelation comes from The Hollywood Reporter, which also notes that the actress was less than pleased with the studio's demand. Either way, it didn't help much. Even post-dub, the Village Voice's Sam Weisberg says Diaz "trips over her character’s Barbadian accent," while the Chicago Tribune's Michael Phillips calls her delivery "leaden." (To her credit, not all critics were Diaz detractors. Variety's Peter Debruge said she's "by far the most committed" in the movie, and the New York Times' Manohla Dargis labels the performance "scary and freaky" -- presumably a compliment for a femme fatale character like Diaz's Malkina.)
So, yes, Diaz pulled off having sex with a Ferrari, but she and Scott apparently couldn't figure out how to conquer a Barbadian accent. The Cormac McCarthy-penned script notes that Malkina is Argentinian, yet the movie changed her roots to Barbados. Maybe this is a lesson in going with your gut? Or maybe it's one in officially decreeing "The Counselor" a mustn't-see film.
[via THR]
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