I heard Elizabethtown got a crappy reception at Toronto Film Festival. (Granted, it was apparently the longer, unedited version.) I've heard it described as one over-long song-fic.

I want Orlando Bloom to have as successful a career as possible, so as best to provide me with eye candy.

But Kirsten fucking Dunst? Playing my most-hated cliché? Oy. I could get past her in Wimbledon, but at least she wasn't the wacky enlightening chick there.

What is your most-hated cliche? Based on the Elizabethtown ads, I am guessing "free-spirit female who opens up the blocked channels of the male, preferably via sex," but that is only a guess.

There have been some truly bad faked accents in the history of film, some honorable failures or "well, that was wrong, but it was consistent and didn't sound like pandering" accents, and there have been ones that were perfect (some, so perfect that they stand out and sound fake because of their perfectness). Favorites?

I don't think I mentioned here that I watched the first episodes of The Wire over the weekend, and there is an accent gone hilariously wrong. Askye tells me that in fact two castmembers are British, but one of them blends in and you can't tell (yet), and the other scrambles desperately after his London vowels.

Orlando Bloom's American doesn't sound convincing even in the ads for Elizabethtown,

On some MTV thing last night he was really talking up his voice coach. Now I'm wondering if his voice coach is sitting in front of the tv going, "Oh, please God, don't let him thank me by name." I guess we'll know if the credits read: Accent Mgmt: Alan Smithee.

But Kirsten fucking Dunst? Playing my most-hated cliché? Oy.

On that same MTV thing, Kirsten and Orlando were "interviewing" one another with the interview questions on cards. Kirsten snarked on the bad grammar on one card. And then, when asked what grossed her out, said, "People who drive Hummers. Just get a Prius!"

So now I have to kinda like her.

Idris Elba and who else, Nutty?

"free-spirit female who opens up the blocked channels of the male, preferably via sex,"

That's exactly it. Whether they're rewarded with a tragic end (they burned too brightly, too intensely for our mundane world) or not, they (and the real life analogues) make me gag.

So now I have to kinda like her.

I still don't think she can act for shit, no matter her education or politics.

I don't think I mentioned here that I watched the first episodes of The Wire over the weekend, and there is an accent gone hilariously wrong.

McNulty's?

I think there's more than two Brits on cast at The Wire, but McNulty and Stringer Bell are the two I'm sure about.

"free-spirit female who opens up the blocked channels of the male, preferably via sex,"

Ick ick ick. I couldn't even get past that in Garden State, which I otherwise quite enjoyed.

McNulty -- Dominic West -- is the one who gave himself away. I didn't know Stringer Bell was also played by a Brit till Askye told me. Sort of makes McNulty stand out more in my mind, knowing that he's surrounded by fellow countrymen who don't betray their origins with every nasal A.

there have been ones that were perfect (some, so perfect that they stand out and sound fake because of their perfectness). Favorites?

Damien Lewis as Lt. Winters in Band of Brothers. He was supposed to be a Pennsylvanian from the Lancaster county. Although I live in PA, I can't really distinguish the regional accent very well--but to my untrained ears, he sounded pretty American. Wouldn't have known he was a Brit if I hadn't seen him in The Forsyte Saga.

Naomi Watts barely sounds Aussie in her American films, but she's been making Hollywood films for a while.

Not a big fan of Gwyneth Paltrow, but I thought her English accent in Emma passed muster.