MovieChat Forums > The Story of Film: An Odyssey (2011) Discussion > Why did he narrate himself?

Why did he narrate himself?

posted 12 years ago by bsalar2004
32 replies | jump to latest

Mark Cousins is a bit of an oddball and always has been (see his 10 films that "changed the world" list from a year back) very adamant about movies he likes and doesn't like. I was really looking forward to this doc as I'm a huge fan of film history and appreciation. But my god, after going through the first hour of this thing, with his accent and the annoying way he ends each and every sentence by prolonging the last letter of his words, I had to turn it off. Also, we dont need your personal opinion and gossipy tidbits about the productions of movies. He should have taken a page out of Scorsese's Personal Journey doc, where he's able to relate a bit of his own personal history while allowing the films he talks about breathe and stand on their own. Also, NEVER narrate anything again old chap, you don't have the voice for it.

[–] Andrew_P 12 years ago

Must say that I agree. I love the content of this series, and the way it is presented, but Mark Cousins' delivery - I guess chosen to make it "personal" - is idiosyncratic to say the least.
I have turned off episodes because I can't stand the constant rising tone in the narration. My wife falls asleep, and I weep at the loss because it is otherwise such an outstanding series.

[–] Look_At_Me_Hector 12 years ago

His narration ruins it! He manages to both speak in a monotone and make everything he says sound like a question. It don't think it would have been too difficult to find someone with a better voice.

I got a good mind to join a club and beat you over the head with it.

[–] Noirkiss_3 11 years ago

Totally agree, accents are fine. It's his delivery that is just horrible.

When there are two, one betrays-Jean-Pierre Melville

[–] Mikey-Mike 12 years ago

HE should have given Liam Neeson or Gabriel Byrne a call ...

[–] RainmanCT 12 years ago

Yeh exactly let's go all smooth and Hollywood style.

I don't understand all the negative comments about Cousins. He has a bit of an accent but so what?

He stays behind the camera and doesn't make the documentary about himself, unlike a ton of other documentaries where the interviewer is constantly on screen. I like how he tried not to laugh when Baz Luhrmann made a joke and that said a lot about him right there.

However I did talk back to the tv after the last episode:

"Leaving out Paul Thomas Andersonnn was forgivabule. Leaving out Terry Gilliam was naaauught".

[–] bsalar2004 12 years ago

Are you kidding? Its not necessarily his accent. I'm okay with his accent. Its his annoying weird monotone delivery. Go back and watch the show. The way he ends each and every goddamn sentence with an exhale....he sounds like an exaggerated version of Daniel Day Lewis' Lincoln voice. Its so distracting. And we aren't the only ones who noticed that.

[–] carrie7 12 years ago

I came here to make the same comment.

I love a great Irish or U.K. accent, but EVERY sentence ends with the last word with the tone going up, making him questioning every comment.

And the content was good! It is very informative, but I had to take it in small doses.

The best thing he could do was have a professional voice-over done on the film to change the inflection.

[–] Artimidor 12 years ago

Well, I can only recommend his 500+ pages book "The Story of Film", where you don't hear Mark Cousings talk and have at least lots of pictures. Unless you can't get his voice out your head anymore... Nooo.... *haha* Anyway, great book, essential reading I'd say! :)

Personally I find it fascinating that he's such an oddball, and my love for movies convinced me to deal with the accent. Too bad that his narration will prevent many people from getting the DVDs of the whole thing, because it's an outstanding accomplishment.

Artimidor
Art's Top 100 Movie Masterpieces: http://www.imdb.com/list/e-VkvtHDDNQ/
Reviews & trailers included - recommendations welcome!

[–] ang-son 11 years ago

Exactly what I intended, to come on this board, to express myself. Thanks, you beat me to it :)

[–] ang-son 11 years ago

"A bit of an accent"? I wish that was all :D

[–] CGA_Soupdragon 11 years ago

Cousins' "bit of an accent" is actually a "bit of a dialect".

Personally, I am riveted by every moment of this outstanding series. It is currently being shown in Sweden on Saturday evenings, each time followed by a film discussed in that evening's episodes. It's a marvellous effort, with a superb chance to spread the ideas and vision that Cousins is trying to present in his programmes.

Cousins' delivery of his ideas lets me think about what is being said and lets me compare these with my frame of reference. The Story of Film is a cineast's dream come true! Bravo!

Nobody's perfect!

[–] holchie 11 years ago

If Cousins would have read your comment, it would sound like this:

"Yeh exactly let's go all smooth and Hollywood style?

I don't understand all the negative comments about Cousins? He has a bit of an accent but so what?

He stays behind the camera and doesn't make the documentary about himself, unlike a ton of other documentaries where the interviewer is constantly on screen? I like how he tried not to laugh when Baz Luhrmann made a joke and that said a lot about him right there?

However I did talk back to the tv after the last episode?

"Leaving out Paul Thomas Andersonnn was forgivabule? Leaving out Terry Gilliam was naaauught"?

I, like just about every other person on this thread, could not take his speech pattern? I think he has a gigantic ego, and wouldn't allow himself to turn the narration over to a professional?

That's all? Goodbye?

[–] bootblack987 10 years ago

HE should have given Liam Neeson or Gabriel Byrne a call ...

Wow, those are brilliant suggestions. I've decided to give up on watching this series now that I've realized he is the narrator for all fifteen episodes. I was hoping there would be a new narrator for episode two, but since he's narrating everything, I quit. Now I'm going to imagine how incredible it could have been if he had hired Liam Neeson... 

[–] ComradeKubrick 12 years ago

his narration is awesome, took a while to get used to, but it was relaxing and calming once i got into it

they cured him alright

[–] fluffhead34 11 years ago

I totally agree with you yolobear!! I had already watched all 15 episodes on Netflix and absolutely loved it. Yes, his accent and narration style struck me as unusual, but before the 1st episode was over I actually liked it. Maybe it was his sincerity and obvious love of cinema that I found refreshing. I've seen dozens of documentary's with the standard narration style; here are the facts, etc.., but to hear someones perspective, whether it was always the same as mine or not, was intriguing. I find it sad that so many people are so put off by his voice that they refuse to watch. I'd say your missing out, but then again maybe you aren't the people who he was trying to reach in the first place.

Do you remember the spell?
Asa Nisi Masa... Asa Nisi Masa... sh!

[–] TxMike 11 years ago

Well-put, fluffhead. Yours is a voice of reason!

TxMike
Make a choice, to take a chance, to make a difference.

[–] bchow 12 years ago

This series sounded promising but oh my god, 10 minutes in I could not take it anymore. How do you narrate in both a monotone AND an annoying tone at the end of every sentence. Good grief.

[–] DeclanCochran 11 years ago

I had this issue. I really wanted to like the show, it was clearly incredibly diverse and researched and accurate and all that, but his accent annoyed me so much, I had to turn it off, it felt like you were being patronised

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My blog, if you're interested; [email protected]

[–] chivers677 11 years ago

Stephen Fry or even Mark Kermode would've been good picks.

"Stop looking at the walls, look out the window." ~ Karl Pilkington On Art

[–] GrinninBarrett 11 years ago

Even Gilbert Gottfried

[–] ajgenard 11 years ago

I have to agree with all the naysayers on this one. I finally managed to watch an episode on TCM and 20 minutes was my limit before the narration drove me away. And it's quite a shame because the scope and content of this project seem to deserve high marks. The single most important aspect of hands-off 3rd person documentaries, particularly lengthy ones or multi-parters, is finding an appropriate narrator. The narration is the only constant throughout the entire film and as such it's required of the viewer to become comfortable with the voice and delivery. Without that, then the whole effort is wasted.

I'd hope it was ultimately budgetary reasons that Mark Cousins did it himself. It certainly wouldn't be cheap to hire a pro for such a large amount of work. If that's the case it's almost forgivable. But if he decided to narrate out of sheer egotism, refusing to believe anyone else could convey his message better, then shame on him. Certainly someone should have told him along the way that very few people have an interest in listening to his dull, lifeless, monotone voice (with a peculiar accent to boot) for 15 hours.

[–] ang-son 11 years ago

Would have really enjoyed this series if it wasn't for the narrator.

Watched one episode and I was ready to rip out my own hair. Had to turn it off.

Why is every sentenced delivered as if it was a question?

Too bad, could have been an interesting documentary.

[–] kay_rock 11 years ago

The narration is also what turned me off. I was very interested in seeing this series but his slow, monotone, draggy voice sounded more like a self-hypnosis tape than an interesting explanation of the history of film. It was like being stuck back in my worst university classes. I gave up after the first episode. Tragic.

A lot of work obviously went in to that project. It's a shame that narcissism killed it. If he were to re-release it with someone else doing the narration it would be quite fascinating.

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