MovieChat Forums > Narcos (2015) Discussion > I want to like this but I can't get over...

I want to like this but I can't get over the accents

posted 8 years ago by AngryAfghan
29 replies | jump to latest

It's a real shame because I can see how "good" this show is, and were it not for the horrible casting decisions and all round ignorance of Spanish, I would have really liked it. Right from the get-go, episode 1, before we even hear any dialogue the show insults my intelligence with the theme music - a song sang in Spanish but by a Brazilian! Why? It's as if they did it just to annoy me, just to put people off watching it. Then we have the lead role, played by a Brazilian, again why do this? His accent is so noticeable and distracting, every time he pronounces the letter L. I could understand if they had found an actor who was a dead ringer for Escobar, but Moura doesn't even bear any resemblance to him, so it's just a ridiculous casting choice. Lastly but most importantly, the Spanish dialogue is so disjointed and inconsistent as to render it useless - we have Escobar talking to his cousin, yet Moura uses "usted" exclusively while the other says "vos" (probably an Argentine actor) it's as if the actors just improvised the Spanish dialogue themselves.

[–] Lady_Targaryen 8 years ago

This show is great and Wagner Moura is doing a great job.
Not watching Narcos only for the accent doesnt make any sense, specially because we see actors from other nationalities portraying famous personalities all the time, and in most cases they are not even speaking the original language of their character.

[–] reaseltbim 8 years ago

specially because we see actors from other nationalities portraying famous personalities all the time,

someone from england or australia playing the part of an american is not the same as someone from france or italy playing an american...

one thing is to change accents and another thing is to completely change languages.

Brazilian actor trying to play a colombian sounds off.

[–] reaseltbim 8 years ago

i agree, some scenes are hard to finish because of the way he speaks

[–] 8 years ago

[deleted]

[–] joannepainter 8 years ago

As a non-Spanish speaker, I didn't notice at all. But if it's anything like watching Kevin Costner play Robin Hood with an American accent, I can understand. Great show though.

[–] weeben 8 years ago

non Spanish speaker too,so its all above my head,with that being said,its not really something that irks me,when the show or movie I'm watching is in English

[–] American_Slime 8 years ago

I'd say the show is doing good if the only thing you want to complain about is the actor not being from where the real character is from. I hate to tell ya, but that's trivial. I get it, you take a lot of pride in the correctness of your Spanish, but it doesn't take away from the show, not for most people. I suggest you suspend your holier than thou attitude towards the language, and enjoy everything as a whole, not just cherry pick the pieces you don't like to prove a point, which you are doing.