People aren’t stoked with Fore

Photo: Forest Whitaker in “The Forgiven.” Credit Saban Films

People aren’t stoked with Forest Whitaker as Desmond Tutu [video]

There’s a new Hollywood movie out which features some pretty big name actors trying their hand at South African accents. We’re on the fence.

People aren’t stoked with Fore

Photo: Forest Whitaker in “The Forgiven.” Credit Saban Films

Forest Whitaker’s new movie, The Forgiven, debuts in the United States this weekend.

The film, directed by Roland Joffé is adapted from a play by Michael Ashton. The subject is South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission and while most of it is fictional, Desmond Tutu, portrayed by Whitaker, isn’t.

Now, Whitaker is no stranger to doing a few accents. He did a pretty good job of it in The Last King of Scotland… but let’s just say that things didn’t seem to go so well in this case.

Whitaker was also slated for his accent in Black Panther, but let’s deal with Tutu first…

The trailer, which you can watch below, was flighted recently and Twitter was not impressed… and that’s not just because of his accent.

But Whitaker isn’t the only one attempting to do an accent. Eric Bana plays fictional character Piet Blomfeld, an unrepentant one-time death squad member and now a prisoner.

Bana, though, seems to be getting a bit more love from Twitter.

The New York Times, though, was a bit kinder about Whittaker’s accent, writing in their review:

But Mr. Whitaker does an extraordinary job not just of impersonation (he has the clergyman’s infectious laugh down pat), but also of showing the way the character thinks

But…. we’re not convinced on either accent. Check out the trailer (featuring both accents) below.

Watch: The Forgiven Official Trailer – Forest Whitaker, Eric Bana

When will The Forgiven be realised in South Africa?

At the time of writing, no official release date for South Africa has been set.