Sassy Black Friend

Very Bad Condi

Never let it be said that I’m someone to defend Condoleeza Rice. Not going to happen. But, I went with a friend to see W yesterday, and while overall it was pretty good, Thandie Newton’s Rice was just appalling. The look was there. An easy wig, and some teeth chin things (I don’t know shit about makeup) were great. But the mannerisms and voice were horrifying. Maybe if they’d done a worse job physically, the portrayal wouldn’t have been so shocking. Every time she opened her mouth or moved on screen it pulled me out of the film and into an extended “what the fuck” moment. Here’s Condi.

(just watch the first 2 clips of her speaking)

Here’s Newton on (vomit) Rachael Ray’s show talking about the “transformation.” She claims she captured Rice as she is when she doesn’t know she’s being watched. I’ve never spent time alone with Rice, but I doubt she acts like a twitchy moron when she doesn’t know there’s a camera around.

I couldn’t find a clip of the film with her speaking as Rice, which is probably on purpose. Saturday Night Live would call her performance over the top. Maybe she’s just a bad actress, I don’t know. But for all of Condoleeza Rice’s failings, being a dumber Edith Bunker is not one of them.

Ugh.