British sangfroid: An outdated stereotype
 

In unstable times, one near certainty is that Colin Firth will win the Best Actor Oscar this Sunday for his performance in The King's Speech.

British bookmakers William Hill are virtually paying out already - the final odds were 1/50.

The main reason Firth will win is that his portrayal of stuttering King George VI is excellent.

But another important one is that it conforms to the stereotype that many of the Academy Award's Hollywood voters have of the British: emotionally cool and reticent, unruffled by the ordinary floods of emotions that roil lesser mortals - particularly those making deals in the insane asylum that is the film business.

Firth, Oscar-nominated last year for a different understated performance in Tom Ford's A Single Man, is the latest in a line of stars going back to David Niven and Ronald Colman projecting this kind of dispassionate sangfroid.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-12576699


Note: 26 February 2011 Last updated at 01:03 GMT

Ah, Ronald Colman. The thinking woman's Errol Flynn. :yep:

I personally quite love the British stereotype. :yeah:

:hmmm:

How did Claude Rains get left out? One of my all-time favorites.

My GF (from the Midlands) and I are def. old-school about our stereotypes:

http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lg...k83zo1_500.jpg

Very good, very good indeed. :yeah:

Pip pip cheerio, old chap, what's all this then? :O:

Well I say, what a hullabaloo, now lets all settle down for a nice cup of tea and a chinwag, what?

Good idea, :DL

How about Ronald Colman, Claude Rains, bottle of champagne, three glasses..... and you? :yep:

Do you think this is a dating site? :O:

Cor blimey! Freshen ya drink gov'na?

Alright, who let the Cockney in? :stare: :O:

I can live with that. :D