The King's Speech

The King's Speech

With: Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Helena Bonham Carter,

Derek Jacobi, Guy Pearce, Michael Gambon, Timothy Spall

Directed: Tom Hooper

Written: David Seidler

Genre: Historical Drama

Running Time: 118 minutes

"Because I have a voice!" the King shouts in utter frustration through insecurity and stammering. He gets one reply from his speech therapist and close friend: "Yes, you do."

The King's Speech tells the story of a powerful man fighting a weakness that limits the use of his own power. A king should be noble, strong and sure. A king should make his people feel secure and proud. How does a king do this if he cannot even communicate? It is the story of King George VI (Colin Firth), the man who went from being Duke of York to king of millions because his brother, Edward VIII (Guy Pearce), abdicated to marry divorcee, Wallis Simpson in the 1930's.

However, George (or Bertie, as his family called him) is haunted by a stammering problem he developed as a child due to neglect and emotional abuse from a nanny. His father, King George V (Michael Gambon) is at the end of his life and the pressure escalates for Bertie to take charge and to speak as a leader. He tries numerous speech improvement methods, including smoking to "calm the nerves," but all to no avail. His loving and sympathetic wife, Queen Elizabeth (Helena Bonham Carter) finds a unique speech therapist in an Australian "commoner", Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush) to help Bertie and even though the relationship has a rocky start, Logue and Bertie soon become close friends. By the time King George VI has to address his country before the start of World War II, he has grown into a King to listen to.

King George VI: If I am King, where is my power? Can I declare war? Form a government? Levy a tax? No! And yet I am the seat of all authority because they think that when I speak, I speak for them.

The film opens on the day of George VI's first live radio broadcast and where the radio broadcaster perfects his voice and diction, George suffers a great embarrassment when his nerves and stammering prevent him from talking to the crowds. The cinematography is constantly utilized to show the pressure of public speaking and the distance George puts between himself and the people he has to communicate with and the production design constantly pulls you into an early 20th century world coming out of one war and moving into another. Criticism has come forward regarding historical truths (for example, King George's first live radio broadcast happened 10 years before portrayed in the film and George and Logue apparently never referred to one another as "Lionel" and "Bertie"), but that does not take away from the incredible story told and the strong, yet unorthodox friendship that develops between two very different people.

Director Tom Hooper is like a conductor in front of an orchestra with this film and he knows who to put in his masterpiece. Colin Firth captures the insecurity and pain of frightened king perfectly without ever falling into self-pity and Helena Bonham Carter plays the strong, ever supporting Queen Elizabeth with expertise. Geoffrey Rush is also absolutely deserving of every nomination and award that comes his way, because playing an aspiring actor who had to settle for a more simple life and then becoming something great because of pure compassion and unique flair is difficult. He perfects the brutally honest, yet humble, personality.

Lionel Logue: [as George is lighting up a cigarette] Please don't do that.
King George VI: I'm sorry?
Lionel Logue: I believe sucking smoke into your lungs will kill you.
King George VI: My physicians say it relaxes the throat.
Lionel Logue: They're idiots.
King George VI: They've all been knighted.
Lionel Logue: Makes it official then. 

                            And The 12 Oscars (Hopefully) Go To:

Actor in a leading role: Colin Firth

Actor in a Supporting role: Geoffrey Rush

Actress in a Supporting role: Helena Bonham Carter

Art Direction: Eve Stewart & Judy Farr

Cinematography: Danny Cohen

Costume Design: Jenny Beavan

Directing: Tom Hooper

Film Editing: Tariq Anwar

Original Score: Alexandre Desplat

Sound Mixing: Paul Hamblin & Martin Jensen & John Midgley

Best Original Screenplay: David Seidler

Best Picture

Black Swan

Black Swan

Starring: Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Vincent Cassel

Directed by Darren Aronofsky

 Nina (Natalie Portman) is a top New York ballet dancer who lives and breathes ballet. When artistic director Thomas Leroy (Vincent Cassel) decides to replace retiring dancer, Beth (Winona Ryder), doors open drastically for Nina when she is chosen to portray the Swan Queen. However, Leroy wants one dancer to be both the vulnerable, pure white swan, as well as her seductive, villainous "twin sister" the black swan. Nina perfectly embodies the former, but struggles to let herself fall into her dark side. Competition presents itself in the form of Lily (Mila Kunis) who epitomizes the black swan and paranoia becomes a big part of Nina's every day life. She loses all trust she ever had in anyone, even her critical, former dancer mother (Barbara Hershey) and soon this spirals into destruction.

Darren Aronofsky creates sheer art with every aspect of this film and every award nomination is deserved. The cinematography (with hand held camera actions playing a big role) captures the movement of dance and the overwhelming paranoia perfectly and the well-written twists keep you on your toes to the very surprising end.

What draws the audience in even further is the identifiable situations and the real performances. You feel the fear of losing and the intoxicating need to be perfect. You identify with not being able to share a part of yourself with the world and the grace a wonderful achievement can bring.  This film shocks to the core, but mystifies and amazes just as successfully.

One has to have respect for strong performances, especially when they include such precision dancing. Classical Ballet is the most difficult dance form, but Natalie Portman achieves what every ballerina strives to: she makes it look effortless.

Vincent Cassel is just as impressive as the vain, yet charming; seductive, yet intriguing artistic director.

Black Swan has already won numerous awards, including a Golden Globe for best actress (Natalie Portman) and is now up for five awards at the 83rd annual Academy Awards: Best Actress in a Leading Role (Portman), Cinematography, Directing, Film Editing and, of course, Best Picture.

For more information, downloads and the trailer, check out the official site: http://www.foxsearchlight.com/blackswan/