Period costume dramas about actual historical figures, who overcome personal obstacles and achieve greatness, are no longer favored, and are rarely produced for the big screen any more. When a movie like "The King's Speech" emerges with excellent notices, achieves popularity with audiences at festivals such as Toronto, and boasts top-notch writing delivered by actors of proven excellence (also including Geoffrey Rush and Helena Bonham Carter), it feels like a winner.
Maybe it's the Colin Firth factor. As his career matures, the films he makes carry an aura of importance. I thought "A Single Man" was the best film I saw last year, and Firth's performance was brilliant, the best work he had ever done. Now, his attachment to a film makes me pay attention. Firth's involvement in a film has become something like the Meryl Streep stamp of quality.
To prepare for my eventual review, I will offer a short series of posts here about King George VI: the stammer that caused him embarrassment, and difficulty addressing the public; the therapy which forms the central drama of the film; his heroic speech to England on the eve of war; and the special identification the screenwriter had with the King.
I hope the film lives up to its early praise; it would be great to have a "prestige" costume drama become a crowd-pleaser that has a fighting chance against pre-packaged blockbusters at the Oscar derby.
Hi Tom,
ReplyDeleteI look forward to reading your forthcoming posts, always a pleasure to catch up with your work.
The more adulation I hear about this film though the moe I'm shying away from it - I'm just feeling so much pressure to like it. Do you feel the same?
Can't wait for your posts. I, too, greatly anticipate this movie, being a lover of costume dramas and Colin Firth equally.
ReplyDeleteBen, yes, I do want to like this film, if for no other reason than I admire the story and the circumstances around the creation of the screenplay. It feels like an underdog...all the more reason for me to want to root for it. I hope it isn't a disppoinement.
ReplyDeleteWalter, I hope I meet your expectations... I plan to have a little fun with these posts.
I look forward to both of your eventual reviews of The King's Speech!
God I can't wait, although my anticipation boils down to a forever long schoolboy crush on Ms. Bonham Carter, the fact that Geoffrey Rush is an absolutely awesome hambone and Tom Hooper's Elizabeth I being the best Elizabeth movie (including Cate Blanchett's one, which incidentally had Rush...)
ReplyDeleteJust saw the movie, The King's Speech and it was one of the best films I have seen in a long time. Excellent acting, great dialogue/writing and an intelligent look at a time in history too many of us forget. Worthwhile. So superior to the canned action flics we get from Hollywood. See it and judge for yourself.
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