Movie Review: The King's Speech

Rating: M

Starring: Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Helena Bonham Carter, Guy Pearce, Michael Gambon.

Director: Tom Hooper

Colin Firth should win three awards for The King’s Speech:

Award 1 – For being Colin Firth.

Award 2 – For being incredibly hot.

Award 3 – For his phenomenal performance as King George VI in The King’s Speech.

So I guess you have realised that I have a MAJOR crush on Colin Firth, and that this review is probably just a little biased. Hell, he could be in Scream #235 and I would love it! But in all seriousness, The King’s Speech is a brilliant movie, and deserved the Golden Globe for best picture. But I guess there are always the Oscars...

The King’s Speech follows the events leading up to King George VI’s (Firth) rise to the British throne, and famous speech that declares war on Nazi Germany. In the opening scenes, we see that the then Prince Albert has a severe stammer, with no apparent cure in sight. His wife Princess Elizabeth (a superb Helena Bonham Carter) scours the land for suitable speech therapists, finding the unqualified but successful Australian Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush). And so begins a few months of intense training, with triumph and heartache.

Prince Albert’s stammer then becomes an increasing problem after his father (Michael Gambon) dies and his brother King  Edward VIII (Guy Pearce) then abdicates the throne to marry a twice-divorced American (something not allowed in those days). With Lionel by his side for intense speech training, motivation, and eventual friendship, Prince Albert becomes King George VI on the brink of World War II. In doing so, he finds not only his own voice but confidence to lead his country into battle.

While it is a relatively serious movie, The King’s Speech also includes light-hearted scenes, which I think is typically British and something only they can do well! Further, as much as I love Colin Firth in romantic comedies (Love Actually, Bridget Jones’ Diary, What A Girl Wants), it was refreshing to see that he has a well-rounded acting ability. The stammer alone would have taken ages to perfect!

I know this is completely off the topic, but being a huge Harry Potter fan it was fun to pick out the Harry Potter stars throughout the movie Beatrix Lestrange, Albus Dumbledore, and Peter Pettigrew all made an appearance. Let me know if you spot any others!

5 out of 5 stars.

Movie Review: Tangled

 

Rating: G

Starring: Voices of Mandy Moore, Zachary Levi, and Donna Murphy

Director: Nathan Greno and Byron Howard

If you are after a movie that is simply light entertainment, then I recommend Disney’s latest animation Tangled!

The most expensive animation produced by Disney thus far, it was worth the money for me just to see how far animation has come since I was a little girl! But let's get down to what Tangled is actually about...

A modern version of the classic children’s book, Princess Rapunzel (voice of Mandy Moore) is stolen from her castle by an evil woman who is possessed by her own desires to be young and beautiful.

The evil woman is therefore awestruck by Rapunzel’s golden hair, which exhibits healing properties whenever Rapunzel sings.

Rapunzel remains locked in a tower until just before her eighteenth birthday, by which time she decides she wants to see the magical lights that curiously appear on her birthday each year.

She tricks her mother (well, adopted mother) to leave the tower for three days in search for her ideal birthday present – special paint (Rapunzel is an artist).

Luckily for Rapunzel, robber Flynn (voice of Zachary Levi) arrives at her tower with a stolen royal crown, and she makes him a deal - take her to see the lights and she will give him his crown back.

And so begins an adventure of fun, betrayal, and blackmail, with some extremely funny scenes involving a horse as well as some macho men.

I think this movie has something for everyone – slapstick comedy for the children (Rapunzel enjoys using a fry pan as a weapon) and clever one liners for the adults.

And if you do not trust my opinions, here is what I overhead some children in the cinema say about it...

“Mummy, he just got whacked over! That was so funny!” – little boy, approximately four years old.

“This is just HILARIOUS, don’t you think Mummy?” – little girl, approximately six years old.

I must also add the couple sitting behind me were in stiches during the movie. And they were in their fifties at least!

4 out of 5 stars