Sunday, April 24, 2011

KING'S SPEECH: OSCAR WELL DESERVED

I'll admit that considering the track record of Oscar winners for Best Picture over the decades you have to admit many of them of being hardly Best anything. I had feared this be some dull period piece that Oscar voters like to pretend is history lite. But this movie was fascinating, well scripted, and tremendous acting.

Colin Furth plays the stammering George VI to a furious tee. Having to give speeches with the advent of radio and film, the reluctant king finds himself royally screwed (sorry couldn't resist the pun). Having gone to every quack under the sun, he finally finds some help with Lionel acted beautifully as always by the uber-dependable Geoffry Rush. Is there any movie this guy has done where he wasn't brilliant in it? I dare you to name one. The movie may have sucked but I'll bet he was great in it. Lionel turns the stammer into a life long friendship, an unusually occurrence for an English commoner and royalty. Throughout all of this is the threat of war from Hitler and the coming war he known he must prepare his country for. It's a great screenplay full of humor and life. Too bad it took the gave decades to get it done as it was not possible until after the death of the Queen mum who lived to be a very old age.

The only downfall I would give this movie is the very [pedestrian directing which somehow won an Oscar. Before I even saw the movie I had both heard and could gleam from the previews a safe style, ie TV directing, which makes sense as the director is first and foremost a TV director. Trust me it shows. The fact this was even nominated says lots about Oscar voters who should know better. Black Swan. True Grit and The Social Network were all far superior to this in directing only. The film still should won best picture because in this year, there wasn't much competition.

4 out of five stars.

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