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#56 - The King's Speech
Tom Hooper, 2010
In the 1930s, Prince Albert is suffering from a severe speech impediment and has to employ the services of an unconventional therapist in order to overcome it.
As awards season ramps up I'm finding myself catching up on various Best Picture Oscar winners that I haven't seen. Unfortunately, the last few I've seen tend to settle into the safe, predictable types of Oscar winner that, while not necessarily bad films, do tend to feel very middle-of-the-road when all is said and done. The King's Speech regrettably falls into this category, but that doesn't mean it's not without a certain charm. Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush have great chemistry even as they go through some very familiar motions as the reluctant student gradually opens up and befriends his troubled but optimistic mentor. There's a collection of solid character actors to fill out the rest of the film, and the production design is great (though I question some of the cinematography choices - what's with Hooper's tendency to frame close-ups so they're noticeably off-centre? I noticed it in Les Misérables and even now I still can't decide whether or not it works as a stylistic choice). So yeah, it's decent enough Oscar bait that hits all the right notes but damned if I'm ever going to watch it a second time.
Tom Hooper, 2010
In the 1930s, Prince Albert is suffering from a severe speech impediment and has to employ the services of an unconventional therapist in order to overcome it.
As awards season ramps up I'm finding myself catching up on various Best Picture Oscar winners that I haven't seen. Unfortunately, the last few I've seen tend to settle into the safe, predictable types of Oscar winner that, while not necessarily bad films, do tend to feel very middle-of-the-road when all is said and done. The King's Speech regrettably falls into this category, but that doesn't mean it's not without a certain charm. Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush have great chemistry even as they go through some very familiar motions as the reluctant student gradually opens up and befriends his troubled but optimistic mentor. There's a collection of solid character actors to fill out the rest of the film, and the production design is great (though I question some of the cinematography choices - what's with Hooper's tendency to frame close-ups so they're noticeably off-centre? I noticed it in Les Misérables and even now I still can't decide whether or not it works as a stylistic choice). So yeah, it's decent enough Oscar bait that hits all the right notes but damned if I'm ever going to watch it a second time.