While I still loved watching this film again, I watched it the second time with too high of expectations. Occasionally this happens. I build something up in my head and then when I see it again it can't create the same feeling of wonderment that I felt the first time. But with that said, it is still a wonderfully made and a wonderfully acted movie.
On second viewing I noticed just how brilliant Colin Firth's performance is. As an actor I have always loved Firth-I think it's virtually impossible not to love him if you are a woman who has seen the BBC version of "Pride and Prejudice". In the movie "A Single Man" I saw moments where Firth shined as an actor. Although I felt that the movie's style got in the way of the story and the acting, there was one moment when Firth's skills came through. For any of you who have seen the movie there is a moment when Firth's character gets a phone call in which he finds out his partner has died. In a heartbreaking moment Firth struggles to understand what he's hearing and to smother his sorrow. In that small scene Firth's eyes conveyed anger, sadness and heartbreak. It is a rare gift for an actor to be able to show so much emotion and feeling through their eyes and that's exactly where Firth excels.
In "The King's Speech" Firth embodies every aspect of the King. I have read a few interviews where Firth has talked about how he hard he worked on perfecting the stammer so it wouldn't be over exaggerated and unrealistic. His efforts to duplicate the speech patterns of a person who suffers from stammering are impressive, but what is even more impressive to me is the way he created a complex portrait of a man. In moments where he feels insuferior Firth carries himself differently. Here he is, a King, and yet when he has a meeting with the Prime Minister he sits timidly in his chair, his legs knock kneed and his shoulders hunched over. His entire demeanor shows that he is completely ashamed and uncomfortable. And, in contrast, in the scenes of therapy with Geoffrey Rush, Firth's King sits upright, feet firmly on the ground refusing to give up on himself. In his performance these differences are subtly expressed and seem as if Firth did it naturally making his portrayal even more believeable.
In the sessions with Logue and in the scenes with his wife we see a man who is fiery, tempermental, brave and tortured by his position in life. And of course, through it all Firth's eyes show in every moment the struggle and the true nature of this man. It is this portrait which carries "The King's Speech" and makes it one of the most entertaining and moving movies I have seen lately.
Award season is in full swing and with the Oscar nominations being announced on Tuesday everything I have read is comparing "The King's Speech" with the other leading film, "The Social Network". I have seen both movies twice and I loved both. I agree with most things I've read that the two exhibit two very different kinds of filmmaking. "The King's Speech" is an uplifting, joyful movie with wit and tenderness throughout- it is like a great Hollywood classic. It's also expertly made by an extremly talented director and perfectly acted by not only Firth, but also Bonham Carter and Rush.
"The Social Network" is a fascinating story surrounding one of the most interesting current phenomenons, Facebook. The fast paced dialogue, the "Rashoman" style story, the talents of a great director like Fincher and some great performances come together to make a movie that cannot be compared to something that is made in a more classical way such as "The King's Speech" or even "True Grit". This is exactly the problem with an award show like the Oscars. All three movies are fantastic in themselves. It is not fair or possible to say that one is better than the other. But with that said, I will still watch the Oscars. I will still make my predictions. I will still stay up all night in order to see them live. As a movie lover the one big night when movies are celebrated is still important, no matter what the outcome of the awards are.
That being said, here's my complete list of favorite movies for 2010 in no particular order (I have yet to see "Another Year", "Nowhere Boy", "127 Hours", "The Company Men" and "Blue Valentine"- all of which I think I could possibly enjoy as well):
1. The King's Speech
2. The Ghost Writer
3. The Social Network
4. The Town
5. Toy Story 3
6. Shutter Island
7. Black Swan
8. The Fighter
9. True Grit
10. The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest
11. The Kid's Are All Right
12. Winter's Bone
Least Favorite- The A Team and Grown Ups
No comments:
Post a Comment