BY MIKEY MIGO
If you follow movies you’ve at least heard or read the name “The King’s Speech”. It got itself nominated for a dozen Oscars. Critics, commercials, reviews, and everyone says this movie is great. Who am I to argue? It looks like a sleeper. By “sleeper”, I don’t mean “surprise”. I mean it’s a movie to put on and fall asleep to. I like the leads Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush, but never in the amount needed to make me want to run out to a project of theirs. This movie just looked like a huge task for a normal guy. Still, I take pride in seeing as many “Oscar” movies as possible every year so I had to man up and watch this movie. It’s about Prince Albert, Duke of York, son of King George V. He, Firth, is set to speak publically. He stutters, stammers, and embarrasses himself. His wife, Helena Bonham Carter, hooks him up with a speech therapist played by Rush. Rush doesn’t take any of his almighty shit and puts him in his place early one. Once they chill out and become friends, we see tons of wacky methods and efforts made to cure Firth of his speech issues. Rush slowly and surely helps him out, becomes his friend, and rocks the screen. Cut and dry, it was a good movie… but not as great as its being deemed. I honestly feel if there wasn’t a English accent and it wasn’t “historical” that it wouldn’t be held in such acclaim. You can pretty much tell from the start where the story is going to go. It’s an interest premise, but felt slightly aloof. Firth’s performance was good. He maintains a sense of strength and dignity while going through this hell. Rush doesn’t let up and has a sense of wackiness to him hidden under his upright prudence. It’s all good, but nothing that I feel I haven’t seen before in other stories and other characters. The one aspect of this movie that I did find amazing was the direction and cinematography. Danny Cohen’s shots are fantastic. I love how he captured everything and the certain angles. Most movies like this wouldn’t dare take the visual risks this movie took. The craft of this movie is what deserves the acclaim. I know not many people out there are going to rush to a movie for its cinematography. If you’re one of those people, you will not be disappointed. Otherwise, solid, … not as great as they’re saying… B+
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