Skip to main content

King's Speech Review


What I liked: I watched this on the flight back from Europe, along with several other movies. I just need to take this moment to point out that the queen is actress and the fairy god mother from Cinderella, and Belletrix LeStrange from Harry Potter. This being the case I feel that she really did not live up to her potential as far as magical possibilities are concerned. Also the speech therapist disappointingly displayed very few zombie pirate characteristics, despite being Captain Barbossa.  Having eventually come to terms with this startling lack of supernatural abilities of the main characters and endeavored to take them seriously, I found this to be a very good movie. It probably helped that I was on a flight back from having just visited England and seen all the major locations where it takes place. I liked the play of the King’s loyalty to his family and to his country and that he struggled with what to do with a brother who would not make a good king. I liked the accomplishment of overcoming the speech impediment. I liked the family dynamics of the speech therapist and of the king and his wife. It was interesting to learn that Churchill also had a speech defect. In all a very good drama.
What I didn’t: I don’t know if I can really say that I disliked the rest of the royal family as something that I disliked about the movie. It made it clear that George was the best option for monarch, though I wonder how accurate all the portrayals are and what the queen thinks of the movie. I similarly wonder if the side plot about the license was true and if was as big of a deal back then.
Who should watch this: Someone looking for a good drama. Note: Language warning.
Would I watch it again? yes. Ideally in Buckingham palace.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The Titanic

What I liked: Liked is definitely the wrong word for it but the scenes of the sinking of the Titanic were masterful. They were technologically impressive, apparently remarkably accurate, and emotionally gripping. The variety of ways in which different people dealt with a completely hopeless situation was both touching and thought provoking. Especially beautiful was the string quartet. In isolation from the love story, the sinking of the Titanic is a tragic reminder of the cost of hubris and the necessity of regulating emergency procedures and capacities. It carries similar gravitas as a war film. At the 25th anniversary of the film, I can appreciate how Titanic has impacted movies made later.  What I didn't: So here's the thing. I feel very bad for you if you died in the sinking of the Titanic. I feel less bad for you if you managed to get on a lifeboat on the Titanic and then decided to get off. I question all of your decision making and priorities if you decide to get off a...

Mrs Harris goes to Paris

What I liked: This is a happy movie. I liked the dresses and especially how very happy seeing all of the dresses made Mrs Harris. I liked how her enthusiasm wins over the tailor and almost everyone else. Mrs Harris was so delighted with Paris and the people she met that she motivated them to live just a little more enthusiastically and optimistically. From the philosophical model, to the intellectual accountant, to the withdrawn Marquis and the cold director the characters were all imaginatively Parisian (assuming your an American author in the 1950s). I liked that they drove a vespa. I was glad that while Mrs Harris got a fresh view of the world and had a wonderful time in Paris, they steered clear of the potential cliche plot pot holes they could have fallen in. I especially liked her friends who helped her live her dream of going to Paris to buy a dress while really not understanding it at all.  What I didn't: Mrs Harris did such a great job agitating in Paris she really could h...

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them Reveiw

What I liked: For a movie based on what is in essence a fictional encyclopedia, this movie has a surprising amount of plot. Not great plot, but more than I usually get from reading an alphabetical reference book. I liked the dopey sidekick, his facial expressions were great and he was the only one who acknowledged that what happening on screen was not actually normal. I liked that the president led the tiny army of US wizards to their tiny battle in a subway. So as military victories go, this was not one for the history books, for many reasons. But it did lend more meaning to the phrase Commander in Chief. I felt like Dr Who was once again a bow tie wearing socially awkward guy who lives in a box that is bigger on the inside. Some of the creatures were cool but the CGI didn't quite make them alive. I liked the sloth monkey, I don't really know who it was or what it was doing but I would support a slothmonkey planet of the apes crossover. I like that the guy from SWAT has fina...