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The King's Speech--Colin Firth brilliant again
Meryl:
--- Quote from: southendmd on January 04, 2011, 12:25:31 am ---*the usual possible spoilers warning*
I haven't seen The King's Speech mentioned much, so I thought I'd start a little thread.
Just saw it tonight. I'd seen the trailer and thought it would be interesting.
Of course, having loved him in A Single Man, I had high expectations of Colin Firth. He doesn't disappoint, I'm happy to say.
Just like A Single Man, the camera lingers on his face, letting him express what he needs to, often without words (which are the King's nemesis).
After George V dies, "Bertie", the Duke of York, senses that he's in for a greater role, yet is hampered by a life-long stammer. He meets Lionel Logue, an Australian speech therapist with unorthodox methods. A very unlikely, but true story of a friendship unfolds. They challenge each other.
Lionel dares to delve beyond just the surface, questioning the origins of the stammer. Luckily, no neat psychobabble answers here.
Excellent performances by Firth and Geoffrey Rush (who also is executive producer).
Overall, an incredible cast, really evoking the period. Timothy Spall as Churchill! Guy Pearce absolutely dead-on as Edward VIII.
Special treats for Brideshead Revisited fans: Claire Bloom as Queen Mary (who knew she was still around?!), and an almost unrecognizable Anthony Andrews as Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin. (Oh, and for fans of the film, Michael Gambon plays George V.)
Alexandre Desplat (from Lust, Caution) did the music. A very effective use of Beethoven's 7th.
The R rating is just silly.
--- End quote ---
Thanks for starting this thread, Paul. I agree with your take on the film. It's excellent! Colin Firth just gets better and better, and I'm glad he's been getting roles with real substance lately. The cast were all marvelous, and I didn't even recognize Jennifer Ehle, the actress who so beautifully played Elizabeth Bennett to Colin Firth's Darcy in A&E's terrific "Pride and Prejudice" some years ago.
Brian, thanks for the link to the real King's speech. Fascinating! 8)
Jeff Wrangler:
--- Quote from: southendmd on January 04, 2011, 12:25:31 am ---Special treats for Brideshead Revisited fans: Claire Bloom as Queen Mary (who knew she was still around?!).
--- End quote ---
Assuming you meant Queen Mary and not Claire Bloom, Queen Mary lived until 1953:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_of_Teck
In fact, I'm sure that somewhere I've seen a marvelous photograph, from the funeral of her son George VI (d. 1952), of the three queens together, Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth ("the Queen Mum"), and the present Queen Elizabeth.
Shakesthecoffecan:
--- Quote from: Jeff Wrangler on January 05, 2011, 10:14:32 am ---Assuming you meant Queen Mary and not Claire Bloom, Queen Mary lived until 1953:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_of_Teck
In fact, I'm sure that somewhere I've seen a marvelous photograph, from the funeral of her son George VI (d. 1952), of the three queens together, Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth ("the Queen Mum"), and the present Queen Elizabeth.
--- End quote ---
I know the photo you speak of Jeff, and know that this is not it, but it has them in it, along with George VI and Princess Margaret:
southendmd:
--- Quote from: Jeff Wrangler on January 05, 2011, 10:14:32 am ---Assuming you meant Queen Mary and not Claire Bloom, Queen Mary lived until 1953:
--- End quote ---
Pardon my misplaced modifier. :-X
Jeff Wrangler:
--- Quote from: southendmd on January 05, 2011, 11:26:59 am ---Pardon my misplaced modifier. :-X
--- End quote ---
Speaking grammatically, I don't think the modifier was misplaced. I was just be deliberately obtuse. ;)
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