Dec 23 2010

The King’s Speech

Based on true events The King’s Speech review’s the story behind King George VI (Colin Firth), his unexpected rise to power just before the beginning of World War II, and his affliction– stuttering. Moreover, the film illustrates the involvement of Queen Elizabeth (Helena Bonham Carter) in the shaping of the King, and the influence of another vitally important man, a speech therapist named Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush). Powerhouse acting from this ensemble is gripping. The screenplay is engaging to the point we want to follow the characters further. And, artful story telling and direction from Tom Hooper makes this quietly talked up film worth noting and worth seeing, I smell Oscar attention on this one. The King’s Speech is rated R.


Dec 23 2010

True Grit

In the brutal wild west a precocious 14 year old girl named Mattie (Hailee Steinfeld) is out to avenge the death of her father. To assist in the job Mattie hires the grizzled and weathered Marshal Rooster Cogburn (Jeff Bridges) and  the help of a Texas Ranger named LaBoeuf (Matt Damon). But, getting to her father’s killer, Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin), will be no easy task and will come at a hefty cost; will Mattie, Rooster and LaBoeuf be willing to pay that price? Written and directed by the golden boys of Hollywood, Joel and Ethan Coen I admit my expectations were indeed high. And, with a cast of what appears to be some of the Coen’s favorite actors it seems as though the film was destined for greatness. The end result? A solid traditional western, tempered with a splash of the Coen’s dark humor and violence along with characters who are unfortunately flawed in very real ways. Acting from the ensemble hits the spot and feels strong from start to finish. Although, because the Coen’s stay so true to the original source material for their screenplay we don’t exactly get the full on quirky nature we’ve come to expect from the brothers, and, I have to admit, I kind of missed it. Bottom line, not my favorite, but still a commendable job and worthy of your attention. True Grit is rated PG-13.