King's Speech

This movie is going to capture many of the Oscar's movie awards... and the critic says:

The film begins in 1925, with the introduction of the radio to England and King George V in power. The film progresses through Britain’s entry into WWII. The film has Colin Firth as King George VI (previously Albert “Bertie”, the Duke of York), Geoffrey Rush as (Dr.) Lionel Logue, and Helena Bonham Carter as Queen Elizabeth. The movie is strictly a drama.

“The King’s Speech” begins with Bertie stuttering and the perception of the royal family’s prince. He is united with Logue, who is an Australian “speech defect” specialist. Elizabeth gets the speech therapy sessions going and makes the effort to help her husband overcome his lifelong speech issues. Logue uses unique methods to allow Bertie to cope with his impediments and apathy for treatment. Bertie’s older brother David is put into power with the death of their father, King George V. David is unable to continue with his royalty due to his affairs with a twice divorced American. He steps down and Bertie takes the title of King George VI. George VI is required to give speeches and war time speeches over the radio. With the realization that Logue is not, in fact, a doctor, there is brief turmoil about what role he should play in the royal family. Logue ends up coaching George and manages to get him through the arduous speeches.

Every actor is performing at 100% of their ability in “The King’s Speech.” There were smaller roles for Winston Churchill, family, and others in this film, but those who were needed came through for a miraculous film. Firth may not be unique in his ability to fill this role, but he does it as well as could be expected. Rush has a smooth sense of humor and humbleness about him with his part. The ladies in the film were more in supporting roles and did phenomenal.

Given the world’s affairs in this time-period, the writers were still able to give us plenty of humor. Not just British humor, but comments and actions which made the theatre erupt. The humbleness of Bertie was constant. His responses to and one liners (in response to Logue,) caused viewers to expect anything. There were life lessons along with the speech lessons. Don’t just go for the acting; go for the humor and realistic portrayal of royal and common people.

The theatre was over 80% full at 4:30 on a Sunday, with a majority of the viewers in the 55+ range. We may be tired of the flood of British royalty films, (does American royalty have anything worthy of Hollywood?) but this film’s ability to keep audience members glued to the screen for hours, with no fights, no war, and no love scenes, and no meaningful soundtrack means the writers did something amazing. The pages of notes and worthy details from this film are too much to list. The viewers were glued to the screen for two hours awaiting a nine minute speech! Enough said. This is a film aimed at the adult crowd. If you enjoy The Gathering Storm, Elizabeth, or The Queen, then this film is definitely for you. History buffs? Grab a seat and enjoy. The King’s Speech earns 5 out of 5 Cyclones.

-Jeremy Brickner
CycloneMovies.com

The Fighter

I am going to venture and say this movie will capture many of the Oscar's acting awards.  Read on...

The Fighter is not just another boxing flick. The film begins in the mid ‘90s in Lowell, Massachusetts. The focus is on the life of Micky Ward, portrayed by Mark Wahlberg. The drama, sport, humor, and family are like the four corners of a boxing ring which all come together well in this film.

The film begins with a casual interview of brothers Micky Ward and Dicky Eklund by an HBO documentary crew. The brothers are eager to show their small town and people to the crew. Some of Micky’s fights are reviewed and shown throughout the film. Dicky is proud of his worthy bout in the ring with Sugar Ray Leonard. This bout made him Lowell’s town hero. Dicky’s addiction to crack is clearly a hurdle for progress in the brothers’ boxing world. Micky’s struggle to balance his family and his boxing needs draws on the emotions of viewers and those in the film. The integration of the storylines and elements was phenomenal throughout The Fighter.

The various performances are diverse, and the characters mix it up dynamically throughout the film. Christian Bale submits an amazing performance from start to finish. Being able to see the real-life Dicky at the end of the film further reinforces Bale’s portrayal throughout the film. If Oscar nominations were given to Christian Bale for the role and to Amy Adams, Jack McGee, and Melissa Leo for their supporting roles, this critic would not be surprised. This is one of those films where anything is possible in the award department.

The film’s editing left nothing to be changed. The small town Massachusetts feel is present. These brothers are everyone’s heroes. The camera shots let us feel like we have been accepted into the community and are part of the intimate HBO documentary crew. . The movie’s pace is consistent, it never stood still. The cuts were neither abrupt nor faulty, and The Fighter’s continuity kept everyone in their seats, literally. Each role is unique, vital and distinct. The boxing scenes are mediocre at best, but it is not necessarily this action many viewers will be looking for, it is the story behind the participants and the outcome.

Not knowing what to expect from this film left viewers open-minded, entering the theatre. It was comparable to watching The Departed for the first time, relatively unknown. There was a hint of The Hangover with the drugs, characters and styles of humor. If you are a fan of any of these films, this movie will be worthy. This is the kind of movie you will see in the theatre and purchase on DVD. It will be watched and shared, over and over. Reasonably intended for mature audiences. Honestly gotta give this one 5 out of 5 Cyclones.

-Jeremy Brickner
CycloneMovies.com