The Kings Speech – at cinemas now

Tom Hoopers multi award winning Kings Speech, based on the true story of King George VI who upon his brothers abdication is required to take to the throne and rally the British Empire at the beginning of the second world war. The problem is ‘Bertie’ has a stammer and cannot even speak to his family without stammering – how is he going to conquer the wireless.

Its difficult to go into watch this film without the weight of expectation that the hype and publicity has brought it. Is it really that good? Is Colin Firth that good? How can a story based on not too distant history about the Royal Family evoke any sympathy in 2011? The answer to these questions is yes it can, due to an amazing performance from Firth supported by the best British cast (excluding Rush) this side of Harry Potter and a great, subtle script.

I suppose this is the type of filmmaking that the British excel at – a period piece with and ensemble task on a subject that on paper shouldn’t really work but in reality does. Im no fan of the Royals – no siree, but the film, using Logue as the voice of the common man slowly pokes fun out of the institution and even the King himself voices how restraining and confining being in the ‘firm’ can be. Its in Firths performance, though that you see the restraint, duty, pressure and weight of expectation of a man placed in a role that he feels wholly unprepared for. He deserves every award that he wins.

Hold on the cynicism it’s a must see.

Director: Tom Hooper 

Cast:

Colin Firth                        King George VI 'Bertie'
Helena Bonham Carter  Queen Elizabeth
Geoffrey Rush                  Lionel Logue
Jennifer Ehle                    Myrtle Logue
Derek Jacobi                   Archbishop Cosmo Lang

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince – In cinemas now

As the next part of the Harry Potter saga hits our screens after its time again for the teenage wizard to get back to Hogwarts, get back to battling bad guys and get back to controlling his hormones.

In this instalment of the saga Harry ponders over who is the Half Blood Prince, how he can get into Professor Slugthorns good books and how he can get into Ginny Weasley’s embrace. Meanwhile Ron tries out for Quidditch, gets a girlfriend and nearly dies while Hermione wants Ron, wants to help Harry and wants to read more books. On the bad side the usual suspects minus Voldermort and Draco Malfoy all line up to overthrow Hogwarts and Professor Dumbledore in the ongoing battle of good V’s evil.

It is always a difficult task the penultimate book (although now the last movie is going to be split into two we will have another penultimate film), it always seems like your waiting for the big finale which you know isn’t going to happen in this film, but never before have I watched a movie in this genre that has so little action and is not a stand alone film. It needs the other films to bracket it and subsequently it seemed to me like an intermission.

I also found it very disjointed (and Ithis has happened before in this film series), one line mentioned quickly is a pivotal point in the movie – if you blink you miss it. I have read the books and so I realised that my knowledge of the film also takes this into account whereas I wonder how much I would have been able to grasp if I had just watched the films alone.

It’s a funny movie – more of a Harry Potter and the raging hormones than the entitled Half Blood Prince, which is a shame. Also it seemed terribly wasteful to have some of the best actors in the UK reduced to mere cardboard cameos. Having said that I liked it, I like the rest of the series but I also tend to think the story (and directing) needs a bit of a different angle to save the next film from the same ‘intermission’ fate.

Watch it if you’re a fan – if your not you are going to be terribly confused.

Directed by David Yates

Daniel Radcliffe – Harry Potter
Rupert Grint – Ron Weasley
Emma Watson – Hermione Granger
Michael Gambon – Professor Albus Dumbledore
Alan Rickman – Professor Severus Snape

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