Tag: colin firth

Why The King’s Speech Deserves Best Picture

A lot of people are disappointed that The Social Network didin’t win best picture. Instead, the historical bio-like pic The King’s Speech took the prize. The right film won.

If you evaluate the films on story – The King’s Speech is the winner. All the elements of a solid film are present. The plot has conflict and character development. You know the journey the character must take, leading up to a clear catharsis. The chemistry between Geoffrey Rush and Colin Firth is undeniable. And the direction of Tom Hopper (Netflick is under appreciated film Last Chance Harvey with Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson – phenomenal) is strong and totally deserving of the accolades he’s received. This isn’t so apparent in The Social Network.

For the three people that read this blog (yes, that includes my mother) my dislike for the David Fincher flick has already been discussed.  The character development in The Social Network really doesn’t have a clear arc unless you count the higher levels of a**h*le that Jesse Eisenberg’s character achieves. But it’s not a real evolution to me. It’s contrived by unrealistic dialogue and depends too much on the trendy, hip subject matter.

This is where The King’s Speech rules supreme. Go see it. You’ll see what I mean.

A Single Man – Available on DVD

Tom Ford’s debut film A Single Man (not to be confused with the Coen brothers’ A Serious Man released around the same time) is truly a stunning piece of work and totally worth a second viewing on DVD.  The art direction and costume design is nothing short of inspired, and is really no surprise given the fashion background of Ford.

Co-written and directed by Tom Ford the film tells the story of George (brilliantly played by Colin Firth) who has recently lost his partner of 16 years.  The film is so incredibly honest and authentic and Firth’s performance is so genuine, that you instantly route for George. You want him to rediscover a way to be happy. You want him to overcome his grief. You want him to find love. You want him to live.

The depth of Firth’s performance is so powerful, it is a damn shame he lost the best actor award to Jeff Bridges in Crazy Heart.  Firth relays an array of emotions in  a matter of seconds, reeling you in to his deepest pain.  Told through just the right amount of flashbacks, George’s story becomes something beyond losing a lover. It’s beyond gay or straight. It’s about survival and believing in the possibility that after a tragic event your heart can recover and you can dare to try to be happy. Damn…that’s deep.

I can’t wait to see what Tom Ford does next!