The King’s Speech is an award winning film about King George VI. Directed by Tom Hooper, the film features Colin Firth as King George VI and Geoffrey Rush as Lionel Logue – the eccentric speech therapist who helped King George VI overcome his speech impediment. The role of Logue was included within the film due to his affect on King George VI and his role in inspiring the country during the 2nd World War. The King’s Speech won Best Picture in the 83rd Academy awards as well as Best Director and Best Actor.
At first glance, it is very easy to dismiss the film as another historical drama with nothing to offer for those that aren’t interested in period pieces. But for those who were adventurous enough to go through the film, they will be entertained not only by the historical portrayal of the current Queen’s (Queen Elizabeth II) father but also for the pieces humor. Colin Firth plays the role of a commanding king with ease but he also has the ability to break down and shows his versatility throughout the piece. His portrayal of the King is not just someone who is aloof of reality but someone who stays on the ground to see everything happening around him.
The main reason for The King’s Speech’s success and why it won the Best Picture award is the additional cast and the impeccable unfolding of events. Helena Bonham Carter, who plays the King’s wife and Geoffrey Rush are always entertaining. It is expected that Ms. Carter will give an amazing performance because of the genre but Geoffrey Rush surprised everyone with his amazing portrayal of the speech therapist.
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No Strings Attached is a romantic comedy film starring Ashton Kutcher and Natalie Portman. It’s a story about a guy and a girl agreeing to become “friends with benefits” as they enjoy physical intimacy with each other without becoming emotionally attached. As expected, the guy (Ashton) eventually falls for the girl.
From the synopsis, the movie itself is so formulaic that you almost knew what will happen at the end of the film. If you have watched similar chick-flick before, you don’t have to wait long before you can say “I’ve seen this somewhere”. But to its credit, it does have moments where it goes out of the box and these moments are what have made the movie a lot more appealing. Add to the fact that Natalie Portman plays a strong, independent woman that’s not part of the Star Wars franchise is always a welcoming idea. Ashton Kutcher plays as himself – a funny guy dealing with some awkward moments that is trying to woo the only girl who doesn’t want to have a relationship with him.
The Green Hornet is a movie remake of the TV series from the 60s credited for establishing the popularity of Bruce Lee who played the role Kato. While the most popular media format for the Green Hornet has been the TV series, it was actually based on a comic book which was based on a radio show. The modern version of the Green Hornet stars Seth Rogen and Jay Chou as Kato. Read the rest of this entry »
The Fighter is a film about Micky Ward – a boxer who became one of the best in the sport and well known for his trilogy of fights with Arturo Gatti. But before Micky landed in this epic battle, he first went through tough family and professional problems which are chronicled in the film. Mark Wahlberg is the boxer Micky Ward, Christian Bale plays his half-brother Dicky Eklund, Melissa Leo is their domineering manager/mom and Amy Adams is Ward’s girlfriend Charlene. Read the rest of this entry »
Daybreakers is a vampire-themed movie released January 6, 2010. Although the obvious release date of the movie is to harness the vampire mania to improve ticket sales, it’s no reason to ignore the movie. After all, the movie features established actors such as Ethan Hawke, Willem Dafoe and Sam Neill.
The Movie is centered on Edward Dalton (Ethan Hawke), a vampire who lives in a world controlled by vampires. They are facing an immediate crisis of running out of human blood because humans is nearing extinction. Edward accidentally found a group of humans with a very interesting discovery and mayhem ensues.
The movie is more like a sci-fi rather than a pure vampire flick. Blood shortage could be attributed to anything – food, fuel, oxygen or anything important to the human race or vampires for this movie. This relatively generic theme made the movie one of the “me too” films because the premise has very little imagination or relation to the vampire. If you’re looking for a powerful vampire-theme, check out “Let the Right One In”.
Learning that Tim Burton’s next film is his very own interpretation of Alice in Wonderland does not come as a surprise. How could such a milestone of fantasy literature and film production not inspire one of the most creative and imaginative minds of Hollywood? Burton’s story could be considered half a remake and half a sequel of the original one, since the protagonist here is an 18 year old Alice Kingsleigh (Mia Wasikowska), who does not remember her past wonder adventures but will re-live the fantastic journey and encounter all of the iconic characters who have populated this amazing tale.
Nonetheless, the director has declared his intention is to thoroughly recreate the sacred spirit of the story and, unlike all his previous movies, make it perfetely consistent with Lewis Caroll’s work. Other actors in the new movies’ cast are: the unfailing Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter, Helena Bonham Carter as the Red Queen, Michael Sheen as the White Rabbit, Stephen Fry as the Cheshire Cat, Christopher Lee as the Jabberwock and Anne Hathaway as the White Queen.
Avatar is certainly the
film pushing science fiction to the next level. This movie has immediately had a huge success in the US from his first week after being released and is believed to repeat the same in Europe where it will be distributed in January.
James Cameron had in mind the idea for the movie since 1995 but realised he did not have the technological means to go on with the production. He worked along with the top minds of the industry to develop the motion capture technologies which make Avatar one of the most spectacular and jaw dropping 3D films out there.
The latest adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s character, Sherlock Holmes, sees Robert Downey Jr. in the role of the famous detective and Jude Law as his trustworthy assistant Dr. Watson. The plot of the movie directed by Guy Ritchie is not following one of Doyle’s narration but presents an original story with Holmes facing a new enemy, Lord Blackwell (played by Mark Strong) who is planning a satanic conspiracy endangering the entire country.
There have been several past attempts in transferring the most famous novel by Oscar Wilde on the big screen. This movie, however, looks more to be a re-interpretation rather than a faithful adaptation of the perturbing novel.
In fact, Oliver Parker’s work has a particular focus on facts and facets of the main character that Oscar Wilde had only left to the reader’s imagination, even by pushing the shooting script further and introducing non existing characters in the original novel.
Without setting on the side the pivotal theme of The Picture of Dorian Gray, that is the cult of eternal beauty and the primacy of art on life (it is one’s life that is to be an artistic creation and not art that is to reproduce life), the film is especially centred on the process of depravation following Dorian’s pact with the devil for eternal beauty and youth in exchange of his own soul.
The movie sets out the novel’s original plot of Dorian Gray (Ben Barnes), a young man of charming beauty arriving in the London of late XIX century, where the character soon becomes enticed by dandy Lord Henry Wotton (Colin Firth) into the life of hedonistic seek of pleasure. The painting of him made by artist Basil Hallward (Ben Chaplin) will embody the dissolution of his soul behind the never fading beauty of his appearance.
Christmas is the most wonderful season of the year and when it’s time for Christmas, it’s time to watch some Christmas movies. If you’ll celebrate Christmas in front of the TV, they will serve you the usual Christmas menu: “Love Actually” and “Home Alone” but this year go to the cinema for a change and watch Robert Zemeckis’ “A Christmas Carol”.
This timeless tale was portrayed countless times but the story never gets boring. Ebenezer Scrooge, played by Jim Carrey, doesn’t believe in the spirit of Christmas. He is such a negative and mean man and is haunted by the three ghosts of Christmas; Christmas past, present and future. Ebenezer Scrooge gets to see all that he needs to see just so he would realize what the true spirit of Christmas is.
Basically, the story is still the same but it’s the animation that makes it different. Of course there is a bit of difference on every version as to keep the viewers guessing. This version is spectacular and is available on iMax 3D so viewers can enjoy the animation even further. Jim Carrey’s portrayal of Mr. Ebenezer Scrooge is impressive.