Dedicated The King's Speech Thread

Message Bookmarked
Bookmark Removed

a thread dedicated to 'the king's speech'

history mayne, Wednesday, 2 February 2011 00:10 (fourteen years ago)

Kings Reach Tower redevelopment | Southwark | 127m | 34 fl | On hold

From what's being said in the World Forum, it sounds like the building is being vacated in preparation for its redevelopment. There will be a 4-storey height increase and a complete reclad of the exterior, plus improvements to the entrance and surrounding buildings.

http://www.skyscrapernews.com/images/pics/1431KingsReachTowerRebuild_pic2.jpg

omar little, Wednesday, 2 February 2011 00:12 (fourteen years ago)

Champagne!

Rich Lolwry (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 2 February 2011 00:14 (fourteen years ago)

http://www.freeroms.com/roms_screenshot1/nes_kings_of_the_beach_1.gif

one pretty obvious guy in the obvious (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Wednesday, 2 February 2011 00:24 (fourteen years ago)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yK_5sx2asXA

Your cousin, Marvin Cobain (C. Grisso/McCain), Wednesday, 2 February 2011 00:27 (fourteen years ago)

http://29.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lfv3jy6wdT1qa2ylvo1_500.jpg

call all destroyer, Wednesday, 2 February 2011 00:28 (fourteen years ago)

Porno version of The King's Speech called The King's Sex, where the King works with a hot female therapist to get over his fear of sex.

― hey boys, suppers on me, our video just went bacterial (Hurting 2), Sunday, January 9, 2011 11:08 PM Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

YOU MUST LEAVE AN HEIR TO THE THRONE

― gr8080, Sunday, January 9, 2011 11:31 PM Bookmark

hey boys, suppers on me, our video just went bacterial (Hurting 2), Wednesday, 2 February 2011 00:39 (fourteen years ago)

this probably wasnt as dull looking as it seemed from the not-very-good stream i had where the top fifth of the screen was dedicated every fifteen minutes to informing me that the movie was the property of the weinsteins and not to be duplicated but i had a bunch of problems w/ the story itself. like i guess every romantic comedy has the same sense of historical inevitability but the long stretches of the film where they were 'broken-up' were p boring & their reconcilliations were unearned & unfeeling. even king's decision to first begin therapy was just like 'this record is sorta tedious wonder what i sound like when i stutter'

stuff i liked:

- prissy nerd kid of rush's disdain every time rush opened his mouth
- battletoad playing churchill
- fams dogs
- est the bad prince by having him fly in late in an aeroplane

Lamp, Wednesday, 2 February 2011 02:46 (fourteen years ago)

Kept waiting for the scene where Rush and Firth, dressed in matching white sports coats, step off an escalator into a casino.

Rich Lolwry (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 2 February 2011 02:48 (fourteen years ago)

Timothy Spall is Churchill, yah

kind of shrill and very self-righteous (Dr Morbius), Wednesday, 2 February 2011 02:48 (fourteen years ago)

- fams dogs

ya dope lil doggies imo

kinda agree w/lamp, but many of the struggles-with-stuttering scenes were good i thought... i always feel Real Bad for stutterers

annoying thing: did the movie seem underlit to anyone? i'm almost positive the theater i saw it in was using a dimmed projector bulb but im curious what it looked like for other people.

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic (Princess TamTam), Wednesday, 2 February 2011 02:57 (fourteen years ago)

I enjoyed it and even teared up a bit at the end, probably because I am getting older and softer. Total bourgeois Oscar porn.

I watched it on a DLed screener, looked fine to me.

Inevitable stupid dubstep mix (chap), Wednesday, 2 February 2011 03:00 (fourteen years ago)

thought this movie was pretty bad and the audience i saw it with laughed at every corny joke they told

Mordy, Wednesday, 2 February 2011 03:02 (fourteen years ago)

there were a couple of really good scenes btw the two of them particularly when rush was goading king tryna break through the stiff aristo formality & proding his inner rage that hinted @ what a good movie this coulda been. but except for the one tender scene where king goes to see him after his father has died & rush is sorta half working half consoling him there wasnt much payoff to the relaish imo

i mean if your movies central drama is over a man's ability to clearly read aloud mb focus more on the most interesting relationship in the movie, rather than on a bunch of boring history facts

also the speeches where the characters wld concisely outline their motivations were really corny

Lamp, Wednesday, 2 February 2011 03:07 (fourteen years ago)

Historical facts are rarely boring -- filmmakers often are.

Rich Lolwry (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 2 February 2011 03:10 (fourteen years ago)

it's no INCEPTION

maybe i'm just gay (Tape Store), Wednesday, 2 February 2011 03:12 (fourteen years ago)

Both films had a significant lack of subtlety. I really only wanted subtlety from one of them tho.

Mordy, Wednesday, 2 February 2011 03:13 (fourteen years ago)

there was no way you could possibly go into this not knowing exactly what you were going to get. it was ok. i like firth so

call all destroyer, Wednesday, 2 February 2011 03:13 (fourteen years ago)

i had no idea what it was about when i went in to see it. i just heard it was getting some buzz and it was the only adult-person thing showing at the time

Mordy, Wednesday, 2 February 2011 03:14 (fourteen years ago)

i meant more along the lines of aggressively middlebrow miramax oscarbait

call all destroyer, Wednesday, 2 February 2011 03:27 (fourteen years ago)

http://i.imgur.com/UrKSC.gif

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic (Princess TamTam), Wednesday, 2 February 2011 04:18 (fourteen years ago)

I'd ok with CF, just prancing around the room, cussing.
and tits.

kate78, Wednesday, 2 February 2011 04:38 (fourteen years ago)

I loved it, great story and thought it looked fantastic. The fog and the huge tattered wall in Logue's consulting room were such a pleasure to watch on the big screen. Only bits that jarred were the historical-context expository speeches, because most of those people seemed too self-obsessed to be motivated like that; and Churchill being so hammy and significant, because I don't think he'd've been such a prominent figure until much later. Britain up 'til we started winning is so much my thing though, I was welling up more than once.

We were listening to the actual king's speech last night too and woah, can you ever hear what a struggle it was to get through it.

Ismael Klata, Wednesday, 2 February 2011 08:47 (fourteen years ago)

"..and tits" made me proper laugh out loud. I liked the film a lot. Agree it is total Oscar-bait, and not sure I liked the Queen Mum being written as sassy witty banter-queen, but overall it looked v. grimy London vs posh reality, and Firth and Rush were excellent.

All the English actors in the world though, and the best they could find for bad caddish prince was Mike from Neighbours though? Really? Could have been worse, it could have been Hugh Grant, I guess.

ailsa, Wednesday, 2 February 2011 08:49 (fourteen years ago)

Posh royalty, not posh reality. I don't live in a palace or anything.

ailsa, Wednesday, 2 February 2011 08:49 (fourteen years ago)

and Churchill being so hammy and significant, because I don't think he'd've been such a prominent figure until much later

he was quite prominent, but... he was actually on the bad prince's side lol

i thought pearce was one of the best things about it

history mayne, Wednesday, 2 February 2011 09:17 (fourteen years ago)

but then i think casting hugh grant would have been funny meta-casting so

history mayne, Wednesday, 2 February 2011 09:17 (fourteen years ago)

Pearce was fine, except it was hard to believe he was supposed to be the older of the two.

Alba, Wednesday, 2 February 2011 09:30 (fourteen years ago)

Oh, I thought he was good, but I sort of just think "Mike from Neighbours" whenever I see him, and "you are Australian putting on a caddish posh voice" - which I will concede he did very well. I realise this is much more my fault than his.

ailsa, Wednesday, 2 February 2011 09:31 (fourteen years ago)

There was a newspaper article praising it for being mostly accurate and/or a fair balance of 'reality' i.e. what really happened..

Except for, as they said:

1) Rush's character was not as 'indeferent' to the King as the film made out
2) Churchill was anti forcing Ed8 to abdicate
3) The final declaration of war was not greeted with cheering and congratulations and a balcony scene at Buck house with the crowd cheering and waving flags. Which was the only scene where I was thinking "FUCK OFF THAT NEVER HAPPENED YOU CAN'T TELL ME IT DID!!!"

Mark G, Wednesday, 2 February 2011 09:32 (fourteen years ago)

Like I'm ever gonna watch this

Y Kant Torres Red (Noodle Vague), Wednesday, 2 February 2011 09:32 (fourteen years ago)

It's like that Helen Mirren film. You will end up watching it.

Mark G, Wednesday, 2 February 2011 09:58 (fourteen years ago)

frankly, there are hundreds of films I want to see that I'll probably never get round to.

Altho doesn't The Queen offer some vague critique of the institution of monarchy rather than just cuddlifying it and normalising it? Frankly if I wanna watch something about how great some cunt in a crown is, it better be set in Ruritania.

Y Kant Torres Red (Noodle Vague), Wednesday, 2 February 2011 10:02 (fourteen years ago)

Frankly.

Y Kant Torres Red (Noodle Vague), Wednesday, 2 February 2011 10:02 (fourteen years ago)

'the queen' is good imo, better than 'the king's speech', which i didn't hate, but im still thinking on

i wouldn't say 'the queen' is that critical though; basically the irl queen is no more helen mirren than the queen mum was helena bonham carter

history mayne, Wednesday, 2 February 2011 10:04 (fourteen years ago)

No, the eventual outcome is people going "ahhh she's lovely after all"

A lot of people were going "lol Tony Blair gets DEALT" but actually, it couldn't have been more positive towards him if he'd written it himself.

Mark G, Wednesday, 2 February 2011 10:07 (fourteen years ago)

do like watching Geoffrey Rush but he's not enough to get me over this hump. also feel this is gonna get mentioned by my disability rights friends down the line, but again, biopics are not my bag at the best of times. what wd you say are its virtues?

Y Kant Torres Red (Noodle Vague), Wednesday, 2 February 2011 10:07 (fourteen years ago)

more i think about it the less i like it

basically it's like bridget jones, where firth is firth and the british people is bridget jones

history mayne, Wednesday, 2 February 2011 10:14 (fourteen years ago)

British People less eye candy than Podgy Zellwegger tbh

Y Kant Torres Red (Noodle Vague), Wednesday, 2 February 2011 10:16 (fourteen years ago)

Virtues are pleb-zinging HB-C, king-zinging Geoffrey Rush, and that's about it. Also corgis.

The Queen was really boring. There is nothing as terrible at "oh look, a stag, I must bond with my people now" in The King's Speech.

ailsa, Wednesday, 2 February 2011 11:00 (fourteen years ago)

i LOVED this. I was expecting shitty uplifting patriotic tosh. In reality it was like an hour of 'our friends the nazi' references, the Firth never really learning to speak properly, quite obviously showing that he was only in charge because his other two brothers were so fucked that he was the least-worst choice. Hell, even for the uplifting end moment all his feedback (even from his kid, cant remember which one) is "eh you cocked it up but i dont think anyone will notice". And the swearing is terrific, "fornication?" had me rolling.

if there is a King Kenny, apparently he is huge into slapstick. (a hoy hoy), Wednesday, 2 February 2011 11:13 (fourteen years ago)

Blimey, does every 'Brit' film have a lol swearing bit?

Or am I just thinking of 4Wed&Fun too much?

Mark G, Wednesday, 2 February 2011 11:15 (fourteen years ago)

I also loved the look of it, all the thrown in graphic design elements etc.

if there is a King Kenny, apparently he is huge into slapstick. (a hoy hoy), Wednesday, 2 February 2011 11:17 (fourteen years ago)

Yeh, the look was great, loved the London fog.

The film goes to great lengths to make this about some dude with a speech impediment having to talk on the radio rather than CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS - all the shots of CF wedged into the corner of the screen while the background looms over him. Even with the whole E8 thing it was portrayed more as how it affects him, rather than how it affects the monarchy.

As much as the finale was criticised for being too oscar-baity (it is) he manages to not become a hero. He's as much a failure at the end as he is at the start, but he'll just about get by.

전승 Complete Victory (in Battle) (NotEnough), Wednesday, 2 February 2011 13:00 (fourteen years ago)

Yeah it is terrific in that you come away going 'well he's not as bad as the one imbred to a literal epilectic death and the one who is one of many people incl. parts of the nazi party shagging this woman who has him wrapped around his finger' as opposed to 'yay the amazing king lets sing rule britannia'

if there is a King Kenny, apparently he is huge into slapstick. (a hoy hoy), Wednesday, 2 February 2011 13:08 (fourteen years ago)

this film was mad boring.

actual footage of him rocking on his heels and struggling with his r's at ~3:00 here: http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=50494

caek, Wednesday, 2 February 2011 13:23 (fourteen years ago)

Altho doesn't The Queen offer some vague critique of the institution of monarchy rather than just cuddlifying it and normalising it? Frankly if I wanna watch something about how great some cunt in a crown is, it better be set in Ruritania.

― Y Kant Torres Red (Noodle Vague), Wednesday, February 2, 2011 10:02 AM (3 hours ago) Bookmark

He's a normal guy with normal inadequacies and failings in a crown though, that's the point. And that is also a vague critique of the monarchy in itself, both in the sense of 'this is the guy appointed by God to rule us?', and in the sense of feeling sorry that he's been put under such enormous pressure by being forced into the role.

Inevitable stupid dubstep mix (chap), Wednesday, 2 February 2011 13:43 (fourteen years ago)

As much as the finale was criticised for being too oscar-baity (it is) he manages to not become a hero. He's as much a failure at the end as he is at the start, but he'll just about get by.

― 전승 Complete Victory (in Battle) (NotEnough), Wednesday, February 2, 2011 8:00 AM (50 minutes ago) Bookmark

otm - this is exactly what i liked about it

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic (Princess TamTam), Wednesday, 2 February 2011 13:51 (fourteen years ago)

I care little about historical accuracy, but when the film whitewashes the British royal family's complicity in the events after 1935 I object to the sentimental conclusion, to say nothing about how pedestrian the film looks and how unsurprising Firth, Bonham Carter, and Rush's performances are.

Rich Lolwry (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 2 February 2011 14:19 (fourteen years ago)

maybe facile to say but this reminded me a lot of billy elliott -- i knew it was lying to me the whole time but i enjoyed myself

goole, Wednesday, 2 February 2011 14:32 (fourteen years ago)

Frankly if I wanna watch something about how great some cunt in a crown is, it better be set in Ruritania.

― Y Kant Torres Red (Noodle Vague), Wednesday, 2 February 2011 10:02 (4 hours ago)

This was kinda my reaction upon learning ot this film but some of the above posts are making me reconsider. Still don't think the struggles of an appointed leader are that interesting though.

acoleuthic, Wednesday, 2 February 2011 14:36 (fourteen years ago)

I dunno, it's a unique position for a person to be in to say the least. Treated with honesty rather than jingoism or whatever it is pretty interesting.

Inevitable stupid dubstep mix (chap), Wednesday, 2 February 2011 14:38 (fourteen years ago)

It's very good in actually saying 'the royal family is p useless and has nothing to do with anything other than glad handing and speeches and he doesn't even make one in about 5 years as king'

if there is a King Kenny, apparently he is huge into slapstick. (a hoy hoy), Wednesday, 2 February 2011 14:38 (fourteen years ago)

when the film whitewashes the British royal family's complicity in the events after 1935 I object to the sentimental conclusion

I've never understood the "this film isn't as good as this film I've just imagined" attitude. This was never, nor pretended to be, a film about the royal family 1935-1939, it's about a dude with a stutter.

전승 Complete Victory (in Battle) (NotEnough), Wednesday, 2 February 2011 14:39 (fourteen years ago)

ok, well I'll watch it then

acoleuthic, Wednesday, 2 February 2011 14:40 (fourteen years ago)

maybe

acoleuthic, Wednesday, 2 February 2011 14:41 (fourteen years ago)

i loved it and even i would say its more of a 'watch it when its on christmas day in 2 years time' type of filim.

if there is a King Kenny, apparently he is huge into slapstick. (a hoy hoy), Wednesday, 2 February 2011 14:42 (fourteen years ago)

From what I've read the only egregious inaccuracy in Churchill's position on the whole thing. Sure, the film overlooks and misses out stuff, but it doesn't seem to greviously misrepresent the events it does portray for the most part.

Inevitable stupid dubstep mix (chap), Wednesday, 2 February 2011 14:42 (fourteen years ago)

only egregious inaccuracy is

Inevitable stupid dubstep mix (chap), Wednesday, 2 February 2011 14:43 (fourteen years ago)

no need to rush

if there is a King Kenny, apparently he is huge into slapstick. (a hoy hoy), Wednesday, 2 February 2011 14:43 (fourteen years ago)

pun intended

Rich Lolwry (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 2 February 2011 14:46 (fourteen years ago)

My point is that the real circumstances surrounding the royals' reaction to events on the Continent was ten times more dramatic and fascinating than this Rain Man meets Good Will Hunting Oscar bait.

Rich Lolwry (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 2 February 2011 14:47 (fourteen years ago)

Well, perhaps someone will make a film about that as well.

ailsa, Wednesday, 2 February 2011 15:44 (fourteen years ago)

Not in the UK they won't, ever.

Y Kant Torres Red (Noodle Vague), Wednesday, 2 February 2011 15:56 (fourteen years ago)

still have no plans to see this, but re the visuals, this RS piece gave it Worst Cinematography:

http://www.reverseshot.com/article/reverse_shots_two_cents_2010

kind of shrill and very self-righteous (Dr Morbius), Wednesday, 2 February 2011 16:25 (fourteen years ago)

more i think about it the less i like it

yeah just reading this thread its like, this was not good. think it coulda been good, had some good stuff, but on the whole was not.

'the queen' is rad imo

Lamp, Wednesday, 2 February 2011 16:30 (fourteen years ago)

Thought for a second that Morbs RS link was from Rolling Stone and that this film was the one Travers decided to backlash against.

Your cousin, Marvin Cobain (C. Grisso/McCain), Wednesday, 2 February 2011 16:35 (fourteen years ago)

I enjoyed it despite its limitations, mostly for Rush and Firth and HB-C were alright as well. The Churchill inaccuracy mostly stems from telescoping his transformation from loyal courtier to E8 to scrambling to get good w/G6.

I was very intrigued by the portrayal of young Princess Elizabeth. They made her seem quite savvy, almost cunning.

Le mépris vient de la tête, la haine vient du cœur (Michael White), Wednesday, 2 February 2011 16:37 (fourteen years ago)

like Anakin Skywalker.

Rich Lolwry (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 2 February 2011 16:43 (fourteen years ago)

This was reasonably entertaining. However, a few things bothered me. Geoffrey Rush's character existed so much for other characters (e.g., Derek Jacobi's archbishop of Canterbury) to tut-tut and say things like "Well, this is highly irregular!" Plus, I *hate* when movies set in the past give us little ironic winks -- basically everything having to do with smoking ("My doctor says it soothes the throat!"). Also, the climactic speech seemed to lack a certain drama -- I cared about whether he was able to get out the words, but I didn't care about the words themselves. Anyway, just kind of formulaic, I guess.

Tyler/Perry's "Dude (Looks Like a Lady)" (jaymc), Wednesday, 2 February 2011 16:48 (fourteen years ago)

it's hella formulaic, yeh. OTM about it being awesome at 3.10 on xmas day.

전승 Complete Victory (in Battle) (NotEnough), Wednesday, 2 February 2011 16:52 (fourteen years ago)

Oh, also the essential psychoanalytic dimension of the relationship between Lionel and Bertie. A better movie might have judged that with more detachment or skepticism, rather than wholly buying into the trite narrative of self-discovery and getting in touch with one's feelings.

Tyler/Perry's "Dude (Looks Like a Lady)" (jaymc), Wednesday, 2 February 2011 16:55 (fourteen years ago)

^^^ another one of my objections, and when combined with the continued fetish of treating britishes like repressed sticky wickets it's insufferable.

Rich Lolwry (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 2 February 2011 16:57 (fourteen years ago)

OTM about it being awesome at 3.10 on xmas day.

Ha yeah, I can see that.

For me, the film was at a severe disadvantage because I sneaked into it immediately after seeing Blue Valentine, which devastated me.

Tyler/Perry's "Dude (Looks Like a Lady)" (jaymc), Wednesday, 2 February 2011 16:57 (fourteen years ago)

I don't care about movies that show royals having "real feelings." I give The Queen some credit for sticking with the notion that, at Queen Elizabeth II's level of celebrity, ceremony is all royals understand.

Rich Lolwry (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 2 February 2011 16:58 (fourteen years ago)

Yeah, The Queen was good.

Tyler/Perry's "Dude (Looks Like a Lady)" (jaymc), Wednesday, 2 February 2011 17:01 (fourteen years ago)

xxp "Psychoanalyst Drama" is almost a genre in itself and TKS sticks to those genre conventions. It's better than Good Will Hunting, surely?

전승 Complete Victory (in Battle) (NotEnough), Wednesday, 2 February 2011 17:01 (fourteen years ago)

I think the fact that its subject is a particular repressed dude whose entire job is to be all ceremonial and he has a thing that stops him doing that lets it away with those things.

ailsa, Wednesday, 2 February 2011 17:02 (fourteen years ago)

no scene of the two royal brothers kicking each other's asses in slo-mo set to "Baker Street."

Rich Lolwry (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 2 February 2011 17:02 (fourteen years ago)

One thing I wondered: Do the British royals still make lots of ceremonial speeches? I can't recall ever having heard QE2 or Prince Charles's voice.

Tyler/Perry's "Dude (Looks Like a Lady)" (jaymc), Wednesday, 2 February 2011 17:04 (fourteen years ago)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/archive/ww2outbreak/7918.shtml

The actual speech, btw

Le mépris vient de la tête, la haine vient du cœur (Michael White), Wednesday, 2 February 2011 17:05 (fourteen years ago)

Christmas boradcast and opening of parliament at least, jaymc

Le mépris vient de la tête, la haine vient du cœur (Michael White), Wednesday, 2 February 2011 17:05 (fourteen years ago)

Liz goes on TV every xmas day to deliver a five minute speech. Whenever you hear Phil talk it's cos he's been in the news for gleefully insulting some foreigners.

xpst

Inevitable stupid dubstep mix (chap), Wednesday, 2 February 2011 17:05 (fourteen years ago)

Queenie does the state opening of parliament as well. Chuck doesn't have to do any of those things yet since it's not his job.

ailsa, Wednesday, 2 February 2011 17:07 (fourteen years ago)

Oh, Michael already said that. Never mind.

ailsa, Wednesday, 2 February 2011 17:07 (fourteen years ago)

Charles always giving some talk about this ghastly modern age with its horrendous buildings and soulless evidence-based medicine.

hoisin crispy mubaduck (ledge), Wednesday, 2 February 2011 17:08 (fourteen years ago)

Charles always giving some talk about this ghastly modern age with its horrendous buildings and soulless evidence-based medicine.

― hoisin crispy mubaduck (ledge), Wednesday, February 2, 2011 5:08 PM (18 seconds ago) Bookmark

Entirely extra-curricula all that, think he'll have to pack it in once he's got the crown.

Inevitable stupid dubstep mix (chap), Wednesday, 2 February 2011 17:09 (fourteen years ago)

Chuck talks perhaps too much; not sure. It's okay for a crown prince to be visible, not so advisable to have so many Strong Opinions when you're not elected and not otherwise entitled to be a tribune except by birth.

Le mépris vient de la tête, la haine vient du cœur (Michael White), Wednesday, 2 February 2011 17:10 (fourteen years ago)

It's very good in actually saying 'the royal family is p useless and has nothing to do with anything other than glad handing and speeches and he doesn't even make one in about 5 years as king'

Having the royals themselves be the ones to deliver dialogue cutely espousing their own uselessness was a total sop to 21st century mores IMO.

Simon H., Wednesday, 2 February 2011 18:25 (fourteen years ago)

Those kinds of calculations are true of nearly all mainstream period films, ever.

kind of shrill and very self-righteous (Dr Morbius), Wednesday, 2 February 2011 18:33 (fourteen years ago)

I also loved the look of it, all the thrown in graphic design elements etc.

― if there is a King Kenny, apparently he is huge into slapstick. (a hoy hoy), Wednesday, February 2, 2011 11:17 AM (7 hours ago) Bookmark

it's called a fish-eye lens, i think

for every gd shot

history mayne, Wednesday, 2 February 2011 18:43 (fourteen years ago)

that totally sounds like they thought "o shit another tedious costume party celebrating our glorious nation's diminishing horizons thru the medium of RP how can we jazz it up a bit?"

Y Kant Torres Red (Noodle Vague), Wednesday, 2 February 2011 18:45 (fourteen years ago)

I think it felt esp egregious here since HBC's twee shtick bothered me even more than usual this time around. xxp

Simon H., Wednesday, 2 February 2011 18:48 (fourteen years ago)

Like how HBC recognizes that her perf isn't all that great:

I thought it was a boys’ film … Sometimes you get nominated for the wrong things. I’m not knocking it, because I want the good roles, so if it helps me get another really good part, that’s great. For that moment, when you’re nominated, you get offered parts you wouldn’t otherwise be offered. After ‘Wings of a Dove’ [sic], I got ‘Fight Club.’ When you are up for awards, they remember you’re still alive.

Tyler/Perry's "Dude (Looks Like a Lady)" (jaymc), Wednesday, 2 February 2011 19:00 (fourteen years ago)

ne ways, this could have been a lot better

i don't think the royal family's line on hitlerism is that interesting, frankly; and im afraid most people were relieved when chamberlain arrived home from munich in '38 promising peace. they didn't want another WWI, unsurprisingly, and they gave no more of a shit about czechs and poles than "we" do about, well, whoever, when it comes to putting boots on the ground.

whatever, the writer lacked the killer instinct. this should have been a film about how the kind stay the king. but it soft-soaped some pretty big questions. i said it made the british people like bridget jones -- i forgot to mention all the millions of colonial subjects you see on the big radio thingies. the war (eventually) ended all that, and changed things in britain too, socially. the ending doesn't exactly suggest that.

history mayne, Wednesday, 2 February 2011 19:04 (fourteen years ago)

HBC has become a much better, more relaxed actress than she was in 1986; she should have won the Oscar in 1997 for The Wings of the Dove. But it's so strange how this nomination business works – how people get swept up and are talked about being swept up even though no one thinks they were anything special.

Rich Lolwry (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 2 February 2011 19:06 (fourteen years ago)

There's no way her perf was memorable, and I've met no one whose opinion I trust who would say otherwise, yet she was a frontrunner for the nomination since the beginning of the season. Like Matt Damon and Stanley Tucci last year.

Rich Lolwry (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 2 February 2011 19:08 (fourteen years ago)

I thought this did precisely what the standard narrative for Bertie has always been. A shy, dutiful naval officer lives quietly w/his loving family until shunted into the spotlight by his irresponsible, playboy brother and his sense of duty is great enough that he is even willing to consort with Australians so he can do right by his peoples and occasionally give them a speech where he mispronounces his 'r's.

Yes, the story is a tad self-important and heroic considering the obstacles he has to overcome and the advantages he was born to but it's not always easy being a royal (it would certainly be more fun to simply be wealthy or well-connected) and even harder to be a king - constantly playing a part with millions scrutinizing your performance - and it is a kind of stony, stiff-upper-lipped, England-expects-every-man-to-do-his-duty story that the British used to lap up and think they emulated.

Le mépris vient de la tête, la haine vient du cœur (Michael White), Wednesday, 2 February 2011 19:22 (fourteen years ago)

Good film. Baffled by Guy Pearce though yeah. Geoffrey Rush = ace.

Menwhile... http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2011/jan/31/the-kings-speech-gross-falsification

piscesx, Thursday, 3 February 2011 01:50 (fourteen years ago)

All true, but the fact remains, this was not a film about Churchill. It would have been better if he wasn't even in it,.

Mark G, Thursday, 3 February 2011 09:27 (fourteen years ago)

i got confused thinking 'man that guy looks nothing like Chamberlain' and then it turned out it was meant to be Stanley Baldwin.

i've never seen such a negative portrayal of Edward and/or Mrs Simpson before. haven't seen many royal biogs mind.

piscesx, Thursday, 3 February 2011 11:34 (fourteen years ago)

Really? I don't think I've ever known him/her to be portrayed as anything other than dirty fuckers who shock horror didn't care about the nations interests

if there is a King Kenny, apparently he is huge into slapstick. (a hoy hoy), Thursday, 3 February 2011 11:36 (fourteen years ago)

i've never seen such a negative portrayal of Edward and/or Mrs Simpson before. haven't seen many royal biogs mind.

― piscesx, Thursday, February 3, 2011 11:34 AM (2 minutes ago) Bookmark

Recent c4 drama Any Human Heart went as far to imply they might actually have been murderers. Not a popular couple.

Inevitable stupid dubstep mix (chap), Thursday, 3 February 2011 11:38 (fourteen years ago)

For positive portrayals though, I vaguely remember there was a schlocky West End musical based on their relationship some years ago.

Inevitable stupid dubstep mix (chap), Thursday, 3 February 2011 11:41 (fourteen years ago)

mm i haven't seen any of the recent biogs or whatever. but did for example

this
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/2/26/Edward_%26_Mrs._Simpson.jpg/220px-Edward_%26_Mrs._Simpson.jpg

or this

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_yPWyFZEdY0s/SQYlMjrG1oI/AAAAAAAAFi8/B9Es34dyON4/s400/wallis-2.jpg

make them out to be Nazis and whatnot? i'm prepared to believe so.

who did they murder alledgedly?

piscesx, Thursday, 3 February 2011 11:56 (fourteen years ago)

JEWS

if there is a King Kenny, apparently he is huge into slapstick. (a hoy hoy), Thursday, 3 February 2011 11:59 (fourteen years ago)

Stu Sutcliffe

Tom A. (Tom B.) (Tom C.) (Tom D.), Thursday, 3 February 2011 12:21 (fourteen years ago)

Maddie, etc...

Mark G, Thursday, 3 February 2011 12:22 (fourteen years ago)

i got confused thinking 'man that guy looks nothing like Chamberlain' and then it turned out it was meant to be Stanley Baldwin

I had the same thought.

Rich Lolwry (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 3 February 2011 13:11 (fourteen years ago)

And, let's face it, i don't think even people at the time knew what Stanley Baldwin looked like

Tom D (Lenin's his feir and Liebknecht's his mate) (Tom D.), Thursday, 3 February 2011 13:14 (fourteen years ago)

Whereas TimSpall's first scene, um, I didn't realise who he was supposed to be until his 2nd scene...

Mark G, Thursday, 3 February 2011 13:27 (fourteen years ago)

When I first heard the title and era of this film, I just assumed it was about Edward and Wallis

kind of shrill and very self-righteous (Dr Morbius), Thursday, 3 February 2011 15:09 (fourteen years ago)

I enjoyed this, although it has its flaws. Guy Pearce was fantastic as a cretin. The people who are up in arms about it possibly winning the Oscar amuse me, because TSN isn't exactly a cinematic masterpiece either.

Peyton Flanders (Nicole), Thursday, 3 February 2011 15:24 (fourteen years ago)

i got confused thinking 'man that guy looks nothing like Chamberlain' and then it turned out it was meant to be Stanley Baldwin

Whereas I gasped and thought, 'Sebastian, you've aged so!'

Le mépris vient de la tête, la haine vient du cœur (Michael White), Thursday, 3 February 2011 15:25 (fourteen years ago)

Thought they were all playing cretins tbh

Y Kant Torres Red (Noodle Vague), Thursday, 3 February 2011 17:19 (fourteen years ago)

I liked how they had Pierce playing English and Jennifer Ehle playing Australian but it was a little disconcerting at first.

Le mépris vient de la tête, la haine vient du cœur (Michael White), Thursday, 3 February 2011 17:25 (fourteen years ago)

I enjoyed this, although it has its flaws. Guy Pearce was fantastic as a cretin. The people who are up in arms about it possibly winning the Oscar amuse me, because TSN isn't exactly a cinematic masterpiece either.

― Peyton Flanders (Nicole), Thursday, February 3, 2011 3:24 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark

well, yeah, it is, tbh

have thought about this a lot and now hate it. i didn't want to. hating blatant oscarbait movies is pretty boring. there are some funny bits in this, but it's not even that well written; that's what really surprised me. loads of confrontation scenes are just kind of ehhh. and as cinema i just think it's ropey as hell and hooper is basically inept.

im wildly inconsistent about this point, i don't always care, but the historical distortions were too much for me. even apart from them, the deference to... stanley baldwin was something else.

history mayne, Friday, 4 February 2011 00:06 (fourteen years ago)

yah i probably wasnt as a big a fan of the social nets but its better in almost every way than the king's speech

cloudy predecessor (Lamp), Friday, 4 February 2011 02:26 (fourteen years ago)

Saw it last night with my wife, who is from Mexico and learned English at 19; she has it 95% of the way but usually watches TV with English captions on. She wanted to see it because of the Oscar buzz and didn't really realize that not only would the characters have thick accents, but that the main one would have a stutter. So for her it was an $8 nap, but I liked it a decent amount. She woke up at the end and was wondering if Lionel and Albert were going to make out. Then she was wondering if they were going to have a foursome (with Elizabeth and Hitler); I guess that's my movie review.

frogbs, Friday, 4 February 2011 15:25 (fourteen years ago)

You and your wife need to do more movie reviews immediately.

Ned Raggett, Friday, 4 February 2011 15:36 (fourteen years ago)

Yeah, what's with the King of England, can't he speak proper friggin' English or what?

Tom D (Lenin's his feir and Liebknecht's his mate) (Tom D.), Friday, 4 February 2011 15:39 (fourteen years ago)

I nominate Tom D. for last monarch of the UK. (In that I presume your first and last act as monarch would be to abolish the monarchy and turn Buckingham into a car boot sale zone.)

Ned Raggett, Friday, 4 February 2011 15:40 (fourteen years ago)

I'd put myself up against the wall and shoot myself

Tom D (Lenin's his feir and Liebknecht's his mate) (Tom D.), Friday, 4 February 2011 15:42 (fourteen years ago)

please

Jefferson Mansplain (DG), Friday, 4 February 2011 15:43 (fourteen years ago)

Seems rather extreme.

Ned Raggett, Friday, 4 February 2011 15:43 (fourteen years ago)

What exactly is your problem DG?

Tom D (Lenin's his feir and Liebknecht's his mate) (Tom D.), Friday, 4 February 2011 15:45 (fourteen years ago)

^^^ohoh internet persona failure

Jefferson Mansplain (DG), Friday, 4 February 2011 15:47 (fourteen years ago)

Mortally wounded here

Tom D (Lenin's his feir and Liebknecht's his mate) (Tom D.), Friday, 4 February 2011 15:49 (fourteen years ago)

america has car boot sales?

if there is a King Kenny, apparently he is huge into slapstick. (a hoy hoy), Friday, 4 February 2011 15:52 (fourteen years ago)

We call them 'swap meets' here in our local barbarous tongue.

Ned Raggett, Friday, 4 February 2011 15:52 (fourteen years ago)

oh is THAT what a Swap Meet is....

Mark G, Friday, 4 February 2011 15:53 (fourteen years ago)

I thought it was some sort of Barter market.

Mark G, Friday, 4 February 2011 15:54 (fourteen years ago)

You and your wife need to do more movie reviews immediately.

I always tease her about this; in Mexico the movie theaters are so much better than they are here, for about the same price (or less!) you get recliners, your own table, a much more well-maintained theater, and instead of previews you get to chill out and eat reasonably priced food while listening to stuff like Underworld and The Orb. As a result she falls asleep 15-20 minutes into every movie; I thought it would be awesome if she did a review column where she just reviews the first 15 minutes of every movie.

frogbs, Friday, 4 February 2011 16:14 (fourteen years ago)

She woke up at the end and was wondering if Lionel and Albert were going to make out.

Rule 34 is not to be tempted...but I have been waiting to see if the usual group of slash fangirls take up this movie.

Ivana Boob-Reduction (j.lu), Friday, 4 February 2011 17:29 (fourteen years ago)

ha, and The Queen Mum walks in and goes oh no not AGAIN!!

Mark G, Friday, 4 February 2011 17:31 (fourteen years ago)

then gets it on w/monster of glamis

Jefferson Mansplain (DG), Friday, 4 February 2011 17:40 (fourteen years ago)

I would rather have thought the Queen Mum walks in and feels a strange compulsion to touch herself.

Le mépris vient de la tête, la haine vient du cœur (Michael White), Friday, 4 February 2011 17:46 (fourteen years ago)

I have no desire for another entity on this planet
When I cogitate on your person
I apply pressure to my corpus

Ned Raggett, Friday, 4 February 2011 17:48 (fourteen years ago)

moderately interesting response by stephen 'the queen' frears to a question from popular news blog gawker.com:

Let's talk this year's Oscars. Have you seen The King's Speech, which, like the Queen is about a British royal?

What else?

frears was lined up to do 'the damned united' before fish-eye hooper jumped on

for all the fucked-up children of this world we give you 1p3 (history mayne), Friday, 18 February 2011 00:03 (fourteen years ago)

The rumour doing the rounds at the recent Berlin film festival was that Weinstein is plotting a sequel to The King's Speech called The Windsors at War. Harvey and his cohorts are keeping mum about that right now as they focus on this year's movies, which include Michelle Williams as Marilyn Monroe in the Oscar hopeful My Week With Marilyn.

ho joy

http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2011/mar/01/the-kings-speech-oscars-independent-financing

this odyssey that refuses to quit calling itself (history mayne), Wednesday, 2 March 2011 10:53 (fourteen years ago)

four weeks pass...

http://i.imgur.com/sXDGK.jpg

ℳℴℯ ❤\(◕‿◕✿ (Princess TamTam), Wednesday, 30 March 2011 20:19 (fourteen years ago)

worst poster ever
good lord

Ralpharina (La Lechera), Wednesday, 30 March 2011 20:22 (fourteen years ago)

that's so ridiculous....nobody under 21 is going to want to see this.

frogbs, Wednesday, 30 March 2011 20:23 (fourteen years ago)

Maybe "family event" is code for "naptime guarantee"

Ralpharina (La Lechera), Wednesday, 30 March 2011 20:24 (fourteen years ago)

saw this a couple weeks ago. firth/rush were both v good, but couldn't shake the feeling that this was a period-piece bad news bears about talking good

FUN FUN FUN FUN (gbx), Wednesday, 30 March 2011 20:26 (fourteen years ago)

Is that really the picture? Are they cashing in on presence of "that precocious kid from Outnumbered" even though she's barely in it?

ailsa, Wednesday, 30 March 2011 21:47 (fourteen years ago)

that's so ridiculous....nobody under 21 is going to want to see this.

― frogbs, Wednesday, March 30, 2011 9:23 PM (2 hours ago) Bookmark

man, way to overlook the target market miramax!

patrice wil$on is my favorite rapper (history mayne), Wednesday, 30 March 2011 22:24 (fourteen years ago)

i took my teenage sister and her friends to see this movie, since they couldn't get in by themselves, and they all loved it. however i think a big part of why they loved it WAS the cursing, so.

to them i think the movie functioned as sort of a "masterpiece theater-lite" -- they've all watched nu-doctor who and a few of the BBC jane austen adaptations, for example, so this ended up hitting some of those same buttons: anglophile-friendly, simplistic morality, likable characters, awesome clothes and top hots, etc.

major fashion inspiration (reddening), Thursday, 31 March 2011 01:40 (fourteen years ago)

hats, rather, although some of them were already swooning over colin firth so i guess "hots" applies

major fashion inspiration (reddening), Thursday, 31 March 2011 01:41 (fourteen years ago)

I was kinda hoping this movie would inspire a Top Hat revival.

Your cousin, Marvin Cobain (C. Grisso/McCain), Thursday, 31 March 2011 02:30 (fourteen years ago)

top hots, etc.

they watched The King's Breach instead

Hey Look More Than Five Years Has Passed And You Have A C (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 31 March 2011 02:37 (fourteen years ago)

The King's Peach

Your cousin, Marvin Cobain (C. Grisso/McCain), Thursday, 31 March 2011 02:41 (fourteen years ago)

Post-Oscar web ad I saw yesterday: "Some movies you see, some movies you FEEL." Bleurgh.

Pop is superior to all other genres (DL), Thursday, 31 March 2011 08:10 (fourteen years ago)

have thought about this a lot and now hate it. i didn't want to. hating blatant oscarbait movies is pretty boring.

― history mayne, Friday, February 4, 2011 12:06 AM (1 month ago) Bookmark

OTM

Pop is superior to all other genres (DL), Thursday, 31 March 2011 09:03 (fourteen years ago)

Wait a sec, this was rated R at first? Does the rating guild even watch the movies or do they just do a "fuck" count?

frogbs, Thursday, 31 March 2011 15:56 (fourteen years ago)

That's actually literally what they do. There's a set number of 'fucks' they allow before slapping an R on the movie.

ℳℴℯ ❤\(◕‿◕✿ (Princess TamTam), Thursday, 31 March 2011 16:00 (fourteen years ago)

haven't seen it yet but this david mitchell article is great:

http://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/2011/02/david-mitchell-stammering-kings-speech/

adult music person (Jordan), Thursday, 31 March 2011 16:54 (fourteen years ago)

"Some movies you see, some movies you FEEL."

And all movies about the British royals you feel in your bowels.

your generation appalls me (Dr Morbius), Thursday, 31 March 2011 17:03 (fourteen years ago)

but Brits are constipated, right? Years of repression, poor dental hygiene, and tea.

Hey Look More Than Five Years Has Passed And You Have A C (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 31 March 2011 17:09 (fourteen years ago)

This 'poor dental hygiene' thing, where did it begin? I mean I'm not gainsaying it, I just think it's an odd characteristic to use to define this country.

Ismael Klata, Thursday, 31 March 2011 17:14 (fourteen years ago)

Poor dental hygiene is a consequence of living in a communist society.

Hey Look More Than Five Years Has Passed And You Have A C (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 31 March 2011 17:16 (fourteen years ago)

klata, it's a scurvy thing

thomp, Thursday, 31 March 2011 17:25 (fourteen years ago)

i mean, i don't know, it may have been true prior to the founding of the NHS. also i get the feeling the american upper middle classes place way, way too high a value on aesthetic dental work. i don't know that either, though.

thomp, Thursday, 31 March 2011 17:27 (fourteen years ago)

morbius has the right attitude to movies about british royals, fyi

thomp, Thursday, 31 March 2011 17:29 (fourteen years ago)

I saw this movie with my wife. We are old folks. Old.

For my part, I thought it was perfectly lovely that Helena Bonham Carter finally got the chance to play the Queen Mum, and to be approachable and charming and all those endearing traits. The Corgis were another lovely touch. Colin Firth knew how to lift his chin at all the right moments. And I could almost believe Geoffrey Rush was an Aussie, if I closed one of my ears and was momentarily distracted.

I left that theater feeling proud to speak the King's English and I've been brushing up on it, so I can do it more often!

Aimless, Thursday, 31 March 2011 17:55 (fourteen years ago)

Geoffrey Rush is an Aussie, isn't he?

Tuomas, Thursday, 31 March 2011 19:15 (fourteen years ago)

yep

ℳℴℯ ❤\(◕‿◕✿ (Princess TamTam), Thursday, 31 March 2011 19:18 (fourteen years ago)

haha yeah

FUN FUN FUN FUN (gbx), Thursday, 31 March 2011 19:18 (fourteen years ago)

Yup.

tending tropics (jim in glasgow), Thursday, 31 March 2011 19:24 (fourteen years ago)


You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.