OOOO
Rated R for some use of strong profanity
When I was a cleric working summer camp out in Newton, New Jersey we had a display case in the main office that housed all the trophies that were going to be given out for excellence in the various activities we offered. Small trophies were given out weekly, but the ones that got most of the attention from the campers were the large year end awards. The most coveted of these trophies was the Camper of the Year Award. It wasn't uncommon to have a kid stand in front of the case on the first day of camp saying to himself, and sometimes even out loud, "I'm gonna win that sucker this year." Then he would spend the following five weeks hitting as many activities as he could, volunteering for every skit, making sure he was an altar server when it was his cabin's turn, helping unload delivery trucks, setting up and breaking down activities, shinning shoes, peeling grapes, and generally sucking up to any counselor with a vote. Sometimes this strategy backfired when the youngster's naked ambition was so obvious; I mean no one likes a brown nose. But often you had to give it to him simply because, by gum, the little noodge set a goal and persevered, even if his motives were less than noble.
The Kings Speech, which has been nominated for Best Picture, is the cinematic version of that kid in front of the trophy case. From the opening credits it's practically screaming for that little gold statuette. You have all the usual suspects assembled to insure success; A supporting cast that includes veteran British and Australian actors Helena Bonham Carter, Geoffry Rush and even that old Shakespearean stand by Derek Jacobi. Colin Firth takes the lead, giving a performance the Academy stumbles over itself to award: his character has a disability (speech impediment), is haunted by childhood scars (mean nanny, disaffectionate father) in need of overcoming his insecurities caused by the above issues and cruelly exploited by his dashing older brother (The Man keeping him down). It's an underdog story all the way, that dares you not to be touched. The period costumes and scenery are picture perfect and cinematography flawless. Throw in that it was made in cooperation with the BBC, and you don't have to wonder that the movie oozes class. There is no doubt in my mind that from the first moment the idea for this movie was born in the producers' heads they stood in front of that imaginary award case in their minds saying, "I'm gonna win that sucker this year." And you know what? I say give it to them.
2010, in my humble opinion, was a down year, quality wise, at the movies. While I have not seen all ten movies nominated this year, the ones I did see left me underwhelmed. It's true that The King's Speech is not particularly innovative, and in many ways is rather predictable. Nonetheless it is a well crafted and well acted movie. And it is touching. I hated myself for being so touched, because I knew they were putting me on, and I didn't care; they did it so well. My favorite scene is a very small sequence in the film, where Prince Albert, having just assumed the throne after his brother's abdication, goes home as King George VI and meets his daughters. It's already established that he is an affectionate, loving father. But when he meets Princesses Elizabeth and Margarete for the first time as king, they stand far off, with the future queen reminding her sister to curtsy before they address him, quite earnestly, as Your Majesty. I felt heart broken for the man, since he never wanted the crown and its responsibilities, and now it had built a wall between himself and his own children. Manipulative? Yeah. But effective and well done.
The only flaw, and it is a minor one, is the actor they chose to play Winston Churchill. To be honest at first I thought he was trying to do Charles Laughton, and failing miserably. Out side of that one point, The King's Speech does everything else right. And why not? It set a goal for itself and certainly tried hard enough to achieve it. So just give the little noodge his trophy already.
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