NZ Film Freak

The King’s Speech

Director: Tom Hooper
Writer: David Seidler
Released: January 2011
Starring: Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Helena Bonham Carter, Guy Pearce, Timothy Spall, Derek Jacobi, Jennifer Ehle, Michael Gambon
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Nominated for 14 BAFTAs and the winner of 12 Academy Awards, this incredibly triumphing story of King George VI (Colin Firth) has earned every award it has been given hands down.

the-kings-speech The King’s Speech is the account of King George VI, who is forced to overcome his debilitating speech impediment to reach his full potential as a strong ruler which he becomes by default due to his Father’s death, King George V (Sir Michael John Gambon) and the resignation of his brother, King Edward VIII (Guy Pearce). Despite the premise of this film sounding as if it may become a repetitive and stationary story of pure frustration and despair, The King’s Speech was actually an incredible journey of expectation, victory and unity.

The-Kings-Speech After countless ‘royalty approved’ doctors, they were about to give up when Queen Elizabeth (Helena Bonham Carter) found Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush). This begins the strong friendship created between the King and his unlikely acquaintance as well as the trust that has to be built between patient and doctor. The humourous, innovative methods and remarkable outcomes of the pair are inspirational and uplifting.

thekingsspeechhigh-res1 The cast for this movie was not short of perfect. Colin Firth is the protagonist who became the stuttering King George VI convincingly. He shows that he is a versatile actor who is capable of mastering any genre – from Bridget Jones’ Diary to The King’s Speech.
Queen Elizabeth is played by the eccentric and off-beat actress Helena Bonham-Carter who pulls off the composed and stately Queen (very unsurprisingly) faultlessly.

The award-winning Timothy Spall portrays Winston Churchill exactly how I would expect him to play any of his characters; with skill and completely believably.
The hero of the film is Lionel Logue, an “average Joe” in comparison to his patient of Royalty. Logue is played by Geoffrey Rush who surprises the King by his informal approach to speech exercises. Yet, after much deliberation from the King, he creates the casual and relaxed environment for the stuttering King to learn in without feeling superior.

kings-speech-trailer Tom Hooper shows himself to be quite a genius director. The composition of each shot supports the feelings of the King. With the claustrophobic feel of the environment when he is unable to communicate what he needs to say as well as the unsupportive feel of large and empty rooms. Warm and quality lighting creates the atmosphere of being in the presence of Royalty, contrasting the cold, dim, dark glow of the London streets.

kings-speech-movie This is wonderfully layered film which allows viewers to look into it as deep as they like. Therefore, the second and third viewing is as enjoyable as the first. The King’s Speech is a fantastically made film with every shot perfectly composed and every scene well constructed – this really is a motion picture suitable for anybody old enough to appreciate it.

There is no action or speed chases, but the inclination of tension and nerves kept me in the moment. This narrows the audience that this film may appeal to. However, I think that anybody who has the capability to appreciate triumph and success from shear hard work and determination will value this historical journey. I can guarantee that anyone who sees The King’s Speech will be able to take something away from it.

Jodie’s rating: 9/10

Alice In Wonderland (2010)

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Director: Tim Burton
Writer: Linda Woolverton (Based on Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carrol)
Released: March 2010
Starring: Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter, Crispin Glover, Matt Lucas, Mia Wasikowska
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What a trip!

Despite numerous films portraying Lewis Carroll’s tale of Alice in Wonderland, Tim Burton’s gothic varnished tale of being lost in Wonderland hit the nail on the head. Burton’s magical story turned Disney’s musical cartoon into a 3D adventure of mystery and excitement for the whole family.

After Alice (Mia Wasikowska) abandons a surprise engagement party thrown for her, she accidently re-discovers Wonderland or ‘Underland’ as the residents call it. Burton made sure that Alice was down-to-earth and neutral enough for the audience to relate to in the unfamiliar land and out-of-this-world characters throughout the film.

Alice encounters our favourite characters from the Tweedles (Matt Lucas) to the classic Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp) who were included in our unforgettable journey through Wonderland.

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Every character was brilliantly portrayed with the most memorable being Johnny Depp’s witty character, The Mad Hatter, whose maddening personality seemed to be the heart of Wonderland.

Depp’s performance was undoubtedly convincing with the audience’s emotions changing as the Hatter’s did. From being sympathetic toward Hatter’s loneliness and despair over the Red Queen’s (Helena Bonham Carter) destruction of the land, to the aggressive and spooky Scottish man he frequently became throughout the film.

The Red Queen’s head was enlarged which was very well done; it portrayed her big-headedness physically, which matched her selfish acts.

The fantastically convincing post-production effects and the use of green screens created a trippy and fantastical trip to and through the land. (Although one may wonder if it would have been a load easier and cheaper to do the entire thing animated).

Helena Bonham Carter as The Red Queen

The music composed by the incredible Danny Elfman was the cherry on top for this captivating movie. Elfman, who has composed for most of Burton’s films including Edward Scissorhands and Big Fish, stuck to his very traditional/stereotypical mix of choir, horror based music and melodic stringed instruments, which matched the visuals perfectly. Elfman has never failed intertwining contrasting ideas, such as the innocence of Alice and the strange jungle of Wonderland, into nothing less than a masterpiece.

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The overall storyline of Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland was the perfect addition of Lewis Carroll’s story and Tim Burton’s signature techniques of story-telling. However, the secret world of Narnia and the evil Queen came to mind throughout the film, which didn’t give Alice in Wonderland a very unique or alternative storyline like Burton’s films usually have.

The White Queen, portrayed by Anne Hathaway, was obviously instructed to be the fairytale, almost stereotypical princess which unfortunately did not quite translate as it appeared fake and cringe-worthy. I felt like I was thrown out of the fantastical world with reality hitting like a slap to the face.

Anne Hathaway as The White Queen

The director, Tim Burton, can always be relied upon for the best dark, fantasy-themed movies, and he has lived up to his reputation once again. Burton mentioned that he had not been satisfied with a version of Alice In Wonderland since the book. I agree, and I think this film will most likely be the final version we will see.

Tim-Burtons-Alice-In-Wonderland-alice-in-wonderland-2010-13698617-1360-768 The cast were fantastic and the post production techniques are impressive and live up to today’s high film expectations, especially since the release of Avatar. Burton’s film, Alice in Wonderland, is a recommended view.

Jodie’s rating: 7/10

Inception

Director: Christopher Nolan
Writer: Christopher Nolan
Released: 2010
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Ken Watanabe, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, Ellen Page, Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy, Tom Berenger, Michael Caine
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Wow! If you liked the Matrix you’ll like this!

A mind-twisting film which demands the full attention of viewers as it’s not an ‘easy watch’. By that, I mean that a passive audience is not going to be handed the complex idea of dream inception and deep characters on a platter.

Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) is the primary dreamer or extractor hired by a corporation-owner, Mr Saito (Ken Watanabe) to plant a lucrative idea into Robert Michael Fischer’s (Cillian Murphey) mind via a dream. This is to encourage him to decide to break up the energy conglomerate which he recently inherited to make way for Saito’s company.

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Despite this not being an easy task. But to add to the challenge, Cobb’s late wife invades the dreams, potentially sabotaging the entire job and putting the dreamers (including Joseph Gordan-Levitt and Ellen Page) in fatal danger. This is because dying in a “dream within a dream” will not wake them up, but send them into limbo which is basically no-man’s land for what seems like an eternity.

That was a mouthful!

This epic film is a James Bond action meets Matrix science fiction meets a totally unique twist of a psychological thriller, which incorporates the modern fear of privacy invasion and increasing reality that companies have the most power.

With so much going on and so much to think about during the movie, the two and a half hours whizz by.

My favourite scene would have to be the parallel storyline of the van that is driving the unconscious dreamers, with the storyline of the conscious dreamers within somebody else’s dream. (Yes, it’s difficult to explain).

It’s the fast-paced dream versus the slow motion van that explains the time difference between dreaming and real life.

The count-down begins as the slow motion van is driven off of the bridge and the dreamers need to accomplish the mission and wake up before their physical selves drown in the van. It’s so intense!

The cliff-hanger ending leaves much debate between viewers – so after much philosophical thinking, logical analysis and heated debates with friends, you would be back in the cinema for a second viewing or buying the special edition DVD from the nearest store.

The devoted and flabbergasted viewers will find themselves questioning how they come to certain decisions (are we in a dream?) in the same way the Matrix promoted questions of fiction and reality (is this world physically real?). In the same way as Sims players question if somebody is playing our lives out.

Of course, different people take away very different things from this movie. The most popular comment being “I don’t get it.”

INCEPTION. With a stream of shallow chick flicks and rom-coms, Inception was a breath of fresh air for those who enjoy a bit of an “epic”.

Of course, the film and talented cast is not all that creates such a movie – Hans Zimmer’s haunting scores were essentially what gives you chills!

Not forgetting the song that was the cue for the dreamers to wake up in the film (and is everybody’s alarm clock sound now) – Non, Je Ne Regrette Rein sung by Edith Piaf. It stirs emotions of apprehension and nostalgia in the audience which is parallel with the characters’.

I’m sure you can tell that I am an Inception fan, but I have to say that such a long and complicated film has less entertainment value by the third or fourth viewing.

However, it’s a “must have” for all dedicated DVD collectors or movie-making enthusiasts.

Even if it is a DVD that is not watched frequently, it’s a film that will always spark conversation and is kept handy for casual social viewing for a wide audience.

Jodie’s rating: 8.5/10

About NZ Film Freak

NZ Film Freak is a blog where Jodie’s movie reviews and movie news are published. It’s a website for when you have a date night or for when your friends come over and you have no idea what to watch – you’ll be sure to find a few recommendations here.

With more than 300 movie reviews on NZ Film Freak, you’re sure to find your next favourite film.

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