Movie #391 - The King's Speech

The King's Speech
2010 - Rated R - 1 hr 58 min
Director: Tom Hooper
Starring: Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Helena Bonham Carter, Guy Pearce, Michael Gambon, Derek Jacobi, Timothy Spall

Biopics like this always make me nervous there'll be excessive characterization of real people from history. (Well, it's kind of a biopic, though not really. The point remains, there are historic figures here, played by modern actors.) But since even the Queen herself has given a nod to this movie (which portrays her father, King George VI), I watched it with confidence.

This was my second viewing (just got it for Mother's Day!) and I loved it even more.  It's so heavily focused on the relationship built between Bertie and Lionel that the speech problem takes a back seat.  The goal is to help him overcome his difficulty with speech, it's true, but the friendship heals him much more than the therapy does!  Carter, as always, is spot on as a young Queen Mum. Firth... well, he won the Oscar, so there you go. And Geoffrey Rush is also outstanding here.  With three strong performances, I can see how this took Best Picture this year.

Movie #281 - Elizabeth: The Golden Age

Elizabeth: The Golden Age
2007 - Rated PG-13 - 1 hr 54 min
Director: Shekhar Kapur
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Clive Owen, Geoffrey Rush, Samantha Morton, Abbie Cornish, Rhys Ifans

Yay! We added the sequel to the wall (finally) after I watched the first and regretted its absence. Of course, it's one more movie to watch. But I guess as long as it's good, it's fine.

In this movie, Cate Blanchett reunites with director Shekhar Kapur to reprise the role she was born to play: England's Queen Elizabeth I.  Honestly, she's just phenomenal.  More gushing, just like the review of the first. I can't help myself.

Here, she battles a whole new cast of enemies, deals with more court intrigue, and continues to grow as the greatest ruler England has ever known.  She's more fierce, more devoted, more powerful.  And all of this growth is evident in Blanchett's flawless performance. 

I'm so glad to have this one up on that wall!

Movie #204 - Finding Nemo

Finding Nemo
2003 - Rated G - 1 hr 40 min
Director: Andrew Stanton, Lee Unkrich
Starring: Albert Brooks, Ellen DeGeneres, Alexander Gould, Willem Dafoe, Brad Garrett, Allison Janney, Stephen Root, Vicki Lewis, Geoffrey Rush, Elizabeth Perkins

Another great movie and one I know most people love.  Possibly one of Disney/Pixar's finest achievements, this little cartoon is entertaining for just about anyone.  It's a very basic plotline - a father searches for his lost son - but it's done so well and with the perfect blend of humor and emotion that you can't help but get sucked in.  You'll be rooting for these little fishes before you know it.

And Ellen DeGeneres is just priceless.  Her percentage of quotable lines is high, for both kids and adults. 

I was happy to sit down and watch this one with Ellie for the first time.  And I think she loves Nemo as much as any kid does.

Movie #179 - Elizabeth

Elizabeth
1998 - Rated R - 2 hr 4 min
Director: Shekhar Kapur
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Geoffrey Rush, Christopher Eccleston, Joseph Fiennes, Vicent Cassel, Emily Mortimer

Time for me to geek on you for a second.

This movie is fantastic. Sorry, but the portrayal of Elizabeth I here is unparalleled.  Cate Blanchett is Elizabeth.  Like, for real. Her transition from young, persecuted Lady Elizabeth to the Virgin Queen throughout this film is brilliant. 

Joseph Fiennes's Robert Dudley, on the other hand, isn't exactly what I expected.  Dudley's more brash, less suave, less Shakespeare-In-Love-y.  It works for the movie, but it could have been better.  Geoffrey Rush is excellent (no surprise) and look! Thomas Frain! He went from this movie to The Tudors. Huh.

My one regret is that I owned the sequel The Golden Years so I could finish up her story.  Guess I'll put that on my wish list (not that I need another movie to watch right now).  And so we move onward...