Hyde Park on Hudson

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BAFTA Winners

PICTURE: The King's Speech
BRITISH PICTURE: The King's Speech
DIRECTOR: David Fincher, The Social Network
ACTOR: Colin Firth, The King's Speech
ACTRESS: Natalie Portman, Black Swan
SUPPORTING ACTOR: Geoffrey Rush, The King's Speech
SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Helena Bonham Carter, The King's Speech
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: The King's Speech- David Seidler
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: The Social Network- Aaron Sorkin
BRITISH DEBUT: Four Lions- Chris Morris
ANIMATED FEATURE: Toy Story 3
FOREIGN FILM: The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
CINEMATOGRAPHY: True Grit- Roger Deakins
FILM EDITING: The Social Network- Angus Wall & Kirk Baxter
PRODUCTION DESIGN: Inception- Guy Hendrix Dyas, Larry Dias & Doug Mowat
COSTUME DESIGN: Alice in Wonderland- Colleen Atwood
ORIGINAL SCORE: The King's Speech- Alexandre Desplat
SOUND: Inception
MAKE-UP & HAIRSTYLING: Alice in Wonderland
VISUAL EFFECTS: Inception

The greedy King's Speech tops the British Academy of Film & Television Awards with seven wins, including Picture and British Picture (which just shouldn't be allowed-- this isn't a judgment of the film, but just the unseemly amount of awards it's received here!)  Naturally, of course, it isn't surprising it would win top honors, the real surprises came in the fact that all three principals received prizes as well; Colin Firth was a given, but Geoffrey Rush and Helena Bonham Carter weren't (especially her, whose countless nominations have yet to merit an actual prize this season.)  Does this portend to Oscar for Rush and Carter, a la the surprise BAFTA momentum that spurned about past Oscar winners like Marion Cotillard (2007 for La Vie en Rose) and Tilda Swinton (2007 for Michael Clayton) or just an indication that they really love this movie.  Both Cotillard and Swinton were arguably in the runner-up slot before the BAFTA bump.  The Social Network claimed three wins, for direction, screenplay and film editing.

Art Directors Guild Awards

CONTEMPORARY FILM: Black Swan- Therese DePrez

FANTASY FILM: Inception- Guy Hendrix Dyas

PERIOD FILM: The King's Speech- Eve Stewart

Very fine choices, both Black Swan and Inception had such great, complex fixtures; it's a real shame DePrez's work was snubbed by the Academy.

What the F#&@!

The King's Speech, under the sadly failing and altogether pathetic guidelines of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) was given a R-rating because of one scene where speech therapist Geoffrey Rush advises future king Colin Firth to repeat the F-work in rampant succession.  Under MPAA guidelines, more than one F-work is merit enough for an R-rating despite specificity under which is used.  Now comes news that the mogul, puppeteer, Oscar-strategist extraordinaire Harvey Weinstein is considering re-releasing the Oscar-praised movie for a more family friendly PG-13 rating.  This all strikes me as a tad desperate and greedy.  Especially considering that The King's Speech has become a box office hit (it's current North American tally is $74.8 million), and stands a shot at becoming The Weinstein Company's top grossing film.  It calls to mind when Weinstein, back in his Miramax days released the Oscar-lauded Italian hit Life is Beautiful with an English dubbed version shortly after winning it's awards; as if let's cash in now by pandering and doing away with the marketing gamble (in that case it was pesky subtitles, here it's a few curse words), despite both films breaking out and becoming hits the old fashioned way.  Strangely enough, wouldn't The King's Speech be a likely candidate for G or PG-ratings sans f-bombs, otherwise it's squeaky clean?  But hey, why stop there, why not dig up your collection and re-release all of past R-rated triumphs-- Pulp Fiction, Clerks, The Crying Game (although that one might be confusing without the very nude reveal.)  On another note, even if The King's Speech does get it's phantom edit (one that objected too very heavily by director Tom Hooper after the initial rating call), will it really be more marketable and palatable for a younger crowd; the film is many things, and many good things, but I highly doubt the tweens are crowding the multiplex clamoring to sneak in...

Directors Guild Awards

FEATURE FILM: Tom Hooper, The King's Speech
DOCUMENTARY FILM: Charles Ferguson, Inside Job


I'm shocked, I feel in need of deep emotional cleansing from the shock.  In a week of astonishing surprises (or non-surprises, I suppose they were reality checks, if nothing else), it appears that the king has spoken, and that's pretty much the end of the that one.  This must be the biggest surprise of all, since, while their was always the possibility that The King's Speech would win the top prize, one must assume that the utterly accomplished and brilliantly achieved technique of Mr. David Fincher would surely have seemed more impressive by his peers.  Let me state: The King's Speech is not a bad film, and certainly not an embarrassment, should the academy follow suit; it is however an overly pat one, and one I feel as though I've seen before, versus Fincher's The Social Network, which is startling, and fresh and jolting and alive, with the magic of an amazing script and spirited acting-- it's a hard, dense, challenging, magnificently structured piece of art, whereas The King's Speech is a pleasant crowdpleaser.  I suppose, I must accept the inevitable!

On a brighter note, Ferguson's Inside Job is worthier than worthy...

Producers Guild Award Winners

FEATURE FILM: The King's Speech
ANIMATED FILM: Toy Story 3
DOCUMENTARY: Waiting for 'Superman'

And now friends, we have what you all have been waiting for: an actual horse race, as The King's Speech, with it's proud period stature takes the limelight from the critical darling The Social Network.  Last Sunday, when the David Fincher-Aaron Sorkin Facebook phenom took center stage at the Golden Globes, many proclaimed the race over, done, finito!  However, Tom Hooper's stately royal drama has gained plenty of the power as the week progressed, topping (not unexpectedly) the BAFTA nominations (although it's two Best Picture nominations seem a tad unfair-- it nominated for Best Picture proper, as well as Best British Picture!), and now rejoicing in it's Producers Guild win, and it's a fairly substantial one at that.  Here are the PGA (non-golf) stats:

A History of the PGA.

Only seven times in the PGA history has it's winner not won the Oscar!  I fear the next month of awards hoopla will get ugly...

Phoenix Film Critics Awards

BEST PICTURE
The King's Speech

Top 10 of 2010:

• The King's Speech
• 127 Hours
• Inception
• The Kids Are All Right
• Never Let Me Go
• Shutter Island
• The Social Network
• True Grit
• Toy Story 3
• Winter's Bone

BEST DIRECTOR: Christopher Nolan, Inception
BEST ACTOR: Colin Firth, The King's Speech
BEST ACTRESS: Natalie Portman, Black Swan
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Christian Bale, The Fighter
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Melissa Leo, The Fighter
BEST ENSEMBLE: The Social Network
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Inception
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: The Social Network
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE: Toy Story 3
BEST DOCUMENTARY: Restrepo
BEST FOREIGN FILM: Biutiful
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: True Grit
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN: Inception
BEST FILM EDITING: Inception
BEST COSTUME DESIGN: Alice in Wonderland
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE: Inception
BEST ORIGINAL SONG: "You Haven't Seen the Last of Me," Burlesque
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS: Inception
BEST STUNTS: Inception
BEST MALE YOUTH: Kodi Smit-McPhee, Let Me In
BEST FEMALE YOUTH: Hailee Steinfeld, True Grit
BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE: Chloe Moretz, Kick-Ass
BREAKTHROUGH DIRECTOR: Debra Granik, Winter's Bone
BEST LIVE ACTION\FAMILY FILM: Alice in Wonderland
THE OVERLOOKED FILM OF THE YEAR: Never Let Me Go


Damn, Phoenix, have more awards than the Grammys!

The King's Speech wins it's first American critical prize (it topped the British Independent Film Awards previously), and unseats The Social Network, which has topped all expect three and half of the thousand critics groups that have announced.  A question arises, as January nears, the critics have said their say-- what will become of the ridiculous, nearly unanimous praise of Fincher's Facebook tale?  Will the guilds crush, and lean more towards King's Speech?

The King's Speech, aside from actually quality, might be hot this month thanks to wide release and the Weinstein awards help.

The King's Speech

A truly terrible poster, no?

Filmed with tremendous respectability, refinement, and fussiness, The King's Speech, director Tom Hooper's endearing historical footnote, comes prettily packaged and awards baited, in a style that only the one and only Harvey Weinstein could fully get away with.  The film, fully in line, and indeed a throwback to the mid-90s regime of prime Oscar-bait films Weinstein's previous company, Miramax, often produced, there's a stateliness, as well as novelty to The King's Speech, a masterly pedigreed example of cinematic refinement.  There's really very little to hate in this very-British royalty porn\beating adversity biopic, there's quite a bit to like-- the finely clipped performances from actors who have been down this road before, the nicely textured filmmaking aesthetic from the director of HBO's bravura history lesson John Adams, the gently comedic rhythms from a nicely tailored screenplay (written by David Seidler), the unobtrusive, nicely calibrated musical score.  However, there's little to love; little to stand and cheer about, or get all hot and bothered about.  It's based on a true story, that of King George XI, and his unfortunate stammer, set in a pre-WWII England where his voice was needed most, and when the invention of radio changed the guard from a royalty to become more of a performer than a portrait.  It's true that history may sometimes be unsurprising, but historical films don't have to be staged that way.

Yet somehow, every beat of The King's Speech has a been-there-done-that quality, a connect the dots styling that, while pleasant and in many moments very enjoyable, feels a bit too old hat.  At first we meet "Bertie," the nickname to George VI (Colin Firth), an old-fashioned, disgruntled Duke with a horrible stammer.  His wife, the gently charming Elizabeth, future Queen Mum is played by Helena Bonham Carter, in a return to the land of royals and period productions after her sojourn the past few years of being loyalist to  Tim Burton's cartoons.  The impediment is devastating, one which has afflicted him since his earliest memory, and after a plethora of doctors and treatments, he's understandably disgruntled.  There's a nice comic scene early on, where a quack tells "Bertie" to smoke cigarettes to help the throat muscles and that jamming marbles in his mouth is an effective treatment.  As a sidenote, this may be the first film I've ever seen that taps into the anxiety-inducing fear of public speaking.

Hope comes in the form of a Australian speech therapist, named Lionel Logue (played with vigor by Geoffrey Rush, in a showy, unsubtle, but nicely focused turn of which will surprise no one familiar with his body of work.)  Logue's unorthodox techniques, and confessional, nearly psycho-analyzing style unnerves "Bertie." as a royal family member, and stuffy Brit.  Yet the challenge of accepting the ingratiating Aussie as equal, and surrendering to his comical ways starts to yield results, and a great friendship.  The easy-going, lighthearted charm of the chemistry between Firth and Rush is without question the highlight of the film, nicely balanced with Rush's ham is Firth's inherit integrity and reserve.  It's when the film goes outside their relationship that the spark in The King's Speech starts to falter a bit-- there's a nifty, perhaps even great minor movie in the idea of a stammering future king and kooky speech therapist; it's almost a weirdly effective turn on the buddy comedy formula.

Yet this being an awards contender of a film, there must be added heft, here being the imminent approach of WWII, and the procedural show of how King George became king-- due to the controversial advocacy of his older brother Edward (Guy Pearce), who chose love over the throne in the eyes of a twice-divorced American; a Church of England no-no.  The plotline, while essential, to the narrative feels especially the dullest, despite the always welcome participation of Guy Pearce.  What's left is a king without a voice, desperately in need to communicate with his countrymen, while stock of footage of Hitler, noted for his fine, authoritative speaking skills plays in the background.

There's simple subversion at work in The King's Speech, one point I sort of wish was expanded, the idea of royalty leading a country at the time when a mass communication was starting to take shape.  The idea of king, not only required to action, as call to duty, but to perform, and even in a way, entertain his nation.  It feels especially relevant in the viral age where public servants must play the part, more so than actually be competent at their jobs.  The idea therefore, was that the generation before King George XI, needed have worried about a speech impediment for public approval, just some candid good publicity and few gentle poses.  King George XI needs to play the part, speak it, and sell the idea of a war on his nation.  It's the one thread of the all-too tidy screenplay that feels contemporary.

Yet the films enters the final stretch in purely pleasurable but familiar strides.  Lessons are learned, friendships made, Carter wears pretty hats, all on route to the rote, but rousing conclusion.  At this point, it's really just the inevitable, grand, crowd-pleasing moment where "Bertie" becomes King George VI, addressing and calming the frightening nation, via radio broadcast.  The scene is stirring because Firth sells it with utmost precision, delicate, but with essential gravitas.  However, something still feels missing.  The spark is gone, and The King's Speech remains nothing more than a refined piece of work; what's missing is a palpable emotional current connecting the prim and proper with passionate consummation.  B

British Independent Film Awards Nominations

BEST BRITISH INDEPENDENT  FILM
Four Lions
Kick-Ass
The King's Speech
Monsters
Never Let Me Go

BEST DIRECTOR
Gareth Edward, Monsters
Tom Hooper, The King's Speech
Mike Leigh, Another Year
Mark Romanek, Never Let Me Go
Matthew Vaughn, Kick-Ass

THE DOUGLAS HICKOX AWARD
(BEST DEBUT DIRECTOR)
Clio Barnard, The Arbor 
Gareth Edwards, Monsters
Rowan Joffe, Brighton Rock
Chris Morris, Four Lions
Debs Gardner Paterson, Africa United

BEST ACTOR
Riz Ahmed, Four Lions
Jim Broadbent, Another Year
Colin Firth, The King's Speech
Adam Gillen, Treacle Junior
Scoot McNairy, Monsters

BEST ACTRESS
Sally Hawkins, Made in Dagenham
Carey Mulligan, Never Let Me Go
Andrea Riseborouh, Brighton Rock
Ruth Sheen, Another Year
Manjinder Virk, The Arbor

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Andrew Garland, Never Let Me Go
Bob Hoskins, Made in Dagenham
Kayvan Novak, Four Lions
Guy Pearce, The King's Speech
Geoffrey Rush, The King's Speech

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Helena Bonham Carter, The King's Speech
Tamsin Greig, Tamara Drewe
Keira Knightley, Never Let Me Go
Lesley Manville, Another Year
Rosamund Pike, Made in Dagenham

MOST PROMISING NEWCOMER
Joanne Froggatt, In Our Name
Tom Hughes, Cemetary Junction
Conor McCarron, Neds
Andrea Riseborough, Brighton Rock
Manjinder Virk, The Arbor

BEST SCREENPLAY
Four Lions- Jesse Armstrong, Sam Bain, Simon Blackwell, Christopher Morris
Kick-Ass- Jane Goldman & Matthew Vaughn
The King's Speech- David Seidler
Made in Dagenham- William Ivory
Never Let Me Go- Alex Garland

BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN PRODUCTION
The Arbor
In Our Name
Monsters
Skeltons
Streetdance 3D

BEST TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT
The Arbor- Tim Barker (sound)
Brighton Rock- John Mathieson (cinematography)
The Illusionist- Sylvain Chomet (animation)
The King's Speech- Eve Stewart (production design)
Monsters- Gareth Edwards (visual effects)

One quibble, why does this awards body choose to put all the "tech" categories into one-- how does a films sound, cinematography, art direction or effects compare to each other, and "animation" is ghettoized further here, why?

BEST DOCUMENTARY
The Arbor
Enemies of the People
Exit Through the Gift Shop
Fire in Babylon
Waste Land

BEST FOREIGN FILM
Dogtooth
I Am Love
A Prophet
The Secret in Their Eyes
Winter's Bone


The British Independents have announced their nominees for the best of 2010-- show of hands, how many have heard of any of these films?

A few of the bigger contenders have arrived already, noteworthy for Never Let Me Go, which has already "supposedly" crashed and burned critically and commercially in the U.S.  The small, incredibly austere Kick-Ass somehow managed top nominations, despite it's shortcomings (I'm not the only one to see them?)

The rest, including The King's Speech, Another Year, and Made in Dagenham will open in limited release in the next two months, on their way to expected Oscar nominations.  I figure, despite no evidence for anything, this will be an easy victory for The King's Speech, which leads all nominees.  One noteworthy thing specific to the BIFA is the first classification of Lesley Manville (Another Year), here nominated for supporting actress; much debate has already been mentioned whether or not the Oscars will view her as lead or supporting-- the consensus shows she'll get in either way at this point from the accolades all the way back to this years Cannes Film Festival.

The King's Speech

The trailer arrives for one of the key movies of the moment.  And if nothing else on first glance it appears, at least to my eyes, a throwback to the 90s Miramax years.  Art house period piece, with middlebrow refinement embedded on ever layer.  Yet it also appears like The King's Speech could be that rare "prestige" film with equal parts important message and humor.  November 26th is the scheduled date of arrival, and time will tell.