The King’s Speech

The King’s Speech, directed by Tom Hooper and written by David Seidler, explores and narrates the true story of King George V1 (Colin Firth). The King, also known as “Bertie,” struggles with a stammer rooted in his emotional suffering and lack of self-confidence. When left suddenly with the responsibilities of leading England, Bertie’s wife (Helena Bonham Carter) encourages him to see a speech therapist to treat his stammer.

The vibrant Geoffrey Rush plays Bertie’s speech therapist Lionel Logue, who uses unconventional practices to rid the King of his stammer. In one memorable moment, Bertie successfully reads Shakespeare’s Othello while Logue blasts music in the background.

The King’s Speech is both inspiring and thought provoking; viewers find themselves rooting for Bertie and his success as king. Logue and Bertie develop a strong bond throughout the movie. Logue listens to Bertie’s struggles as a child who was teased due to his stammer.

The King’s Speech is a movie to see; it encourages hard work, perseverance, and friendship. Colin Firth’s acting demonstrates his focus and talent. Geoffrey Rush also gives a comical performance as Lionel Logue. Walking away from the film, one feels inspired and stirred by its lesson and moral: With hard work and optimism, you can achieve any goal you set your mind to.

Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Helena Bonham Carter
Rated R
118 minutes

–By Jamie Friedman

True Grit

Let’s get one thing out of the way right now: True Grit contains just the right amount of grit. Usually, moviemakers either travel down the path of action or emotion. You can rarely find a perfect balance between the two. This remake finds the right balance.

However, you may need to grit your teeth in preparation for True Grit. From the opening scenes of this film, nominated for 10 Oscars, 14-year-old Mattie Ross illuminates the screen with her sharp tongue and quick wit. She wheedles her way into hiring a U.S. Marshal (Jeff Bridges) and a Texas Ranger (Matt Damon) to search for Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin), the outlaw who murdered her father. Despite being left behind by the two men who are looking for Tom Chaney because of the nature of the journey, Mattie is intent on finding and hanging the criminal herself.
Complete with bandits and dead men in trees, the trio’s journey is perfectly colored with barbarism (the Marshal Rooster Cogburn shoots a greasy cabin dweller who stabs his too-honest comrade), humor (an absurd encounter between the protagonists and a portly, bearded, bearskin-clad mountain man) and combinations of both (as when Cogburn grabs and rolls around the Ranger LaBoeuf’s recently half-severed tongue, saying, “Ahll jus’ yank it fer you”).

Enduring the brutal trek through the dangerous territory is difficult for the characters, but the actors handle their roles perfectly. Each of the three main actors portrays his or her character as likeable and unlikeable at different times. Mattie’s undying tenacity towards avenging her father’s death is so straightforward that it doesn’t call for an excess of emotional drama as per usual with a standard teen female part. But her bond with her fellow travelers is apparent, especially when Rooster Cogburn sucks and spits snake venom out of her hand and carries her to safety.

So let’s get down to the nitty-gritty: True Grit is completely worth the price of a ticket, and more.

Jeff Bridges, Hailee Steinfeld, Matt Damon

Rated PG-13
110 minutes

–By Annakai Geshlider