These are truly fascinating times to live in. So much that has been parodied on SNL and The Onion, for years on end, has come full-circle and become reality these last few years, to the point where satire has taken a major hit. SNL is not that funny anymore because, quite frankly, we’re living in an SNL skit and with The Onion having been faced with major layoffs. not to mention filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, these satirically-based entities can't compete against today’s reality.
Read moreThe King's Speech. Thoughts ...
Here's a film that has been packaged and processed for the Oscars. Don't get me wrong, this isn't a bad film, it's just a very safe one. There's not much of a rebellious cry for originality and it is just a film that wants to entertain and touch as many viewers as possible. Nothing wrong with that I suppose but definitely not my cup of tea, if you know what I mean. Colin Firth is the titular king, he has a stutter that has been with him since his childhood and he decides to engage a speech therapist played by the very fine Geoffrey Rush. There's not many surprises that await the viewer in The King's Speech, just conventionality and British royal wisdom. The performances are above average, especially Firth, Rush and Helena Bonham Carter as the king's wife, in a non flashy but effectively realized performance. Suffice to say, I dug most of the scenes between Firth and Rush but felt like it was all too facile for these -let's face it- great actors. Come Oscar time you will hear their names but as good as the film is, it doesn't deserve any of the buzz it is getting in the press.