DCT Podcast Episode 22: 1917

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Da Couch Tomato Podcast, Episode 22, discussing 1917, the film's technical achievement, and how shooting with one shot actually limits the filmmaker's options.

Background music used is the 1917 score by Thomas Newman.

Hosts: Sting Lacson and Rachel

Rating: 9.15/10

The King's Speech

He's won almost all of the Best Actor awards this year.

A movie junkie as I am should watch the foremost contender in the Oscars and already-winner in the Globes and others. And so I have.

The King's Speech is about how King George VI (Colin Firth)—the now Queen Elizabeth II's father—overcame his stammer in time for his first war time speech. War time meaning World War II against Germany's Hitler. And he wouldn't be able to do it without the help of his speech therapist Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush) and also his loving wife and partner Elizabeth (Helena Bonham Carter).

Their exchanges make British humor actually funny.

That's as simple as any good story but it gets a bit of an overall treatment. A solid story is always a chunk of how good a movie is. Plus the artistic depiction of the era when the real King George VI ascended the throne, and the scenes feels legit. And then you see the three very distinguished actors do their thing, and it's a marvel to watch in an instant. Firth, I think, portrayed a stammering grownup man with real charm that you would hold your breath every time he speaks hoping he wouldn't stammer. And you can only admire Rush's portrayal of a brave man unwilling to totally give in to his monarch's whims. A toned down Bonham Carter, too, did a royal take on a soon-to-be-queen, sheepishly powerful in her own right and very lady-like.

Love her more with eyeliner, but she's still a gem without it.

It was always a thrill to appreciate British humor, kinda intelligent at some points. But I think the real edge of this movie is capturing the hearts of its audience to feel for King George VI, although there were some articles that claim the movie wasn't truthful to the real King George VI's political stance during that time. Well, The Social Network isn't completely accurate, is it?



The King's Speech gets an eight out of ten, for a total ensemble of simply brilliant acting, filmmaking, and storytelling.


*photos from 1.bp.blogspot.com, circlecinema.com, and teawithmarykate.wordpresscom

Mamma Mia!

Contrary to popular belief, males who like musicals are not gay.

Musical films have experienced a resurgence recently, and I'm not sure what brought about their new rise in popularity, but it seems that they're here to stay. I think it's the fusion between Holly- and Bollywood.

Anyway, this film is based on the musical of the same name, and as the title suggests, it is scored with music from the Swedish band Abba (the two male members of Abba in fact also make cameo appearances in the film).

Surprisingly, this film has now become the highest-grossing film musical of all time (how could it ever beat The Sound of Music?) and yet I do not consider this film a personal favorite.

First of all, I find it problematic when writers try to craft a musical around a pop band's discography, like what they did with The Beatles in Across the Universe. I believe it limits the story that can be crafted out of it, and it would take a genius to pull it off perfectly. And for me, this film comes off as a bit forced. But Abba seems happy about it, so why bother?

Performance-wise, Meryl Streep delivers a great performance, and though she is getting older, she still has the vibrancy of youth. It's not something that can be altered by plastic surgery; I'm talking about the inner youth from within. Meryl Streep still has it in her. Amanda Seyfried's performance is okay, to put it bluntly. It didn't suck, but it didn't stand out either. But her three possible fathers in the film are another matter altogether.

Critics lamented the fact that three talented gentlemen not known for their singing abilities were cast in a musical of this caliber (this was actually produced by Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson). I mean sure, Colin Firth knows a little guitar, and Stellan Skarsgård has some moves, but I pity Pierce Brosnan, whose singing has been compared to "a braying donkey" (ouch).

Production-wise, the film's setting limited the production, as everything took place on the Greek island of Kalokairi. So all the dancing and singing was confined to that location. And it is my opinion that Abba's songs are too colorful to be limited to such a small space.

Finally, when reviewing a musical, one cannot avoid comparing it with other musicals of its time. And my standard for modern musicals is still Hairspray. At least Hairspray had all original songs. Like I said, it is a very difficult task to construct a decent musical out of an existing band's discography, and this film is no exception.


Rating: Three stars.