The King's Speech and The Man Behind The King's Speech movie reviews

Recently I watched the critically acclaimed film "The King's Speech" and the documentary "The Man Behind The King's Speech" based on the film which tells the true story of the stammering King George VI. Albert Frederick Arthur George(Colin Firth) , Duke of York  known by his family as "Bertie" has a terrible stammer. He can't speak in public so when he is called upon to become the king after the death of his father George V(Michael Gambon) and the abdication of his brother Edward VIII(Guy Pearce) he is not prepared. His wife Elizabeth(Helena Bonham Carter) searches for a speech therapist to treat her husband and finally comes across Australian Lionel Logue(Geoffrey Rush) who is a self-taught unlicensed therapist with innovative methods of therapy. At first Bertie is closed off from Lionel but their friendship grows as time goes on. The film shows that even one conflicted with a terrible impediment in a stressful time can overcome fear and achieve greatness.

This film was very well done. If you remember, in 2011 the movie won Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay at the Academy Awards; when you see the film it is obvious. The film was directed by Tom Hooper who also directed Les Misérables and John Adams. All of the major events that occurred in this movie were historically accurate and necessary to the story line. I felt at points the film could be a bit boring but nothing could have been removed from the story. The cinematography was also interesting in this film. There were some odd wide angles of faces during speeches; some felt unnatural but most of these shots helped the story. I could see Bertie's slight quivers in his jaw and eyes as he speaks displaying his nevousness. There were many nice shots in this film such as cameras in and outside cars, in elevators, close up conversations and wide landscape shots. The writing was great in this film as well. The dialogue was natural and wasn't loaded with exposition. Bertie had great development through the film starting off as a nervous, self conscious Duke and turning into a more confident individual as his nervousness and royal attitude shed. He had great chemistry with both Elizabeth and Lionel, who served as a nice contrast to the royalty. However, the pacing was slow in this film especially in the beginning. The plot sometimes got bogged down in talk of politics and royalty. There were many side characters who I could not remember the names or personalities of. The lead characters were well written though. Along with Bertie, Elizabeth and Lionel had interesting personalities. She was clever and looked out for her husband and he was charming and tries his best to help Bertie. Overall, the writing was smooth and consistent. The editing flowed smoothly from scene to scene and the lighting made good contrasts. In the beginning the smoggy London was dark and somber but by the end the setting had brightened and cleared. The costumes were beautiful and historically accurate. The queen had fur coats and many jewels. Bertie had a traditional embellished uniform while Lionel had a simple suit that fit his character. The set design added to the royal tone with historically accurate sets that included grand halls, empty echoing rooms and large palaces with lavish furniture. The film was actually made in various locations around England in the same places the story took place. The score worked well with the scenes, flowing from scene to scene well. The opening music sets the tone nicely and quiet violin grows tension as it progresses. The music flows with dialogue and grows at speeches and big moments. All of these elements come together well in the end making a great film.     

King George VI: The Man Behind The King's Speech is a simple hour-long documentary accompanying the film. It shows interviews with Firth, Hooper, Mark Logue (Lionel's grandson who wrote a book about Bertie's story with the same name) and historians who told the story of the king's life. A majority of the film was actual footage from the time including the actual king making his speeches. This isn't anything spectacular but if you are a fan of the movie and want more behind-the-scenes knowledge this is on Netflix for your enjoyment.

Divergent book and movie reviews

A few days ago I read the extremely popular novel Divergent by Veronica Roth and today I saw the film adaption in theaters. Both were great mediums of a fascinating story about a future Chicago where the population is divided into factions based on their virtues, selflessness (Abnegation), peace (Amity), honesty (Candor), bravery (Dauntless) and intelligence (Erudite) to avoid conflict. This is the story of Tris (Shailene Woodley),a girl who doesn't fit into only one faction; she is divergent. As the government tries to control her, she breaks the mold of her dystopian society. The message reflects human nature that the government tries to dissolve. Tris is not one specific virtue; she is several. No one human is explicitly kind, explicitly honest or explicitly brave. All of us are divergent.This film connected to me on a personal level because of this. It showed me what bravery truly is. Tris is born in Abnegation but when she turns 16 she, with the rest of her peers, undergoes a test that tells her which faction she belongs in. Unfortunately, the test results are inconclusive and she is forced to figure out which path is best for her by herself, something the government doesn't want. She chooses Dauntless because she has always admired their skill and virtues. While being initiated into the faction she learns that the faction used to believe that bravery was helping your fellow man and standing up for what you believe in. It slowly morphed into a faction that pits people against each other and tries to remove any humanizing fear from your personality. It opened my eyes to what being brave truly is. It is not about being fearless; it is overcoming your fears to achieve success for the greater good.

The book:

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. There are few things I can fault it on. I listened to this novel on audiobook read by Emma Galvin who had a similar voice to Shailene Woodley, the actress who portayed Tris in the movie. This book was enjoyable for a few reasons. Every character was fleshed out and interesting. Some of them you loved, some of them you hated and some were mysterious and full of secrets. Tris, originally Beatrice Prior, started off as a bland girl who was taught from birth to all ways think of others and forget yourself. She is content withe life she leads in Abnegaton but secretly she yearjns to have adventure and fun instead of spending her days wearing drab clothes, volunteering constantly and and hiding her talents. When she moves to Dauntless she becomes a new person, one who is braver than all the rest. She is loyal to her friends and fights against her enemies. By the end she is a strong woman who has dealt with too much hardship and hurt for a girl. The other prominent character in this book is Four, a mysterious Dauntless instructor who teaches Tris the true meaning of bravery that has been shrouded in secret. He is first a cold, closed off ypung adult but develops into a companion for Tris and a man who can fight for what he believes in. Veronica Roth's world is also creative. Set in the near distant future, this city's inhabitants are completely ignorant as to the freedom this country had. They do exactly as the government tells them and no one raises an eyebrow. They endure extreme separation and extraction of virtues so similar people will group together and won't cause conflict with ones who are different. What is best about this booka re the themes and messages it conveys as I explained above. At first glance it looks like an average teen novel but below the surface it is so much more. This worldwide bestselling novel has definitely become one of my favorites and I am excited to continue on in the trilogy.

  

The film adaption was also excellent, capturing the themes and heart of the book while making it its own entity. The director of the film, Neil Burger, did a good job faithfully following a novel with such a huge fan-base. It did take some liberties of its own which is important to distinguish itself from the book. It was a very fast paced movie which is quite a statement for a film that was 2 hours and 19 minutes long. All the major plot points of the book were addressed. I felt nothing important was cut out. Some scenes were cut short for time's sake but it didn't detract from the overall story. The writing also followed the book well. Each character was developed well. Our protagonists and even some supporting characters were sympathetic since they were given some back story and distinguishing characteristics. For example, in Abnegation Tris is only allowed to see herself in the mirror every three months when her mother cuts her hair. When she undergoes her test she is gicen a serum that puts her into different situations based on her personality. She ends up in a room with mirrors on every wall, dozens of Trises staring at her. This shows her wanting to leave Abnegation and discover herself. The dialogue between the characters wasn't completely natural. There were some awkward pauses and the things these people were saying didn't seem very realistic. There were some lines quoted from the book which was a nice homage but wasn't natural. The plot on the other was very inventive and even though I had knowledge of the story beforehand it still felt unpredictable. What I enjoyed most about the writing was that it felt like a true dystopian. At first they set up a seemingly perfect world where everyone gets along harmoniously but as the story progresses that notion is slowly dismantled and the society crumbles in imperfection. 

The transitions between scenes weren't always very smooth sometimes jumping from one set to another with no previous explanation but overall it wasn't too choppy. The lighting did a good deal to give contrast between settings. The Erudite headquarters were bright while the Dauntless headquarters were substantially darker even though dark things were secretly occurring in Erudite. The graphics looked futuristic including holograms and advanced machinery. Some shots, however, looked obviously green screened. the fear landscapes, areas that Dauntless members were forced to enter in their minds that exploited their biggest fears, didn't look very realistic which emphasized their surreal nature well. Overall the effects fit the film well.

The costume design in this film was great. It was what clearly distinguished each Faction and their virtues. The Abnegation wear baggy grey dresses, pants and shirts which added to their belief of forgetting themselves. The Amity, in a beatnik style, wore loose, flowing clothing in reds and yellows that symbolized being comfortable with yourself and each other. The bright colors also helped the characters pop in the farms where they worked. The Candor wore black and white showing their belief that the truth was black or white. The white helped distinguish themselves from the Dauntless who wore primarily black along with their tattoos and piercings which the short, skin tight clothes helped show off. The clothes also worked for their faction because they were probably easiest to move in as they jumped off trains and fought fellow members. The Erudite wore blue tones which made them look calm and collected as they plotted against other factions. Typical pieces such as sweater vests and pencil skirts showed off their intelligence without being over-the-top.

The movie was filmed at Navy Park in Chicago, Illinois where the story takes place. With special effects the city worked well to show a dilapidated version of its former self which added to the dystopian tone. The score was probably the best improvement to the film. Some of the songs sounded a bit too contemporary for the futuristic setting but overall the music flowed with the actors' movements and expressions and built tension, added extra emotion to dramatic scenes and distinguished different events from each other. For example, when the Dauntless are introduced a rhythmic clapping song plays giving excitement to their appearance. The song at the end of the film concluded the story well as it faded to credits.

Overall this was a great film based on a great novel which conveyed a deep and fascinating story. I recommend reading the book before the movie or else the plot points and characters might get confusing without prior knowledge. If you love science fiction, thrilling action and some teen angst thrown in, this story is a good fit for you.

March TBR

This month might be a bit ambitious. I checked out a large amount of books from my public library so I intend to read most of them.

This is the book I am currently reading. For English class, every month we have to select a book off of a list of about 150 books our teacher gives us. After we read that book in the month we must discuss it with him. This was one that he raved about in class so I decided to pick it up. Staying Fat For Sarah Byrnes by Chris Crutcher is about a boy named Eric Calhoune who is overweight. In middle school he became best friends with a girl named Sarah Byrnes who, as her name suggests, has terrible burn scars on her face. The two misfits join together to rebel against bullies and other misadventures until Sarah Byrnes stops talking and is sent to a mental hospital. That is essentially the "plot" but there is so much more going on in this story. Eric joins the swim team but is afraid he will lose weight and his frienship(hence the titles), his swim coach teaches a class where students discuss hot button issues and many other subplots ensue.
 

This is a fascinating book based on the description. It is about A. Every day A wakes up in a different body, no matter gender, race, personality or any other factors. A has lived with this condition for sixteen years and doesn't think much of it until one day he meets a girl named Rhiannon and falls in love. From there he must find her through his disability and declare his love.
 

This is a new book that came out this year. It is about a teenage girl named Hayley Kincaid who has to deal with her father, Andy. Andy recently came home from combat and suffers from PTSD. This story is about Hayley's struggle with her living conditions as she tries to forge a normal life.
 

The Chaos Walking trilogy is a dystopian series about a boy named Todd who lives in a society where everyone can hear each other's thoughts. This is until one day when Todd finds a place where it is totally quiet, no noise or thoughts or anything. This trilogy chronicles his adventures as he learns the truth of this society.

I am only planning on reading the first book in this series. If you do not know what this novel is about I summed it up in my February TBR post. As you can see by the cover this novel is being adapted into a film that is coming out this month. I plan to read this to prepare for that event and I will make sure to get around to it this month.

Those are the books I would like to read in March. I assume I won't finish all of these this month but I like to have some goals set in the mean time. Subscribe to this blog to see my reviews of these books and what I finish this month! 

February Wrap-Up

Now, I'm just going to say it now and get it over with: I will rarely read all the books on my TBR list. This month I read three books and only one was on the TBR list. I haven't had as much time for reading recently because of my packed schedule but after March I will be back track. Anyway I will give you what you came for now. Here are the books I read this month:

Last month I read Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell and I absolutely loved it so I decided to try her most popular young adult novel, Eleanor and Park. This is probably going to be one of my favorite books of 2014. I adored this story. If you don't know, this book is about two high school misfits in 1986 who fall in love. Actually, it's a whole lot more than that. Eleanor is an overweight girl who just moved to this town in Nebraska. Park is an Asian American who loves music. When they meet for the first time on the school bus it isn't love at first sight. It takes weeks and months for their relationship to form but when it does it is absolutely magnificent.

This was the book that was on my TBR list. If you don't already know what this book is about check out my February TBR post. I definitely enjoyed this novel. The first 150 pages or so was mostly world building and set up so that part was quite slow. Once I got past it, however, the plot suddenly became action-packed and exciting. I am excited to pick up the next books in this dystopian trilogy soon because this one was very enjoyable.

About a week ago I made a separate review of this book along with the recent movie adaption of this story. There I give a synopsis and my opinions on this book so please check that out if you are interested.

That's it for my February Wrap-Up. If you want to know more about what I'm reading check out my Goodreads page or if you want to see my complete book wishlist, to-read list and other things check out my Pinterest page. Of course, if you are interested in seeing more reviews from me subscribe to this blog in the sidebar.

Vampire Academy (book and movie review)

During winter break this week I have read the first book in the Vampire Academy series(Vampire Academy, obviously) by Richelle Mead and seen the Vampire Academy movie in theaters. Having both experiences fresh in my mind I will review both separately and compare.

From first glance this book seems like another cheesy Twilight knock-off about angsty teenage vampires. Well, it is partially but it really is so much more. This is the first in a six book series about these fantastical creatures. Three kinds of vampires are introduced in this universe. Strigoi are your typical vampires, allergic to sunlight, living on blood and quite vicious. Moroi are peaceful vampires with magical elemental powers(water, fire, earth, air). Sunlight merely annoys them and they don't viciously kill for blood. Dhampirs are half Moroi, half human. They are meant to protect the Moroi with their lives and kill Strigoi if they get in the way. This story centers around Rose Hathaway, a Dhampir who has escaped from St. Vladimir's Academy, a school in Montana designed for Moroi and Dhampirs to train. She and her best friend, a Moroi princess Lissa Dragomir live on their own in the human world until they are sent back to the academy at the beginning of the novel. From there these two deal with mean girls, evil forces and mysterious occurrences. I enjoyed this novel. While there was a lot of world building taking place, to lay the foundation for the series, the mythology of these characters was very interesting and original. Unfortunately this did lead to some moments that were less than exciting. Each character was well set up, however, though the line between good and evil definitely had its twists and turns. I thought this book was an exciting introduction to the series and great for any fans of vampires, paranormal romance and mysteries.

This movie also can be suspect to prejudice. After all it was made by the people who brought you "Mean Girls" and "Heathers". By the advertising it looks to be a typical high school movie filled with clichés about love, teenagers and vampires. You would be entirely correct. While this movie was enjoyable, it was also riddled with pop culture references, stereotypical characters and cheesy romances. While perhaps the novels had some of these problems as well the movie made them much more evident. The references to such things as Pinkberry and iPhone 5 truly dates it. The mean girl characters seemed like watered down versions of the posse from the original "Mean Girls". One small detail that especially annoyed me was that some random characters had British or Australian accents even though the movie is set in the U.S. and there is no mention that any of these characters are from the aforementioned countries. The actors did give good performances though so I can overlook that detail somewhat. I am a bit of a sucker for cheesy high school movies though and I did enjoy it. Anyone who likes silly teen movies or liked "Mean Girls" or "Heathers" would probably enjoy this flick though if you read the book, there will most likely be nitpicking involved.

February TBR (to be read)

As you might have read, yesterday I posted a wrap-up of books I read in the month of January (here is a link if you are interested: http://cmoslifeinwords.blogspot.com/2014/01/january-wrap-up.html). Now, since it is the beginning of February, I will tell you about a few books that I plan on reading this month:

I am currently reading this book and I plan to finish it tomorrow since it is a very quick read. This is an adorable story about two teenage misfits in 1986. Eleanor is overweight, has bright red curly hair and lives with her very poor family who don't even have toothbrushes. Park is an Asian boy who loves listening to music on his Walkman and reading comic books. These two meet and gradually fall in love in this contemporary novel. 

Yes, I know. I have not yet read the groundbreaking dystopian trilogy Divergent (along with its sequels Insurgent and Allegiant shown to the right). As I stated in my wrap-up post I plan on moving away from the young adult contemporary romance genre I have been reading for the past couple of weeks and read more dystopian or science fiction books. This series, for the informed, is about a teenager named Beatrice Prior who lives in a futuristic society where when you turn 16 you take a test and are separated into a community, or Faction, based on your dominant virtue, Abnegation(selflessness), Amity(peacefulness), Candor(honesty), Dauntless(bravery) and Erudite(intelligence). Unfortunately, when Beatrice takes the test that decides your Faction she results in being Divergent, able to fit into more than one faction. This novel deals with her finding her true self and where she really belongs.

The Legend trilogy is another very popular dystopian trilogy about June, whose brother was murdered, and Day, the prime suspect in that case. They both live in a future where the United States is split into two countries after a second Civil War. These stories are told from alternating points of view from June and Day as they find each other and learn the truth.

I might not be able to read all of these books by the end of the month but I will try my best. I will also review them as I read so keep an eye out for further updates and subscribe if you are interested.

January Wrap-Up

Since I started my reading challenges less than a week ago, I only have one book pertaining to those endeavors. So far I read nine books this year. Most of them aren't much to talk about but I will quickly review a few that stood out to me:                                                                                                                       

This book is about a girl named Gretchen Yee who goes to a high school for gifted artists in New York City. She feels like an outcast, usually sitting only and drawing comic strips until one day she wishes she could be a fly on the wall of the Boys' Locker Room. The next day her wish literally comes true and she is an insect. There, she learns so much about body image, relationships, bullying and more. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who wants a realistic view of high school and the life of a teenager.
  

This book is a reread from the popular children's series Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan. Throughout this year I plan on reading the other four books in the series and The Heroes of Olympus series, which is a continuation of this story, as well. This book is about a 12 year-old boy named Percy Jackson who is very troubled. He has dyslexia and ADHD growing up in New York City with his kind mother and sleazy stepfather. He has never completed more than one year in a single school because of the odd events that occur on field trips when he is around. This year one of his teachers turns into a Fury and battles him. From there he is sent away to a special summer camp for kids like him. As the story progresses he realizes his origins and, shall I say, epic potential. This is an enjoyable, fast-paced read for fans of Greek mythology, monsters and lots of action.

Although it didn't particularly fit the season this was an adorable summertime read. This contemporary novel is about a 16 year-old girl named Samantha who lives with her tightly wound mother in Connecticut. Since she was a little girl, the Garrett family has lived next door. This isn't an ordinary family though. The whole clan consists of two parents and eight children ranging from one to 23. Since they moved in, her mother has been appalled and Samantha has been fascinated by the Garretts, watching them from her window often as she grew up. During this particular summer she meets one in person; Jase, a 17 year-old boy who is kind, charming, helpful and adorable all at the same time. In no time they fall in love as the summer progresses. This book is a great, light, summery read for any fans of teenage romance and forbidden love.
   

This was another adorable contemporary, though a little more realistic than My Life Next Door. This novel is about an 18 year-old girl named Cath who goes to college in Nebraska, her home state. The thing about Cath is that she is a twin with extreme social anxiety. She also is a huge fanatic of The Simon Snow Series (this world's Harry Potter). She has read all the books and seen the movies as they came out and collects ton of memorabilia based the books. She also writes fan fiction about the series, building a relationship between the two main characters Simon and Basil. Under the username "Magicath" she is a hugely popular fan fiction writer, getting thousands of views. Once she enters college though she has to face the real world filled with mean people, irresistible boys and what happens when a girl full of fiction enters a world of mere reality. This book is great for fan girls and boys, writers or someone in the mood for a creative contemporary.
    

The last book I read this month was one I finished today. This is about an 18 year-old girl named Allyson who just graduated from high school. As a gift from her parents she goes on a month long Teen Tour! where she visits cities like Prague, Rome, London and the like in a very touristy fashion. On the last day of the tour, the day before her flight leaves, she meets a Dutch man named Willem who is an actor in a traveling troupe. She decides to ditch the scheduled performance of Hamlet and go see the troupe's rendition of Twelfth Night. On the train the next day she meets him again and they converse resulting in an agreement to visit Paris, the city Allyson didn't visit, for just one day before she has to leave for America. From their romance, beauty, passion and all sorts of emotions are found. I enjoyed this book because of my European travels and how I could relate to some of their journey. This is a great read for travelers, adventure-seekers and contemporary fans. This book also qualifies for my One Book TBR square for the Book Bingo Challenge.

This concludes my January Wrap-Up. Since this month was packed with contemporary, romance and young adult novels I'm planning on venturing into dystopian and fantasy for February. If you have any questions, recommendations or other observations, feel free to leave them in the comments below!