Student Film Reviews

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1. Lawrence Gleeson 02.15.11 / 12am

   Terrific review. Strong opening. Well researched and you articulate your opinions eloquently.

   I thoroughly enjoyed “The King’s Speech” as well. And, I couldn’t help noticing the remarkable role Helene Bonham Carter played.

   I agree with you on Firth, Rush and Hooper. Highly seasoned professionals. In my observations, they make performing their respective crafts seem effortless.

   Excellent point on the historical dramatization and period piece comment.
2. Ulrika Bjork 02.15.11 / 2pm

   When I saw “The King’s Speech” I had such high expectations on it. I’d heard so much about it that I figured it had to be a good movie. And of course it was a good film, no doubt about it. Not to mention the acting that was absolutely flawless. Each and every one of them does their interpretation impressively well. But since I had such high expectations (and maybe that’s the reason why); I have to say I was a little disappointed in it. I just didn’t quite get why it has been such a big hype about it. In my opinion it didn’t happen too much and the story was just a little flat sometimes. But of course the ending scenes were kind of spectacular and it was so cool to see him succeed with his speech after all that training and obstacles he had been going through. So obviously, overall I think it was an impressing movie and the performances were great.
3. Jennifer Soucy 03.09.11 / 9pm

   After “The King’s Speech” came to theaters, everyone that I knew was raving about how spectacular it was as a film. Although the trailer seemed interesting, I did not fully get what it was about and chose not to see the movie right away. Then when award season came, “The King’s Speech” was number one. I was then convinced to go see the film, and did so last weekend. During the first ten minutes I was immediately interesting in the concept of watching a member of royalty attempt to overcome something so drastic, such as his speech impediment. When I was first introduced to the character Lionel Logue, played by Geoffery Rush, I was attracted to what would come next. I fell in love with his character and believe he made a huge impact on the film’s success. When Colin Firth and Geoffery Rush collaborated as one as they attempted to fix the King’s problem, I saw the reason why everyone said the movie was so great. It was difficult to watch at times while the King was struggling with his speech, forcing me to think what he really went through. My heart really went out to him, proving that the actors made the film so realistic. Overall, I would recommend this film to anyone because it shows the brilliance of the acting and directing involved.
4. Mary Jo Petersen 03.16.11 / 9am

   I had not heard of “The King’s Speech” until my aunt went on raving about how it was such a good film, my aunt sees a lot of movies so I knew it was one I had to see. After watching I was particularly pleased, most of my favorite movies are historical ones and this movie surpassed my expectations. I was pleased to find out it won the Academy Award for best movie, it deserved all the awards it won that night. What I loved most was the inspiring story line and the brilliant use of historic events to make such a worthy film. It seems clear that the writer, David Seidler had much insight in writing the script for he too suffered from a speech impenitent. I agree that this film is truly an extraordinary one and will never be forgotten.
5. Alec Stoll 03.18.11 / 6pm

   I thought that the King’s Speech was a decent movie. I know that on a critical level it was a very good movie and that the acting was great in it. The thing that I had a hard time with was the storyline. There was nothing exciting about this movie and it was hard for me to want to pay attention. I did pay attention because I kept wanting there to be something that I would want to see. Sadly there never was something that made me enthusiastic about the movie. I like to watch movies for their entertainment value. Unfortunately this was not one of those movies. If you want to see a movie that had great acting but a somewhat dry story then this is the movie for you. It also did not help the fact that a bunch of people around me had fallen asleep during the movie.
6. Zach Piehl 03.18.11 / 10pm

   When someone first told me about the Kings Speech, I had no idea what film they were talking about. Then I looked it up and noticed the raving reviews so I decided to go see it. Boy, am I so happy that I did. What a perfect film. This is such a good film and one can see exactly why it won best film of the year. The Kings Speech is great because it is a true story, which in my opinion is always more exciting to watch because you can imagine it really happening. This film also stands out in the acting of Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush. These two actors are what make the film such a pleasure to watch. They literally act flawlessly and with humor and wit the whole way. In all this is one of my favorite films and after seeing it I literally told every person I know to go see it. Go see this film now!
7. Kelsey Anderson 04.28.11 / 5pm

   I thought this review was fantastic, and it was due to the fact that the reviewer had completely thought out and researched the film, in order to know every possible thing about it. I thought the way that the reviewer gave credit to not only the actors, but the director as well made this review quite strong. I do agree with the review, that the acting of Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush was fantastic, and that the different personalities of the the two characters increased the greatness of the film. I personally thought that The King’s Speech was a fantastic film; despite most people’s comments about how there was no excitement or action in the film. The story line and acting were so good that there was no need for action. The actors were so into their characters that it made me feel as if i was apart of the story as well.
8. Sara Uronen 04.29.11 / 9pm

   This review was great. I liked the insight on the director having a stutter. This made me think of the film slightly differently. I did not enjoy this film at all. I enjoy watching films with energy and this film was dull and bland in my opinion. I think that this film has a lot of great ideas and acting behind it but the whole picture was not appealing to me. Older audiences might have had a higher interest in this film because I think that it was targeted for an older crowd. Not to say this film can not be interesting for younger crowds, but I believe it was intended to sway the interests of people who understand the film.
9. Isabella Betkowski 06.27.11 / 8pm

   I thought this was a great film. Not only am I a huge fan of Colin Firth, but also Geoffrey Rush as well as Helena Bonham Carter-so if you as me, I thought it was an all star cast. I thought that the cinematography was incredibly enticing and though there were few sets, the actors made each scene and set come alive. When I watched this, several friends joined me and they said they couldn’t understand why this film could have one the best picture award and I have to say that although I thought this was a great film with great acting and all other aspects included, I don’t think it deserved the Oscar for best picture. I feel like the action was too stale for it to deserve the award, and while it was a sigh of relief that the King was able to give a decent speech when needed, it seemed a bit anti-climactic and it was hard to swallow the fact that that was the scene we had all been waiting for. All in all, I feel like this film is probably more appealing to an older audience and to those who appreciate great acting without the sexiness of action films. That said, I still did enjoy it and would comfortably suggest it to others who I know can sit through a film that doesn’t have explosions every five seconds. It was a refreshing change.
10. Nicole Payne 07.02.11 / 9pm

    The Kings Speech by Tom Hooper was brilliant and amazing on so many different levels. Usually I’m not too keen on movies with storylines based in the earlier years of the 1900’s, but it was family night and my aunt made me watch it. The acting and the story surprised me and everything about it was just so interesting. Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush together was a match made in heaven. They’re characters complimented each other extremely well. Like you said, they gave life to their characters. I also agree on the Mis-en-scene in this movie. The costumes took the parts just that much further, allowing the story to be more real, as if you were almost there when King George VI made that speech. I would definitely recommend this film to others when asked.
11. Gabriella Rodriguez 10.18.11 / 10am

    When I first heard about the film, King’s Speech I heard it was a great film and critics loved it. I didn’t want to get my expectations too high and I’m glad I did not. I thought the film was a really good movie that created great inspiration to the audience. This movie was filled with great actors who conveyed the message that was trying to be revealed by production.
12. Nick Anderson 02.22.12 / 2pm

    I was interested in seeing The King’s Speech not only because it is nominated for an Academy Award, but because it was based on a true story. When a screenwriter can make a piece of history interesting to the masses, it is worth checking out. Having been to England this summer, I enjoyed seeing Buckingham Palace and other scenes in England. While Colin Firth is an outstanding actor, I really preferred the talent of Geoffrey Rush as Lionel. Rush, in my opinion, stole the movie. His role was multi-dimensional. He exuded authority, friendship, toughness, kindness and authenticity. It was his character that helped unpeel the layers of the King’s background and insecurities and he who built up the humble King into someone strong and confident. His character was outstanding and his acting sublime.
13. B.J. Sepulvado 01.29.13 / 7pm

    Once upon a time, people passed history to others by telling stories. This review is perfect. Art succeeds when you are there. Everyone involved with this film, you are inspiring to those of us that had the honor of being (there) with you. We all wanted him to speak and felt the glory when he indeed mastered the spoken act. Ciao, BJ
14. Geoffrey Boss 04.24.15 / 10pm

    I definitely agree with this review in that the actors were a main reason the film experienced such success. Collin Firth did a great job portraying his character as he emphasized how hard it was to get rid of his speech impediment. I also agree with this review in that Tom Hooper did a great job of piecing this movie together. Almost everything in this film seemed to work so well, which is why I see this film as one of my all-time favorites.
15. Audrey A Lapointe 07.13.15 / 10am

    The King’s Speech is a well-acted film that brings “royalty” down do relatable levels. I was previously unaware that the film’s writer, David Seidler, suffered from stuttering; I’m sure that had a lot to do with the play’s realistic acting and “Bertie’s” (King George VI) unpretentious character portrayal. The insider’s peek into the royals’ characters didn’t stop there, however; the relationship between King George VI and the Queen (Helena Bonham Carter) revealed the private, genuine side of both conflict and love, particularly Bertie’s lack of confidence and the Queen’s unwavering encouragement and support that kept him going, but also in the smaller glimpses of affection between them. The treatment of the other characters was outstanding, as well; overall, I felt the film was a success because it dissolved some of the mystique of being “royal” to show that, regardless of one’s station in life, we all go through common challenges in life.
16. Nicole Buckley 07.27.18 / 10pm

    With films based on real events and, especially, real people, it is interesting to see how actors balance bringing a bit of their own artistry to the part and bringing to the screen a real person with their own quirks and mannerisms which may have effected their place and their story in real life. Still, through the acting and incredible work put into the mise-en-scene, it was really something to see this story played out in this way and brings seemingly far away truths into our lives. It makes history seem like less of a story and more of real actions by real people.

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