1) The King’s Speech
The King’s Speech was sort of like 2010’s Argo, ending up with all the big awards after it seemed another movie, in that year The Social Network, seemed to have all the critical momentum behind it. It’s even more baffling because instead of having the sentimental narrative behind it, I’m talking about the Ben Affleck “comeback” (because people were mean to him for a while, omg), The King’s Speech was directed by Tom Hooper. People don’t seem to like Tom Hooper, and every criticism made about his movie from this past year, Les Miserables, has basically been mounted as a personal attack on his skills and knowledge as a director.
And yet his movie about a stuttering monarch who finds his voice and singlehandedly wins a war for England, I think, earned him a Best Director prize at the Oscars, and the movie won Best Picture. Seems odd for a director that is hailed by many as the worst and they’d like you to believe he has always been that way (I thought The Damned United was a fine film before this one). But that’s neither here nor there.
I don’t get the affection for The King’s Speech. My feeling leaving the movie was like, ok so he got over his stammer and delivered his speech and everything, but what would have happened if he had failed? He still would have been…the King of England? I find it hard to sympathize with royalty, I guess. It was a nice little personal victory for him, but making it into this big national triumph rang false for me. I must have missed something though, because everyone I talk to loves this movie.