Comments | fatpie42: Christopher Hitchens and "The King's Speech"

fatpie42

Christopher Hitchens and "The King's Speech"

Feb 23, 2011 22:46

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christopher hitchens, not the oscars, movie stuff, politics

Comments 13

(The comment has been removed)

xiphias February 24 2011, 00:42:40 UTC

It's pro-working-through-your-problems-in-order-to-do-your-job.

fabfunk February 24 2011, 01:47:52 UTC

Or pro-boring-as-a-dog's-ass.

xiphias February 24 2011, 04:41:56 UTC

Not sure I saw the same movie you did.

Or, perhaps, dog's asses are very interesting.

Thread 8

skull_bearer February 24 2011, 00:29:27 UTC

What struck me when I watched the King's Speech was that it didn't feel like it ought to be a movie at all. It felt as though it ought to have been a play, taking place entirely in Lionel's apartment, with a brief scenery change for the announcement at the end. Everything else felt a bit tacked on, and in the case of the Nazi broadcasts, a jarring "HI THERE! REMEMBER US? WE'RE OVER HERE!"

Still a brilliant film though, just a little uncomfortable in its medium.

fatpie42 February 25 2011, 09:01:55 UTC

it didn't feel like it ought to be a movie at all. It felt as though it ought to have been a play

"Reservoir Dogs" felt like that too. I don't think that's always a bad thing.

fabfunk February 25 2011, 23:10:49 UTC

Actually, Reservoir Dogs was limited in its setting, but it felt cinematic. This has the scope and vision of a TV movie. Because Tom Hooper comes from TV, and that's where his aesthetic lies. He might be a storyteller. He's not a filmmaker.

fatpie42 February 25 2011, 23:27:07 UTC

So that's why The Social Network feels like a music video then?

If you argued that no one can ever direct proper films if they started out working on TV projects, music videos or adverts then you've pretty much ruled out most directorial talent. People have to start somewhere.

I simply don't agree that "The King's Speech" feels televisual and constantly repeating it dogmatically isn't going to change my opinion.

I agree that it feels like a play (as in simple, tight and could easily have been kept to one setting), but that doesn't make it a bad film.

lil_shepherd February 24 2011, 09:35:26 UTC

I note, by the way, that the Pharyngula mob were not in the least supportive of Hitchens (at least, not the last time I saw the thread, which was last night) though PZ seemed to be to some extent.

dominik February 24 2011, 11:24:51 UTC

While I knew this and was a bit puzzled by the movie, I didn't mind SO much. Not everything has to be about the Nazis, I figured.