Hello all! And welcome to the 50th edition of the Sunday Film Review! Whoever thought that we would get this far? I certainly didn’t! But I do have some films to review for you, so without any more celebrations, let’s get right into it!
Strangers on a Train (1951)
An Alfred Hitchcock classic! Now many people may know the legendary Master of Suspense for his work on films such as Rear Window, Vertigo and Psycho amongst others. However if you go further back in Hitchcock’s work as director, he has made several early and pre-1950’s gems! Lifeboat from 1944 is a great example, one which we’ve covered in this series. But what is special about Strangers on a Train? Well the story centres around two men randomly meeting on a train and striking up conversation. One of the men, Bruno, is quite the eccentric, and discussing theories of murder. Suggesting that he could the other man’s estranged wife (whom he wishes to divorce) and that Guy could murder Bruno’s father, forms the main element of this movie. In typical but brilliant Hitchcock style, we see a murder take place, and then the remainder of the film focuses on the tense atmosphere that builds from this. Which characters will catch on? Will Guy be able to deal with this anxiety? Who will he involve to save himself? How will he stop Bruno? Questions you will find yourself asking throughout this movie! For a film over 65 years old, the pacing holds up really well! If you dedicate 95 minutes of your life to this film, then you’ll be taken on a rollercoaster of a story, which all builds up to a thrilling conclusion. The films ending I’m not a huge fan of, I’m going to spoil it here, but let’s just say, for a man of Hitchcock’s style and reputation, you think he would make the ending more suspenseful or even open it up to conclude in a numerous amount of ways. However, if Hitchcock wanted to neatly wrap this up, then he succeeded. This is definitely as much as a classic as much as his more well known work. If you’re a fan of Hitchcock, a fan of drama or films that rely on suspense and tension, then you’ll definitely enjoy Strangers on a Train. Check out the trailer below!
The King’s Speech (2010)
How fitting to review a film about a British Royal considering we have had a Royal Wedding this weekend! I’m not really a huge fan of the Royals in general, however I do love a good, well made movie about them! Or TV series, massive fan of The Crown (check it out on Netflix!). Now this film claimed the Best Picture award at the Oscars, and after watching it its quite clear to see why! Despite dealing with the monarchy, it resists the urge to be epic and grandness in its depiction of not just the Royals, but Britain as a whole. This is quite a small scale film, centring around one man with a stammer, and the man who desperately wants to help him and break down his barriers. Colin Firth portrays King George VI, and does a brilliant job of showing how this man desperately wanted to claim authority and confidence, but is forever held back because of his speech impediment. However, Geoffrey Rush plays Lionel Logue, the man who assists him, and plays this character wonderfully as a foil to George. His is witty, funny and also is very relatable as he arguably represents the common man. There are several scenes where he is showing the King exercises that made me smile, because they are very similar to the voice exercises we do as actors! But whilst there is joy and humour, there is also many emotional moments. The announcement and declaration of the Second World War, although a short scene, I found immensely powerful. To see in such a short time, how many lives were going to be affected and how different people reacted to this conflict. The final crux of the film (I feel this isn’t so much a spoiler as opposed to retelling history), shows George VI boldly speaking to the nation, announcing the plans for Britain, about to go forward into the war. It’s tense, emotional, powerful and closes out the film nicely to truly show the journey this one man was able to undertake, despite extremely unfavourable odds. Overall, I would recommend this film to anyone, it isn’t a film about the Royal Family necessarily, its in essence a film about a man struggling with something he has had for years. I’ve known friends with stammers or stutters who found watching this film incredibly empowering to them. So if you know anyone who is struggling themselves, then maybe recommend them The King’s Speech. A worthy Best Picture winner, and a very well made British film.
And that’s all for this week folks! Thank you for reading the reviews, watching the trailers, and sticking with me through 50 editions of the Sunday Film Review. Here’s to many many more! Have a fantastic week going forward, and I’ll see you all next time!
Adam xx
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