PaleyFilms

During an intense traffic jam, a man (Michael Douglas) exits his car and heads off into the hot Los Angeles day. The reason? It’s his daughter’s birthday, and he will do anything to reach her. The man encounters many people and places along his journey, and uses them as conduits to express his frustrations with society. There is a Korean shopkeeper whose merchandise has economy-inflated prices, a group of gangland hoodlums, a commercialized burger joint, and a gay-hating Nazi, just to name a few. Our very flawed protagonist uses violence to deal with his societal issues, and picks up weapons along the way to help him out.

Robert Duvall is Detective Prendergast, a cop whose last day on the job goes from uneventful to fascinating, when he finds out what kind of damage Michael Douglas’s character is wreaking. Prendergast finds the man’s abandoned car, and notices that the license plate reads “D-Fens.” Using his detective skills and desire to keep the city safe from a raving lunatic, he begins to track down D-Fens (the name Michael Douglas is billed as in the credits) as the man gets closer and closer to the destination that is his daughter.

Directed by Joel Schumacher, Falling Down is an extremely disappointing movie; one that has a fantastic premise and a strong lead performance, but ultimately falls down (no pun intended) on its face. The film’s lack of subtlety, mediocre performances (with the exception of Douglas), and poor screenplay add up to create a failure.

D-Fens encounters problems with society along his way, but attacks the problems in a far too irrational and obvious manner. For example, D-Fens enters a shop to buy a soda and becomes outraged by the store’s high prices. He goes over to multiple items of merchandise, and emphasizes (out loud) how each one is overpriced. By the very first item, the point trying to be proven is clear; however, the man continues ranting on for several minutes, and even goes as far as destroying many of the shopkeeper’s shelves of goods. Throughout the film, Schumacher seems intent on “showcasing” his own issues with consumerism, crime, and societal laziness. However, he and screenwriter Ebbe Roe Smith feel the need to “hammer the message home” using broad strokes, exaggerated scenarios, and lazy dialogue.

In addition to its scenario problems, Falling Down is also structurally flawed. Though it tries its damnedest, its two main plot lines (Douglas’s and Duvall’s) really never mesh as smoothly as they should. Because each story contains so much unnecessary exposition-ridden drama, the film feels episodic, as if two completely different tales are being told. To be fair, D-Fen’s drama with his family is necessary, as he is trying to reach them. However, whenever Predergast stops his police pursuits to have a scene with his needy wife or obnoxious co-workers, the drama rings false and feels pointlessly put into the movie. It also doesn’t help that most of the film’s supporting performances are bad; almost every moment involving a side character is scarred by the poor acting.

Falling Down, while presenting some neat concepts and an excellent Michael Douglas performance, is a mess. Its lack of subtlety is so “in your face” that it grows wearisome and often feels sloppily put together. Although his acting is pretty good, I have no idea what Robert Duvall is doing in this movie, as he seems to only be in it to tie together the ending. Douglas fans beware; leave this one lying on the ground.

The King’s Speech details King George VI’s (Colin Firth) rise from Duke of York to the throne, and his interactions with speech therapist Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush). The setting is Britain right before World War II. When the Duke of York’s king brother abdicates, responsibility to keep the nation’s morale high is suddenly transferred to George VI, a man with a stammer. Radio is becoming more and more popular, and the King must overcome his speech impediment so that he can address his country in a public broadcast, giving citizens some much-needed support.

The movie’s main character may stutter, but the film itself certainly doesn’t. Colin Firth is wonderfully cast here, and gives a tremendous performance. Somehow, he manages to encapsulate all of the characteristics of a stammering king, while never overacting. Instead of being showy, Firth plays his character both subtly and intensely; his introverted nature is apparent simply through facial expression, while his short temper flares hotly when the scene calls for it. The stress of having grown up among royalty (and with an impediment, no less) has clearly taken its toll upon our protagonist, making him layered and infinitely interesting to watch. Geoffrey Rush does not shine quite as brilliantly as his co-star does (let’s face it, though-who can?), but nonetheless does exceptionally in the role he is given. As the King’s personal mentor and friend, Logue is not only a key player in the story, but also a major influence on George VI’s self esteem.

Not to be left out here are two more performances of note: Helena Bonham Carter as Elizabeth, the King’s loving wife; and Guy Pearce as Edward, George VI’s brother. Just like Logue, Elizabeth is supportive of the King in times of need and crisis, working with her husband to help him overcome his verbal challenges. Edward is the irresponsible brother who becomes King, but must renounce the royalty over to his (more capable) brother, due to a romantic choice (Edward’s fiancee is a divorced woman: a big no-no for British kings).

David Seidler’s script is very solid: dramatic, touching, and often funny. For parents who are up in the air about letting their children watch The King’s Speech because of its R rating, ignore the MPAA and go see it with them. The film only has such a high rating because of bad language, all of which is used here in good taste and helps drive the plot forward. This is thanks to Seidler’s careful handling of the screenplay, which never uses tasteless humor. As sophisticated and “British” as the dialogue is, it never loses momentum, and constantly engrosses the viewer.

Danny Cohen delivers really nice cinematography, aided and abetted by top tier production and costume design. The film’s look plays a major part in setting up the time, tone, and location, and is easy on the eyes. Tom Hooper’s very good direction helps convey frustration whenever George VI must speak publicly, using the camera to capture nervousness and the stakes of each scene. Who would have thought a simple speech could be so suspenseful?

In the end, The King’s Speech is a crowd-pleasing experience. While not groundbreaking or bold, it conveys an interesting historical story extremely well. The film-making is classic, performances are great across the board, and the art direction is sublime. The MPAA should have rated this an MS for “Must See,” as this is one you won’t want to miss.