Golden Globe winners - Natalie and Colin!

Friday night Kevin and I went to see Black Swan, starring Natalie Portman, and Sunday after lunch Mom and I went to see The King's Speech, starring Colin Firth. Was I surprised that these two won the Golden Globe for best actress/actor? Nah.

I've always been a fan of Colin Firth, ever since Pride and Prejudice - which if you haven't seen, you silly thing, go rent it! The romance! The costumes! Colin Firth being snooty! It's wonderful. As a long-time fan, I am glad he's finally gotten some appreciation. The King's Speech was an English sort of film, and Colin Firth was dandy as the prince who stutters and suddenly finds himself king when his older brother abdicates in favor of marrying the twice-divorced American, Wallis Simpson. This takes place during the birth of radio and the coming of World War II, when he is expected to speak to his people and give them the strength to face what is coming. Good story, good acting, though I was not as impressed with the movie as my mom was. My one big problem - The speech therapist kept describing the prince/king as the bravest man he'd ever known, but I didn't feel like the audience got to see that bravery - he was always on the edge of falling apart about giving a speech or becoming king. Going on, certainly, and getting the job done despite his embarrassing manner of speaking.

But Black Swan really blew me away. Natalie Portman is devastating as a ballet dancer who seeks perfection and is driven to madness. Did that just happen or was it in her mind? Wonderful psychological thriller - not a sweet ballet movie, folks. (I don't understand people who go see a movie without at least watching the trailers for it or reading one review, but I know of a couple people who did not like the film because they were expecting it to be a movie about dancing.) This movie keeps you on the edge of your seat and guessing throughout, and Natalie Portman is simply amazing as an innocent, repressed young woman in a cut-throat world. If she doesn't get the Oscar, it will be a crime.

For those of you who do not want to pay the money to see these in the theatre, they're the kind of movies that will be just fine to watch on the little screen at home. But you should see them. The King's Speech is a slower-paced film about real people and events, and is touching and has some light humor in it. Black Swan is edgy and not to be seen with children or grandparents. :)

Black Swan - A
King's Speech - B