Not such a bright, sunshiney day
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Hard-hitting emotional drama Oranges and Sunshine might have plenty of zest, but there's nothing sunny about it. Based on true events, it tells the story of British social worker Margaret Humphreys (Emily Watson) who uncovers one of the most controversial social scandals in recent years: the forced migration of children from the United Kingdom to Australia.
Director Jim Loach, son of renowned filmmaker Ken (The Wind That Shakes The Barley, Kes), brings his father's expert touch to this subtle and sombre film. Where other filmmakers could have spilled into melodrama, Loach keeps a firm grasp of gritty reality. Moving performances from Hugo Weaving, David Wenham and a bevy of other Australian actors bring the harrowing stories of the children - now suffering as adults - to life.
Watson's Humphreys is initially a difficult character to relate to, but once her icy exterior melts she's more compassionate and accessible to the audience. From the Academy Award-winning producers of The King's Speech, this is somewhat like a stuffy version of Erin Brockovich, with a blow-job joking American heroine swapped for a humourless British one.
Oranges and Sunshine is out Thursday, June 9.
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His wife has dragged him along to every speech therapist and doctor to no avail, that is, until she comes across the talents of unorthodox Australian speech therapist Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush, above). Reluctantly, Bertie begins sessions with Logue which include peculiar exercises, outbursts of swearing, psychological tricks and what soon develops into an unlikely friendship between the pair. But after the death of his father the King (Michael Gambon), his older brother King Edward (Guy Pearce) is more interested in chasing American tale than fulfilling his duties as King, while across the way Hitler is gaining power and momentum. Bertie's speech improvement and newfound confidence is going to be put to the test in a time when the nation needs him more than ever.
The sets shy away from the overly-Royal sentiment that so often drowns period pieces. Instead it truly captures the grim and depressing sentiment of a nation on the brink of another war. And although the ingredients are right, The King's Speech can't help but become boring in patches. Between the fantastic montages of Bertie and Logue practising colourful speech techniques come tedious scenes, heavy in dialogue and little else. It's a shame, because director Tom Hooper has gone to such effort to make this period-piece as detailed and revealing as possible, which it is. However, in the end the stuffy British-ness tends to weigh the film down.
The God of Thunder or King George VI with a stammer? That was what it came down to for director Tom Hooper who was tossing up between comic-book movie Thor and period drama The King's Speech as his next project. But with The King's Speech headed for Oscars glory, Hooper definitely made the right decision.
Which makes sense, considering Geoffrey Rush plays an unconventional Australian speech therapist who's called in to help fix the debilitating stammer of King George VI, played by Colin Firth. Hooper himself is half-Australian and says it was his Australian mother who first introduced him to The King's Speech via an underground version on the London theatre scene. The film has come a long way from theatre origins to industry insiders touting it as a red-hot Oscars favourite, with nominations likely across several major categories
But the filmmaker is more enthusiastic about Firth and Rush's chances of winning at the awards, with Helena Bonham Carter even an outside chance for best supporting actress.