King's Speech, Rabbit Hole, Somewhere, The Tourist, Tangled, and True Grit

It is very much Oscar season: the SAG noms, the Golden Globes, the trailers featuring Sundance, Cannes, NYFF tags, Javier Bardiem. The usual. And as such, I'm beginning my movie marathon. Thankfully I'm stranded with nothing else to do in Ohio, where I can pay reasonable midwestern ticket prices and enjoy all the comforts of a megaplex sans bedbugs.

First up, Rabbit Hole -- a stage to screen adaptation of the fantastic David Lindsay-Abaire play about the fall-out to a family following the death of their son. Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart star as the grieving parents. I was not a hater like the critics on this one. I really enjoyed the honesty of some of the scenes, especially those at the group crisis counseling sessions (Sandra Oh from Grey's makes a nice turn as a wound-up mom) and with the teen responsible for the accident (Miles Teller -- one to watch). I also liked the cartoon animation motif as a linking force as well as a reminder of childhood. I thought the art direction, the whispy WASP-y Westchester lawns, white picket fences, well-ironed linens, looked lovely and appropriately restrictive. However, I had some difficulties with Kidman, in and out of her Aussie accent, and incongruent with lower-classed mother Diane Weist and knocked-up sister. The trio didn't have any chemistry, and their incompatibility was never closely examined. Though it's been a while since I read the play, I remembered more joy, more carthasis in its trajectory. This version of Rabbit Hole was more static, more languid in its sadness, which made two hours difficult. I couldn't tell when I was given permission to cry, though I certainly was given ammunition. I found myself waiting and watching, instead of fully immersing myself within the world.

King's Speech will certainly make the Academy's Top Ten. Engaging performances by all players, especially Geoffrey Rush, who I'm convinced can do no wrong, and a new perspective on a historical period. I always love that. When some strange factual nugget is brought to life, into popular culture by some intrepid filmmaker. I also thought the director got even throw-away segments and characters so right on. Even in the casting of Margaret and Elizabeth, future monarch. Granted they only had a few bits to show their personalities, but I thought they prophetized how their future selves would behave. I admit that there were some slow parts in which I may or may not have nodded off. So my review can't be as thorough as I might have hoped. I will blame midwestern carbicide rather than lazy filmmaking. A really good one. Highly recommended.