The King's Speech: Fit for a King. ****

When you are bolstered in the lime light for the entirety of you're life, you would seem to hold people's opinions very seriously and highly in you're life, or maybe you would run you're life around what people think? Insecurity would be a must if you're a royal. King George the VI was the man that brought the world together in midst of the darkest time in our recent history, the rise of Hitler, he had a strong voice and will that brought his kingdom together and united them against evil. Where this movie begins isn't very heroic at all, it's actually very pathetic, and we get a slight whiff of what this movie has to offer. Empathy is charged through the theatre, as well as pity and discouragement, but one must rise from the ashes.

Colin Firth, what does that name mean to you? Not only is Colin a british bread actor but he is one of those handsome devils that was always in that random role, in that random romantic comedy, until a breakout role in "A Single Man." I have yet to see this movie but he received huge nods for his role in this film, he always received a nomination. Now sometimes an actor gets nominated then disappears, or picks crap material, a swing and a miss I guess you can say. Colin Firth picked "The Kings Speech" and he drives this movie. Not only does he swing, he hits a grand slam, and has made the performance of his career. Little did we know the confident "voice of Britain" had a stammering problem, and a big one. It's almost awkward and uncomfortable to watch Firth spit out what he's trying to say; it's an eye opening experience. As the movie digs on, we dig deeper into what this movie is really about, the human conditioning and how we can lose sight of our confidence and self importance. Geoffrey Rush plays Lionel, the man who teaches the king how to give a confident and wonderful speech, but he also becomes his only close friend. Rush gives the performance of his lustrous career, and that is saying a lot. He plays Lionel with a sharp wit and determination, he's blunt, sarcastic but also very sweet and empathetic. He is the only man that ever knew King George the VI's struggles and heartaches within his family. Helena Bonham Carter plays the queen, she has such a sweet presence but also isn't afraid to let people know she is royalty. If she wasn't queen she would be the sweetest housewife. The support she gives her husband is amazing, the scene when she's talking about his stammering as King George breaks down, she instills a confidence in her husband. Guy Pierce plays King David, the brother filled with controversy, and he is so good at playing the idiot brother, he was also a wonderful support to this film. But this film belongs to two men, Geoffrey Rush and Colin Firth.

This film is about a lot of things, perseverance, self confidence and those personal demons that haunt us for life. The writing of this film is so elegant and thoughtful, it's fit for a king, but at the same time it's blunt and rash just like Lionel himself. This is also a comedy, the laughter and humanity that gripped the king's heart is moving and inspiring. The friendship between these two men is also inspiring and heart warming. The power in this movie is unspeakable, it really doesn't show it off either. It sneaks up on you and attacks you're heart, it's persistent but not overbearing, it's in the little dialogue scenes when the actors deliver their lines perfectly and breathe life into this film, the audience starts to really connect with these two men, as Lionel never treats the king more than a normal person, the king slowly takes liking to this. The filming focuses on the dialogue, not the sweeping sets, or the epic downtown and the rise of Hitler. It sits, with Firth in the corner of the screen, waiting for him to stammer out a sentence. It's in this patience that makes the film so powerful and so wonderful. Firth eats up the limelight so well it's uncanny what he does with his character, he is a brilliant actor. The camerawork is absolutely stunning in this film, it has an elegance and beauty to it. The one set of Lionel's office where he treats his patients is breathtaking, the room has vintage furniture, a playback record player and old style wallpaper that I can't explain. This is where the king is healed, it's a beauty to look at as well as a perfect place for the king to spew about his personal life, absolutely perfect.

This movie is filled with humanity. A movie about a friendship, self sacrifice and finding oneself's identity. It's also a movie about a man who doesn't think highly of himself, that is until he meets his best friend that makes him worth something. It's a movie that shows us that people are so important in our lives no matter who we are, if we are just the normal person or royalty. It's message speaks so simply yet so profoundly, Firth and Rush are just perfect, they compliment each other so well and watching these two characters interact is such a joy to watch. This film is perfect and sure to win, want to be inspired? Go and watch this film, now.

The Social Network: A Boy and his Baby. ****

During the film season there are usually the odd movies that really inspire us. Usually, in the spring we get the dramas and the animated films that make our hearts melt, summer is the time for the huge action blockbusters and the fall is when the holiday oscar movies arrive. So movies come and go, some make in imprint on our emotions and some simply show us a good time, but sometimes there is a movie that simply defines cinema and stands the test of time. Some movies bring innovation and excellence to the screen and there are few that have done this. When David Fincher announced that he was making the movie about facebook written by master scribe Aaron Soren, I didn't know what to expect. I actually don't think anyone knew what to expect. Let me just start by saying, this movie better win best picture at the oscars, this is a brilliant achievement in film making. This is a powerhouse of a film, it sneaks up on you, and it will blow you away.

This movie is directed with such grace and tact, it packs a huge punch with the subtlety of a jungle animal slowly watching it's prey. It's vibrant, exhilarating, poignant and the most important movie of our cyber decade. It's the story about a young genius who show's the world how to connect, an entrepreneur that makes billions of dollars, and a friendship that is sacrificed for one thing, facebook. Let's back up just for a moment and get some context right. Facebook is the number one social networking site that was started in February of 2004 by wiz kids Mark Zuckerberg and Eduardo Saverin. It was exclusive only to Harvard University when it first hit the internet and it spread, like a virus all over the world, this movie is about these people, the creation, and the spread, but it's also about how those events impacted the lives and relationships of all parties involved. I know what you still may be thinking though, how good can a movie be when all it's about is silly Facebook? The reason why this movie is so important is because it's about our generation, the cyber generation. The generation where computer nerds run the world and become the rock stars, the generation that lives, breathes and operates on the internet, so if you love checking you're Facebook every day, why wouldn't you want to see how it was created?

"The Social Network" has some of the hottest stars right now, and this isn't silly "Twilight" where the stars are easy to look at but have no cinematic punch, these boys and girls know how to act. Jesse Eisenberg taps into a new collective self as the boy who plays Mark Zuckerberg. He has grown out of his nimble supporting roles as such in "Adventureland" and "Zombieland", he has created a beautiful monster in this film, he will get an oscar nod if not an oscar. Andrew Garfield plays his right hand man, Eduardo Saverin, and this boy came out of nowhere and really shocked me. He is versatile, and creative with his character here giving a jaded performance that rocks the screen. Rooney Mara is another newcomer who plays a pivotal role as the girl who dumps Zuckerberg, and the opening scene shows how brilliant of an actress she really is. Justin Timberlake gives the performance of his career, clear and simple, he is truly an actor, nominate him please. Fincher wields his cast like an arsenal of mass destruction, this movie gives every craving of good acting that anyone has ever had for a film in a long time, that satisfaction a movie should give.

The best part of the film and script is the patience shown by the writer and director. I really don't care if this movie isn't true at all, it plays out like a parable and gives many lessons that are important in our lives. It's a story about a man's baby that no one can take away from him, not even the dreaded Winklevoss twins played by Armie Hammer Jr. By the way Armie will get a nod too. If it were up to me this movie would win every major award. This is a tour de force, Fincher shows a brilliance in his story telling, when the movie opens we are sitting in a bar listening to a girl break up with a boy. If the credits rolled after this scene, I would be satisfied, this scene is breathtaking. It not only sets the tone for the entire film but it haunts the audience even after the credits are rolling. The showcase of acting is just stellar, the directing is patient yet fervent, and the writing is just as witty and action packed as "Transformers" dreamed to be. This movie doesn't point fingers, it tells a story, a heartbreaking story of how dreams are sometimes not worth it, or are they? If Zuckerberg didn't have a dream then Facebook wouldn't have been invented. This film packs imagination and inspiration, you will be energized and blown away after sitting through this one. This is what cinema is all about, the power, grace and tenacity, this is more thrilling than the greatest thriller, more important than any documentary, and more dramatic than Shakespeare. This movie will test you, surprise you, disgust you, inspire you, and make you believe in the magic and power of film.

This was the one gem that came out of 2010, after a decade of amazing advancement in technology, and cyber business, it's good to stop and reflect that our humanity is much more important than some silly Social Networking site. Would you rather have 500 million Facebook friends? Or one really amazing real life friend that you can connect too instead of "poking" "The Social Network" asks this question, you be the judge.

This movie is a gourmet feast for movie lovers. It will stand the test of time.

Legends of the Guardians: Owls of Ga'hoole. Art in Motion. ***

Animated movies have always captured our hearts and imaginations. Studios have jumped on the CG bandwagon and hand drawn animation has slowly become a thing of the past. Zack Snyder is the director behind the project, the man behind "300" and "Watchmen", that's right the man behind the two most violent movies of the last two years is behind the latest kids flick. The first thing that caught my attention with this movie was the extended cast of great actors all pouring into this project.

The cast includes, Jim Sturgess, Sam Neill, Helen Mirren, Geoffrey Rush, and Hugo Weaving to name a few. This cast does such a wonderful job with all of their characters, the voice acting in this film is amazing but I think the best person was Geoffrey Rush. He plays the hero that Soren looks up to and finally gets to meet. His character is so crazy and out of this world, he looks rugged and scarred and has a random green eye that is bigger than the other one. He is so entertaining to watch and Rush gives such life to this little owl that has done big things. The whole cast breathes life into each character, good and evil, which is what makes this movie work.

The story is simple and I would have to say it isn't that every kid would enjoy. This movie is dark, and the evil in this movie is very evil. This movie isn't afraid to be bad and to show a dark side but the good side makes it all make sense. It's a classic good vs. evil and nothing too inspiring is here when it comes to the story. I noticed that Mr. Snyder was behind it because the action in this film is full and furious. This would contend for one of the best action movies of the year and the animation is just beautiful. Slow-motion cuts that are matrix like look stunning and makes the action just thrilling. Even when you won't care about some of the characters because of the lack of character development, you will be blown away by the extreme action and beautiful look.

I would not recommend this movie for small children just because it is very scary and moments are sad. It also is fast and ferocious and full of imagination and beauty. Fantasy and action junkies will get a huge kick out of this movie but this movie is lacking in some areas. The script is nothing special, the plot is the center stage, not the characters and a theme is tried so hard that it gets tiring. It's very predictable and throughout the action was so frenzied and furious that caring about this world and characters just wasn't always an option. I just wanted to see where this animation could go and what it could do, it does a ton in this movie. The brilliant animation is the center here and it's wonderful. This movie is stunning to look at but that is all you'll get, sometimes that's the best movie to watch, pure entertainment, nothing more and nothing less. Pixar is still the king of animation.

Inception: A Dazzling Vision. ****

"An an idea is like a seed, when it's planted it grows, it becomes a cancer." This movie is absolutely brilliant. When a giddy Christopher Nolan announced this movie at a press conference, I don't think anybody expected what was coming. This movie is Nolan's baby, he wrote it, directed it and produced it, he has been working on this thing since he started filming "Memento". If you are film nerd, (like me), you would know that means he's been working ten years on this film, has it payed off? What Nolan has produced isn't only a blockbuster action film but it's an endearing drama with amazing depth.

Leonardo Dicaprio plays Cobb, a man who's profession involves going into someone's mind while they sleep. He's a master at creating a world within a person's mind masking it as a dream, he's a spy that steals secrets from people without the person even knowing. This very idea is the most creative idea in film since Tarantino released "Pulp Fiction". Cobb also has lost the privilege of having a family and he's haunted by a lady named Mal, played by Marion Cotillard. This movie is driven by Cobb's guilt of what happened between him and Mal, and what happened has separated him from his children whom he's trying to get back to. This movie is about him getting back to his kids and grieving his wife, it's an emotional roller coaster of a movie as well has an impressive action flick. The supporting roles are impressive as well, Ellen Page plays Ariadne, a young brainiac who becomes Cobb's dream architect. Joseph Gordon-Levitte plays Arthur, Cobb's right hand man, Cillian Murphy and Ken Watanabe also join the already remarkable cast in this movie. The cast carries this movie so well, each bringing a different energy to the film but kudos has to go to Marion Cotillard and Dicaprio. These two are at the center of the movie and Cotillard is so haunting, she plays Mal with such tenacity every time she's on screen there is such a tension and fear driven within the audience. Dicaprio plays Cobb with determination and some sort of guilt that eventually gets figured out in the movie but there is something within Cobb that is filled with regret, something that he just wants forget and move on that is what this film is about.

Inception is the act of planting an idea into someone's brain and making it seem like it's their own idea. Arthur thinks it isn't possible but Cobb later says that it is, it's just highly dangerous because a single idea can grow and become a cancer. This highly lucrative mission is the key, for Cobb, to get back to his family again, planting an idea into a son of a dying tycoon to get rid of the company. What later happens is crazy, the movie slowly sets up the rules and universe that Inception is immersed in. Nolan has created a flawless world here, all the rules are believable and every idea going into it is just flawless filming and creative design. You can tell that this film took Nolan ten years to perfect. Everything is thought out and complete, Nolan has created a dazzling spectacle and when the action sequences take place we actually care about what actually happens to these people. It makes the action so intense and visceral and the deeper they go into the dream world the crazier things get. Visually, emotionally, and dramatically spellbinding. When this movie reach the end; the end sequence is so dramatic and intense, what Nolan has picked for a climax to this film is breathtaking. As Cobb gets off the plane and into the place he's been banned is so thrilling, and when he see's his kids for the first time in many years is breathtaking. Nolan's idea of redemption is so poignant and is a perfect ending for this movie. Nolan has created such a complete movie experience that should be adored by film buffs. His vision is complete, creative and bold, hopefully he sticks around.

Unstoppable: One Crazy Ride. ***

Tony Scott has never been the most remarkable director. He's brought us the crowd pleasing yet confused Man on Fire, to the dreaded Domino, he hasn't really hit a home run yet. His movies are generally slick and fast paced with quick jarring camera movements, and fast zooms both in and out. With Unstoppable, he has found material that was made for him, and finally he has hit his home run.

Denzel Washington plays Frank, a train engineer/ conductor that has been with the company for twenty-eight years. Chris Pine plays Will, a young brute of a man that made a terrible mistake and is seeking redemption. Plenty of support comes from Rosario Dawson, Kevin Dunn and Kevin Corrigan. The cast is stellar and they do exactly what they are supposed to do. Washington and Pine are perfect together, their dialogue is quick and snappy and the actors play their characters so well as they are comfortable sharing the screen with each other. This relationship between Will and Frank is what makes this movie a joy, that and the quick, snappy and thrilling camera work.

This movie is no holds bar, it's an adrenaline shot about a huge train that can't be stopped. It never lets up, it doesn't even stop to get to know the characters, the star of the movie is this Unstoppable train not Will nor Frank. Scott knows this, his films have never been known for amazing character development, it's always about the story and how it pushes these characters to do extraordinary things. Unstoppable is perfect material for Scott, it doesn't slow down for characters, it makes the characters catch up to the plot and what is going on, here it works. This is all about the plot and the very thin theme it holds, everyone gets a second chance. In this movie you won't get a chance to slow down and reach for your popcorn, you won't get to breath until the credits roll. It's so fast, so intense and Mr. Scott's filming is absolutely perfect for this type of film, you will gasp and cover you're eyes in intensity no matter how crazy things get. It's a throwback to the films from the nineties like Diehard and Speed, just crazy adrenaline filled entertainment, period.

This movie is just a crazy thrill ride and does a great job creating suspense and intensity with an ending that's very crowd pleasing. Sure there is nothing deep or extraordinary here, but the story is good, acting is charming and the filming is fast and fueled with energy. If you want to forget the world and not think this movie is perfect. It's fast, suspenseful and so much fun to watch. No awards here, just a good time at the movies.