Queen Mary from a 1937 Marie-Claire.
Well, I drove into town and watched the second showing of the King’s Speech (as I am busy this weekend with parties ) and yes, I can honestly say, in my educated opinion, this is Colin Firth’s best performance ever, no question, and that’s saying a lot.
(And I’ve seen practically every one.)
I didn’t feel that way about A Single Man, where I felt he gave a little more breadth to an aspect of what he does very well.
And Firth even performs a few Darcy flourishes, here, and why not? He’s playing an aristocrat in this movie, too. I think he carries the film and that says a lot, too, considering the film is filled with acting royalty. Jennfier Ehle seems to have forgotten to age. Claire Bloom played Queen Mary, above, but I couldn’t quite place her.
Helena Bonham Carter is so beautiful (I’ve always thought her the most beautiful of actesses) and I had to keep myself from reaching into the screen to pull the pearls off her bodice. I love pearls and she looks good in them.
So, it was worth getting caught in rush hour traffic on the way home, although my dogs likely wouldn’t second that.
Must say, I was almost put off right at the onset by one of the paid ‘ads’ at the AMC cinema. Almost ruined my Firth afternoon out. Seems the Harper government is spending MY money promoting his “law and order agenda.’ This piece of propaganda featured some oustandingly beautiful young people, all white, I think, except for one Chinese girl, walking out onto a stage and saying “I never thought it would happen to me.” I wanted to puke. As if only young white people are victims of crime. I’m guessing they are the least vulnerable group.
I couldn’t help think of the Social Purity movement of the 1910′s.
Anyway, what does The King’s Speech have to do with the Nicholson girls? Lots, it seems. You know, they left behind newspaper clippings, mostly about suffrage. But the next biggest topic in the stash of clippings was the abdication in 1937. This must have been Margaret, who moved out of Tighsolas the next year.
When the I found the Nicholson letters and other stuff, I couldn’t figure out why they cut out so many items about Edward and The Woman he Loved. (I think I tossed them all. Maybe not.) But now I realise this event must have really upset them, even though they were Scotch Canadians who hated “Englishmen” for the most part. Actually, I have letters from 1936-37. That’s when the letters end. Maybe I should read them.
I myself have never thought much of the Edward VIII, even after watching a few tv movies about him. No, his brother makes for a far more interesting story.
