Happy Birthday Colin Firth!

There are actors or actresses I tend to look for in movies and TV; if I see them I usually know whether it is going to be good or bad. One such actor I have admired for years, whose birthday is today, is Colin Firth. Whether he is wooing hearts, being dramatic or making audiences laugh Firth has always been an actor audiences have loved for many years. Today on his 58th birthday we are going to take a look at some of Firth’s film and TV career and what is worth watching.

Pride and Prejudice miniseries. Firth had been acting in films and television prior for some time, but his career skyrocketed after this 1995 miniseries about the beloved Jane Austin novel. Despite his objections at first Firth was cast as the male lead character Mr. Darcy, a man who becomes the main love interest and annoyance of Elizabeth Bennet. Critics and audiences loved him, particularly the famous scene at the lake, and Firth’s career has never been the same since. In a twist of fate if it wasn’t for this miniseries author Helen Fielding may never have written her famous Bridget Jones books and we wouldn’t have had some of the more memorable performances of Renée Zellweger, Hugh Grant and of course Firth.

Shakespeare in Love. It might be odd to see Firth in a villainous like role, but that is exactly what he was in this 1998 romantic drama film. Firth portrays Lord Wessex, an aristocrat who intends to keep his betrothed Viola (Gwyneth Paltrow) close by. However he might be thwarted because Viola, who disguises as a man to participate in a play, has fallen in love with William Shakespeare (Joseph Fiennes). Firth hasn’t played many villains in his career so it was interesting to see him in this role. I kinda hope he plays more villains in the future.

Bridget Jones Diary franchise. A more modern take on Jane Austin’s Pride & Prejudice, with Firth playing a very similar role. Here he is Mark Darcy (the last name speaks for itself), an old family friend of Bridget Jones (Renée Zellweger). In the first film, released in 2001, they at first do not get along, but anyone familiar with the story knows how it goes. Throughout the first film and the two sequels, released in 2004 and in 2016 respectively, Mark and Bridget’s relationship has ups and downs (and other men), but at the end of the day they were meant to be. Firth is spectacular as Mark and had excellent chemistry with Zellweger.

Love Actually. One of the go-to romantic comedies, as well as Christmas movies. This 2003 British film has so many stars and love stories, but Firth still manages to stand out. He stars as Jamie, a writer whose heart is broken when he discovers his girlfriend is sleeping with his brother. Retreating to his French cottage Jamie meets the new housekeeper Aurélia (Lúcia Moniz). Despite not speaking the same language Jamie and Aurélia fall in love. Firth is one of my favorite actors/characters in this movie and watching him overcome heartbreak and fall in love again is just so sweet to watch. Firth would reprise his role for the Red Nose Day special.

What a Girl Wants. If younger generations were not familiar with Firth they may have been after watching this 2004 teen movie. Firth plays Henry Dashwood, a wealthy lord running for the House of Commons with the promise of becoming Prime Minister. However his past comes back when his long lost daughter Daphne Reynolds (Amanda Bynes) arrives in England to finally meet him. Henry must come to terms with what he really wants, and Daphne might just the key to figuring it all out. Firth is downright hysterical in this movie (there is a scene with him in leather pants, enough said there.) He also comes off as a great father figure to Amanda Bynes’s character. This is a great movie for a girl’s night in.

Nanny McPhee. Like in the previous film Firth plays a father trying to do what is right for his children, but this time he gets a little help. This 2005 film stars Firth as Cedric Brown a widowed undertaker with seven nasty and unruly children during Victorian England. Desperate he hires Nanny McPhee (Emma Thompson) to help take care of his children; which she does with a little magic. Cedric is told by his late wife’s wealthy aunt if he doesn’t marry soon she will take away the children and their home. Firth is pretty funny in this role as he somehow manages to keep the kids under control (some of the time.) Definitely a great family movie to keep an eye on.

Mamma Mia! Firth isn’t much of a singer, but that did not stop him from being cast in this 2008 guilty pleasure musical. Here Firth is Harry Bright, a banker and one of Sophie’s (Amanda Seyfried) possible dads. He seems to want to do the right thing if Sophie is his, and is probably the funnier of the other dads. Despite not having the greatest singing voice (which most of the cast doesn’t) Firth is still an absolute joy to watch. He would reprise his role in the 2018 sequel, and was still just as entertaining.

A Single Man. This 2009 drama based on the best-selling novel might not be as well-known as some of the other films on this list, but it was a major hit for Firth’s career. Nominated for his first Oscar for his part Firth portrays George Falconer a gay professor in 1962 who is struggling with depression after the death of his lover. The film was mostly well received, but the critics agreed that Firth’s performance stood out.

The King’s Speech. If there is one film with Colin Firth that will probably be viewed for many years it will without a doubt be this 2010 historical drama. Based on a true story Firth brilliantly performs as Prince Albert Duke of York, later named King George VI. With the help of his wife, the queen consort Elisabeth (Helena Bonham Carter), King George sees Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush) a speech therapist. Seeing Firth’s character struggle with his stutter and the relationship he builds with Lionel is breathtaking, hence why Firth won the Oscar for Best Actor. Many years from now I believe we will look back on this performance as Firth’s best.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. There have been many versions of the famous 1974 novel by John le Carré, but this 2011 film is regarded as one of the better ones. Firth stars as Bill Haydon, the “Tailor” as he along with a team of spies trade secrets during the Cold War. Firth’s character is charming, but like most of the characters in here has a dark side. As stated in another film Firth doesn’t usually portray guys in bad lights, but he still stands out among a star filled cast including Gary Oldman, Tom Hardy, Mark Strong and Benedict Cumberbatch.

The Kingsman franchise. When most think action movie star Colin Firth might not be the first or even fifth to come to mind. Yet in the Kingsman films he is not only funny but can kick butt or kill just as good as some of the best action stars (OK I admit it’s over the top but it is expected.) Firth plays Harry Hart aka Galahad, an agent of the Kingsman, an undercover intelligence service. In the 2014 film he recruits the son of a former student, Eggsy (Taron Egerton) to become a Kingsman. He appears to have been killed, but in the sequel, released in 2017, he makes a surprising comeback. While I don’t think Firth is doing action movies anytime soon, this showed he could not only do it, but do it well. Some of the best scenes are him with a straight face responding to a quip with one of his own (makes the scene that much better.)

Colin Firth is without question one of the best actors today and with films coming including Mary Poppins Returns and The Secret Garden his career is not slowing down anytime soon. Happy birthday Colin Firth!

Is there a Colin Firth performance not on this list but should be? What is your favorite film or TV appearance by Firth? Comment below please.

Photo is courtesy of IMDB. No copyright infringement is intended.

Movie Review: Sense and Sensibility

I do not know why but sometimes when I watch a periodic film my thoughts are: were people really like this? The short version is yes, although maybe it is not as bad but I did not live back then so who knows. Anyway, this 1995 periodic drama based on the beloved Jane Austin novel stayed as true as it could to the 1811 novel, which helped that Emma Thompson (who was convinced to be the lead) wrote the script. It is still regarded as one of the best adaptions of Austin’s work and I would never argue with that. Spoilers ahead as usual. I DO NOT OWN THE PICTURE.

Just before he dies Mr. Dashwood (Tom Wilkinson) asks his son from his first marriage John Dashwood (James Fleet) to take care and provide for his second family: his wife Mrs. Dashwood (Gemma Jones) and their three daughters: Elinor (Thompson, nominated for her part), Marianne (Kate Winslet, nominated for her part) and Margaret (Emilie Francois) as they will not inherit anything after Mr. Dashwood’s death. However John’s manipulative wife Fanny (Harriet Walter) convinces her husband to break his word to his father and not help his half-sisters. They almost immediately move into the Dashwood home forcing the girls to find a new home. Fanny has her brother Edward Ferrars (Hugh Grant) move in as well. Edward and Elinor form a friendship and it seems that something more could have happened. However Fanny informs Mrs. Dashwood that Edward will be disinherited if he does not marry someone important. Having had enough Mrs. Dashwood takes her daughters and moves into a cottage provided by her cousin Sir John Middleton (Robert Hardy) and his mother in-law the ever scheming and energetic Mrs. Jennings (Elizabeth Spriggs). The Dashwood ladies also meet Colonel Brandon (Alan Rickman), a longtime friend of Sir John who falls for Marianne the moment he sees her; however she does not reciprocate his feelings as he is too old. After a walk in the rain has Marianne taking a tumble she meets John Willoughby (Greg Wise) a very charming gentleman she quickly falls for and makes no attempt to hide it, much to Colonel Brandon’s chagrin (in more ways than one). Mrs. Jennings invites her daughter Charlotte (Imelda Staunton), son-in-law Mr. Palmer (Hugh Laurie) and cousin Lucy Steele (Imogen Stubbs) to visit where Lucy confides to Elinor her secret relationship with Edward, much to Elinor’s heartbreak but agrees to stay quiet. The elder Dashwood sisters soon have to find a way to handle their heartbreaks. About as far as I should go without giving away the rest of the movie.

I was amazed when I watched the film for the first time at not only how well it was written, but the acting. Emma Thompson is incredible as Elinor and she wrote a wonderful script; which did not surprise me when I read she won the Oscar for her screenplay (so far the only person to win Oscars for acting and writing) This was not Kate Winslet’s first film, however she gained a lot more attention with her role as the woman with her heart on her sleeve Marianne. Hugh Grant was amazing as Edward, I know a lot of Jane Austin fans thought he was “too handsome” for the part (which I almost laugh at but I have not read the book yet so what do I know), but apparently Thompson had Grant in mind when she was writing the script. Rickman is adorable as Col. Brandon, one of his most memorable roles outside the Harry Potter films. I loved the rest of the cast as well, with a special shout out to Elizabeth Spriggs as Mrs. Jennings, a character I almost wish would stop meddling, but it is so entertaining. I would call Sense and Sensibility a must see if you love periodic, drama or romantic films or any of the actors in this movies. Even if you are not it’s still a very cute movie and a great adaption of Jane Austin’s work.

Movie Review: Penelope (2006 film)

Haven’t heard of this movie, don’t worry not too many have, but I still found this to be very cute. The reason why I have to place 2006 in the title is because while I don’t think there are other movies called Penelope yet you might mistake this for a movie starring someone named that. Now while the film is not perfect it is far from one of bad (at least in my opinion) given the fantasy complex. Spoilers ahead as usual. I DO NOT OWN THE PICTURE.

The Wilhern’s seem like one of the nicest and richest families in England, but there was a legend surrounding them. Many years ago one of the Wilhern men had an affair with one of his servants, but was talked out of marrying her by his family. After he wed someone more to his family’s blue blood standards, the heartbroken and pregnant servant killed herself. The girl’s mother, the town witch, cursed the Wilhern’s that the first daughter born would have the face of a pig and only when someone of their own kind loves her for who she was would the curse be broken. For many years only sons were born, until Jessica and Frank Wilhern (Catherine O’Hara and Richard E. Grant) had Penelope (Christina Ricci). Throughout her childhood Penelope was kept hidden from the world, despite reporters trying to take pictures of her. When she reached 18 Jessica, along with a match maker Wanda (Ronni Ancona), try to find a suitable blue blood match for Penelope. However when any of the guys they pick see her they run, forcing the family butler Jake (Michael Feast) to stop them and make them swear not to tell anyone about Penelope. One man, Edward Humphrey Vanderman III (Simon Woods) gets away before Jake could catch him and is laughed at by the police. One person does believes him: a reporter named Lemon (Peter Dinklage) who lost his eye trying to get a picture of Penelope when she was a baby. Needing proof Lemon and Edward hire a man they believe is Max Campion (James McAvoy), a blue blood with a serious gambling problem, to try and take a picture of Penelope. However Max is caught off guard by how sweet Penelope is and the two begin to bond. When she does reveal herself he is not disgusted by her, but flees when the camera goes off making Penelope think he ran from her face. Max destroys the camera before giving it to Lemon, but when Penelope asks him to marry her just to break the curse he tells her he can’t, leaving her heartbroken. Inspired by Max’s talk of the outside world Penelope leaves her home for the first time, wearing a scarf around her nose and mouth to keep herself hidden, much to the horror of her mother. She meets Annie (Reese Witherspoon) who becomes her mentor and friend. When Penelope decides to expose herself to the world there is a lot of good that comes with it, but there may also be a big cost for herself. About as far as I should go without giving away the rest of the movie.

Like I said this film is not fantastic but I highly doubt it will be the worst thing you see. Christina Ricci, James McAvoy and Reese Witherspoon are my favorite parts of the movie as they all accept each other for who they are, which is what we want in the people we choose to love. While I think Catherine O’Hara is good in the movie let’s just say Penelope’s mom is not exactly mother of the year, although Simon Woods’s character can give her a run for her money. If you like cute fantasy movies then Penelope might be a cute movie for you; otherwise this is probably a skip.

Movie Review: GoldenEye

Now we are getting into the Bond films I am pretty sure everyone knows about; they may have watched the movie or played the video game either way. Constantly listed as one of the best Bond films, usually within the top two at most, GoldenEye was the first Bond film in over six years, and it was well worth the wait; I would even call it a must see even if you are not a Bond fan. As always spoilers ahead. I DO NOT OWN THE PICTURE.

James Bond (Pierce Brosnan) along with a fellow MI6 agent Alec Trevelyan (Sean Bean) infiltrates and destroys a Soviet chemicals facility holding weapons. Bond escapes but Alec is taken and seemingly killed by Colonel Arkady Grigorovich Ourumov (Gottfried John). Nine years later Bond is assigned to find out more about the Janus crime syndicate, which he does by following one of the members (if you have not seen the film I swear this is the name) Xenia Onatopp (Famke Janssen), Moneypenny (Samantha Bond) does make a joke about it. Unfortunately Bond is one step behind Onatopp after she kills a Canadian Navy admiral for his credentials and steals a Eurocopter Tiger helicopter. She along with Ourumov go to Siberia; stealing the control disks for the Goldeneye satellites, satellite weapons used during the Cold War and massacre the entire staff except for programmer Boris Grishenko (Alan Cumming) who is on their side and Natalya Simonova (Izabella Scorupco) who hid out until she could escape. Bond is assigned by M (Dame Judi Dench) to investigate the attack. With the help of CIA operative Jack Wade (Joe Don Baker, told you we’d see him again) and reluctant ally Valentin Zukovsky (Robbie Coltrane) Bond meets with the person responsible for everything; Janus aka the not so dead Alec Trevelyan. Having vowed to destroy MI6, not for leaving him for dead, but for the deaths of his Cossack parents during World War II, Trevelyan along with Onatopp, Boris and Ourumov plan to use the GoldenEye satellites to destroy the British economy by robbing the Bank of England and erase its financial records. Bond along with Natalya and Wade are determined to make sure that does not happen.

This is without question one of the best Bond films to ever be made and it was sort of a breath of fresh air for the franchise. Many made their debut as characters we know and love; Brosnan as 007, Dench as M and Bond as Moneypenny with only Desmond Llewellyn returning as Q. The Brosnan era Bonds were the ones I think my generation are more familiar with and why these are some of my favorite Bond films, but of course GoldenEye is at the top. I think Brosnan is my second favorite Bond (Connery of course at the top spot) as he is the right amount of charming but dangerous. He is quick to pick up his gun or how to get the bad guy in a deadly position before ultimately executing depending on the situation. I, like I know so many others, absolutely love Judi Dench as M. Many will argue is the best version of that character, and you won’t get an argument from me. While I think Dench is great as M in this era of Bond we all know she shines in the Craig versions, but that is for another day. Before I move on I also love Samantha Bond as Moneypenny; while she does not come close to Lois Maxwell she does very well.

My thoughts on Natalya will be later so I’d like to focus on the characters that let’s face it we all love to hate in this movie; the villains. Sean Bean is one of the finest actors today and this is one of his best works. Trevelyan is basically an evil version of Bond and one of the best villains not just in the franchise but in movies (OK not that high on the list but right where he should be). Ourumov is also fantastic as it seemed for a long time he was the bad guy, but nope. He’s working with Trevelyan for his own goals rather than Trevelyan’s, but still he is great. I’ve always loved Alan Cumming in movies and he is both a joy and a nuisance to watch here, “I am INVINCIBLE”, really dude. While all three of them stick out in their own way however no villain or femme fatale is more memorable in this film than Onatopp. Let me give you some of the reasons of the top of my head: that name, she is gorgeous as well as deadly; she takes (ahem) pleasure out killing and for the love of God uses her THIGHS to kill a guy while taking pleasure! Tell me that is not crazy. I honestly think this is one of the very few women on the bad guy side that Bond actually does not sleep with, if HE doesn’t sleep with HER you know he knows how nuts he is.

The story of GoldenEye is very well written as is the action. I could not think of a Bond movie up until that point that had more guns and explosions, which is probably why people love this movie so much in addition to the performances. If you have not seen GoldenEye I would say watch this as soon as you can, even if you are not a huge fan of the Bond franchise.

Movie Review: Slumdog Millionaire

To say this movie is one of the biggest sleeper hits of all time would be arguably the biggest understatement I’ve ever made on this blog. Released in 2008/2009 Slumdog Millionaire, based loosely on the novel Q&A by Vikas Swarup, cleaned up at the 2009 Academy Awards winning eight out of the 10 awards it was nominated for, including Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Song, Best Director for Danny Boyle and the biggest one of all Best Picture. If you have not seen this amazing movie here is the spoiler alert. I DO NOT OWN THE PICTURE.

The film opens with Jamal Malik (Dev Patel with Ayush Mahesh Khedekar as the child and Tanay Chheda as the teenager) on the Indian version of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire and is one question away from winning 20 million (about 310,000 in U.S money but still nothing to sneeze at.) However the police detain and torture Jamal believing he is cheating because he is just a Slumdog and he wouldn’t know the answers. Through a series of flashbacks we learn, along with the police, just how Jamal knows the answers and who matters in his life.

As a child Jamal, along with his brother Salim (Madhur Mittal with Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail as the child and Ashutosh Lobo Gajiwala) flee their village during the Bombay riots after their mother is caught in the blast. Jamal convinces Salim to take another child from the slum; Latika (Frieda Pinto with Rubina Ali as the child and Tanvi Ganesh Lonkar as a teen) saying she could be their third Musketeer. The three of them stick together for a long time until they meet Maman (Ankur Vikal) a gangster who uses children for his profit. Salim deliberately leaves Latika behind when he and Jamal escape, much to Jamal’s horror. Jamal spends the next few years trying to find Latika, having fallen in love with her, but many obstacles including Salim stand in his way. About as far as I can go without giving away the rest of the film.

I actually watched the Oscars that year and even though I had not watched the movie yet I was pretty happy when Slumdog won basically all of their awards. I had wanted to see the movie as soon as possible. It took a few years, but I did watch it last year and absolutely loved it. Dev Patel was incredible as Jamal, his character had me hooked every time he was on screen, and I will say he is pretty handsome. Frieda Pinto is also amazing as Latika, she is so sweet, beautiful and strong; I could definitely tell why Jamal fell for her. The other characters are just as amazing; I cannot say enough good things about this movie. My favorite scene is of course the ending with Jamal and Latika dancing to “Jai Ho” in true Bollywood fashion; I have never seen a Bollywood musical, or anything Bollywood for that matter, so this for me was just awesome. If you have not seen Slumdog Millionaire put this at the top of the list. Just a word to the wise put on the closed caption, there is a lot of whispering.

Movie Review: Belle

No, this is not a story about the Beauty and the Beast character but this story is still a wonder. The film is based on a 1779 painting of Dido Elizabeth Belle and her cousin Lady Elizabeth Murray where they were both seen as equal, something not seen back then. While not much is known about Dido, this film gives a fantasy idea; with very little details other than her family and marriage the screenwriters took what was happening around Dido to tell a story. As always spoilers ahead. I DO NOT OWN THE PICTURE.

Dido Elizabeth Belle (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) is the illegitimate daughter of a British Naval Officer and an enslaved African American woman. After her mother’s death her father, Captain Sir John Lindsay entrusts her with his uncle William Murray (Tom Wilkinson), the Lord Chief Justice, and his wife Elizabeth (Emily Watson). At Kenwood Home Dido is raised along with her cousin Lady Elizabeth Murray (Sarah Gideon) as a strong independent woman. However Dido struggles with her being mixed, not just her skin but with her status as an heiress. When an oil painting is commenced to show the ladies, Dido worries she will be seen as not equal to her cousin.

Meanwhile Lord Mansfield takes on an apprentice, John Davinier (Sam Reid) as he goes into a big case regarding the insurance claims of slaves killed when thrown overboard, then known as Gregson v. Gilbert now known as the Zong massacre. Dido and John begin a correspondence discussing the case, believing it could mean abolitionist for slaves (while not at the time it was a step in that direction.) During their time Dido and John fall in love, but her family wants her to marry Oliver Ashford (James Norton.) While Oliver is attracted to Dido his family only sees her skin tone, and well they are not shy in pointing that out.

While the historical accuracy is questionable, the story is so well written I almost thought this was how it was. My naiveté aside, the acting is also very good. This was my first time watching Gugu Mbatha-Raw in a film and so far she has done well in every movie I have seen with her. She shines so bright in Belle that I almost forgot about the rest of the cast. With an all-star cast and great reviews by critics, Belle is a periodic film worth checking out.