Day 22: See -2- Movies in One Day.

How fun is this task? Soooooooo fun.

I've never seen two movies in one day at the theater. So decadent for a Mom who usually watches a kid movie when going to a theater (BTW, Gnomeo and Juliet is actually pretty cute). Obviously, Jeff and I don't get out much! We do have a Date Night on deck, as part of the -40- in -40- challenge. Thank God!

I also got to share this double feature extravaganza with my friend Angie, whom I adore. Smart as a whip, pretty as a picture, and a very good conversationalist (No, Ang, you don't talk too much, I swear!) She's also one of those friends that really listens and asks questions. We met through a mutual friend and just get along famously. A serendipitous friendship, that's what it is. Lucky me!

On to the films: We had decided a few weeks ago to try for "The Fighter" and "The King's Speech". As luck would have it, both movies were playing at the same theater and the times actually worked out.

Amy's movie review:

The Fighter: *****  5 stars, which is my highest rating. Excellent performances by Marky Mark (Sorry, that's just how I think of him! Who can forget those Calvin Klein undies ads? But, boy, has he come a long way!) and Christian Bale. And Amy Adams, too. Anyone who has dealt with addiction with someone they love will appreciate this story. And it's a true story, based on the real lives of boxers/half brothers Micky Ward and Dick Ecklund.

Mark Wahlberg does all the boxing himself (no stunt double) and he is not too bad to look at, I must say. I remember seeing him on 60 minutes earlier this year and he had an actual boxing gym built at his house and trained for like four years for this film. Four years! That's passion.

Of course, I covered my eyes during most of the actual fight scenes but luckily there weren't that many and they weren't overly brutish. And the film ends well. When addiction is part of a story line, the outlook tends to be on the grim side. I could almost feel all the moviegoers around us rooting for the troubled brother (Christian Bale) to straighten himself out. I won't say how it ends up for him, b/c I really think this is a movie not to miss.  Bale's performance is as good as it gets. He already won Best Supporting Actor at the Globes and is nominated in the same category for the Academy Awards.

The Fighter has 7 nominations for the Oscar's and my bet is that one of the supporting roles will take home a statuette this Sunday. My money is on Melissa Leo...

The King's Speech: ***** 5 stars!

Colin Firth. Geoffrey Rush. Guy Pearce. Helena Bonham Carter. Perfection in casting. I mean, really, that's worth 5 stars right there! This movie is fantastic and I will be all kinds of shocked if it does not take Best Picture and Best Actor at the Academy Awards, and possibly Best Original Screenplay. The writer, David Seidler, also suffered from stammering in his youth - and I think his personal history really helped bring the agony of stammering/stuttering to life on the big screen.

Colin Firth already won Best Actor at the Globes and the SAG's so it would be surprising if he gets passed over this Sunday. It's the performance of a lifetime for him. He nails the stammer and the complexity of the character flawlessly. His chemistry with both Geoffrey Rush and Helena Bonham Carter is believable and delightful.

Personally, I felt Geoffrey Rush's performance stole the show. He was witty as hell (another victory for the writers) but Rush's delivery sold it.

Bottom line, I will see this movie again. And I will probably like it even more the second time. I think I missed a few jokes (those accents can be tricky to follow) and I would love to see it with Jeff. I know he would enjoy the heck out of it. The cussing scene is da bomb. Seeing a king (well, an actor playing a king) mutter "shit" and "bugger" and "tits" is priceless.

And I bet it's going to the big winner this Sunday: Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor and possibly Best Original Screenplay. That would make me smile.

Now, if I can just see Black Swan and Winter's Bone before Sunday...wish me luck! :)