Having seen both, I can say they're two very good films. But everyone's talking about them, so you don't need a recommendation from me. Besides, at SnogDogFrog we tend to lean away from the mainstream, so we're not going to talk about them. We're going to look at what came before them.
First, in a Kings Speech, Geoffrey Rush steals the show. So let's look at some of his other films which are just as good. And in the case of 'Shine' better.
Shine: The film that put Rush on the map. In this film he plays the highly dysfunctional piano prodigy David Helfgott who struggles with being a musical genius while suffering with a mental illness. The scene where he plays the piano in the cafe is a classic.
Quills: This is set in a Napoleonic asylum, where Rush embodies the irrepressible Marquis De Sade, who fights against a tyrannically prudish doctor, to publish his sexually graphic novels.
The life and Death of Peter Sellars: Rush stars as Peter Seller's in the feature adaptation of Roger Lewis' book about the actor best remembered as Inspector Clouseau in the Pink Panther movies.
And what came before The Black Swan? Well, it won't surprise you to know that when it comes to all things dark, Aronofsky (the director) is the master. If you like being deeply disturbed you'll love these:
Pi: A paranoid mathematician searches for a key number that will unlock the universal patterns found in nature. How can a film about maths be so good? See it for yourself.
Requiem for a Dream: The drug-induced utopias of four Coney Island mates are shattered when their addictions become stronger. And spiral out of control. Never mind 'just say no' if the government wanted an anti drugs film, they should show the kids this. It would scare the shit out of them.
Enjoy.
