![]() ![]() This 135-minute Korean blockbuster is so hyperactive and fast-paced that it tends to get confusing, yet somehow it’s odd blend of martial arts action, fantasy adventure and teen-oriented comedy is entertaining despite its narrative shortcomings. It should be noted that the title Woochi: The Demon Slayer is misleading since he actually fights monsters, but ultimately that does not matter much. There have been some criticisms of the film’s historical accuracy, but despite that, Murray’s warm portrayal of a deeply flawed historical figure, and Linney’s subtly layered portrait of his naive love interest, make this very worthwhile watching indeed. But the quiet love between Daisy and Franklin is equally important here, and it reveals a lot of insight into a man who had other demons to grapple with. The meeting between Bertie and FDR-in which the King curses his stutter, then feels comforted by the president pointing out his own polio-is touching and also makes us feel more intimately connected to two men whose near mythic prominence seemed even greater at a time when many scandals were covered up or ignored by the media. What makes this period piece distinct is its understated and elegant storytelling and the way in which small moments carry larger significance. The initially awkward summit makes for a witty film, but it is framed by the story of FDR’s growing secret romance with his distant cousin Daisy Suckley (Laura Linney), who witnessed the events and the discovery of whose secret diaries and letters lead to the telling of this tale from her special perspective. Well, the stutter is in full force in Hyde Park On Hudson, which details the first meeting of an American president (Franklin Delano Roosevelt, portrayed by Golden Globe nominee Bill Murray) and a British king (George/Bertie, played by Samuel West) in 1939. ![]() ![]() You may recall King George VI (aka Bertie) from the Oscar-winning movie The King’s Speech, which chronicled how a voice tutor helped the British monarch to overcome his stutter. ![]()
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