The King's Speech (2010) - ★★★★½

Director: Tom Hooper
Writer: David Seidler (Screenplay)
Stars: Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Helena Bonham Carter, Guy Pearce, Michael Gambon, Jennifer Ehle, Timothy Spall

The King's Speech is a film that had me grinning like an idiot the whole way through. I just loved this movie. LOVED IT! There are many reasons why. First of all, I think the performances are spectacular. Colin Firth sealed himself as one of the all time greatest actors with his royal performance, and Geoffrey Rush added another flawless performance to his already flawless resume. It concerns one of the most interesting times in British history (IMO), which was accompanied by a masterful choice in music and really effective cinematography. If it weren't for the tiny amount of 'schmaltz' or 'cheese' injected into the storyline, I'd call it a perfect film.

Zero Dark Thirty (2012) – ★★★★

Director: Kathryn Bigelow
Writers: Mark Boal
Stars: Jessica Chastain, Jason Clarke, Jennifer Ehle

Anyone who hasn’t been living under a rock knows that Osama Bin Laden was the man behind the terrorist attack on 9/11. This is a movie that aims to reveal the long and arduous task that was to find and kill Bin Laden. Zero Dark Thirty is absolutely brilliant. It’s so thrilling that I found myself forgetting to breathe at times. It is meticulously acted by the stellar Jessica Chastain, with brilliant supporting performances. The cinematography in this film rivals Bigelow’s masterpiece, ‘The Hurt Locker.’ I thoroughly enjoyed watching this film, yet there were questions that weren’t answered.