Hyde Park On Hudson(2012)- User Reviews

So far best picture I've seen this year. While a slow beginning the acting is flawless. Bill Murray as FDR is surprising, astonishing, wonderful, equal in every way to Daniel Day-Lewis as Lincoln. One reason is, that here, the director made sure that there was enough light to see the actor's faces. That is a major problem with Lincoln. Half the time Day-Lewis was in shadow and speaking softly. This script is good and witty but it is the close-ups of all his actors that makes this intimate film tower above others. Samuel West who plays King George is even better than Colin Firth, something I didn't think possible. I thought Tommy Lee Jones had best support locked up for Oscars, but not so sure now. Olivia Coleman is excellent as Queen Elizabeth. Olivia Williams, who looks nothing like Eleanor Roosevelt, is good, but too young looking next to Murray. This movie works so well because of Roger Mitchell's direction of all his actors. A director can ruin actors or let them shine. They shine here. If you want fast pace or bang, bang then skip this. This is a subtle movie and the first 15 minutes are slow but stay with it.