The King's Speech

The King's Speech is bound to garner several nominations when the 2011 Oscar nominations are announced tomorrow at 13:30 GMT.

The film itself will win a nomination for Best Picture while Tom Hooper will doubtless win a nomination for best Director. Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush will be nominated for Best Actor in Leading Role and Best Actor in a Supporting Role respectively. If the Academy member had any sense, Guy Pearce would also receive a nomination for the Best Actor in a Supporting Role award. But this is wishful thinking on my part.

Helena Bohham Carter will receive a nomination for Best Supporting Actress and the script will also gain a nomination for Best Original Screenplay. But how likely are they to win these various Academy Awards?

And which of these Oscars do they deserve?

Colin Firth is great as the stuttering George VI there's no denying and Geoffrey Rush is an excellent foil for the stuffy king-to-be. As I say, Guy Pearce more than holds his own in his scenes and should be considered.

Helena Bonham Carter is precious as the somewhat complex Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. Elizabeth was not all sweetness and light but had to be portrayed as a good character despite some loftiness.

Bonham Carter got it spot on for me.

However, the film is not perfect. The cinematography is at times too try-hard and why they thought Beethoven's 7th symphony was the appropriate score to the climactic speech I'll perhaps never know - especially when it was used so much in the reasonably good sci-fi/drama/thriller Knowing starring Nicolas Cage. It's difficult to fault the script but it is not as good as The Fighter's screenplay...

But will I be right? Check out the nominations after 13:30 on 25th January 2011.