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Walker's Three to See

KCUR Arts Reporter Steve Walker sets us straight on which films are worth seeing this week. Made in Dagenham

This British equivalent to "Norma Rae" features Sally Hawkins as a Ford plant seamstress (she sews seat covers) who fights to bring her and her female colleagues' pay up to par with other semi-skilled workers at the plant. Because Hawkins is so charming and ably abetted by actors like Miranda Richardson and Bob Hoskins, the film is more delightful than didactic. Ditto the letter perfect way it captures the 1960s, from the mini-skirts to the pop hits of the day.

Rabbit Hole

Nicole Kidman gives her best performance in years as a mother grieving over the accidental death of her child. Based on David Lindsay-Abaire's Pulitzer Prize-winning play, the movie is sad but not a downer, as it paints a nuanced portrait of how people can cope with - and ultimately survive - tragedy. Good work, too, from Aaron Eckhart as her devastated husband and Dianne Weist as her wine-swigging mother who, sadly, has been in her daughter's shoes.

The King's Speech

Playing King George VI, father of the current Queen of England, Colin Firth is the man to beat for this year's Best Actor Oscar. The royal suffered from a debilitating, humiliating stutter which, in turn, ate away at his charm and confidence. With the loving support of his wife (Helena Bonham Carter) and the unorthodox tactics of a speech coach (Geoffrey Rush, who's also wonderful), he is eventually able to fill the shoes he was born to wear. Ably directed by Tom Hooper, the movie is whip smart, engagingly funny, and incredibly moving.

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