The King’s Speech is undoubtedly one of the best dramas to hit the big screen in a very long time deserving all the award nominations given to it for its amazing storyline and brilliant cast. I could watch this over and over again.
Despite being cast in endless romantic comedies I have always suspected that Colin Firth was a actor with great potential. Here at last he gets the chance to shine taking on the role of King George VI of Britain, the father of Queen Elizabeth II, who struggled to overcome his debilitating stammer and step up to the throne after his brother’s abdication. Firth stammers so convincingly it is easy to forget that he is acting. It is no wonder that he has received a nomination for Best Actor in this year’s Oscars.
The film begins in 1925 with the then Prince Albert (Firth ), or Bertie, facing the public at the British Empire Exhibition and failing to get through even the first sentence of the speech with the words sticking in his throat and the awkward silences echoing throughout the stadium. Bertie’s compassionate wife, played by the brilliant Helena Bonham Carter, finally manages to coax him into going to see unconventional Australian speech therapist Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush ). Logue insists on a first-name basis much to the horror of the prince who clings, unsuccessfully, to proper commoner verses royalty etiquette. The methods of Logue seem completely devoid of reason and attract nothing but suspicion at first and Bertie fights all attempts to delve into his personal life. However we do get the impression of an overbearing father, George V (played by Michael Gambon ), who gives Bertie nothing but criticism, and a taunting older brother, Edward VIII (Guy Pearce ), who leaves Bertie to pick up the pieces when he abdicates the throne to marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson.
With the crown suddenly thrust apon him Bertie, or King George VI now, turns back to Logue for help. The scenes with Logue are what make the film, seeing royalty waltzing around and around, jumping up and down while singing out a symphony of shit-fuck-bugger-me swearing, all this to help him through his stammer influenced blocks. As war looms the king, with Rush his conductor, must deliver the speech of his life and face down that imposing microphone to inspire his people. Firth and Rush work together beautifully throughout the movie pulling off a finale that is just marvellous. It was announced on Tuesday that The King’s Speech has secured a well-deserved 12 Oscar nominations including Best Supporting Actor (Rush ) and Best Supporting Actress (Bonham Carter ).
Verdict: 5/5
