The King's Speech

The King's Speech

Director: Tom Hooper

Staring: Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Helena Bonhem Carter

Year: 2010
Genre: UK Period Drama Biographical set in the 1930s.
MPAA Rating: R - Restricted  (for Language)
Tedious & Brief's Realistic Rating: That this film got an "R" for language is a bit laughable and too Victorian.  This isn't Pulp Fiction or the South Park movie, and the cuss words are non-gratuitous. 

Running time: 118 minutes

Notable Awards: Various nominations, including 12 Academy Award Nominations including Best Picture of the Year.



       King George V's second oldest son, Albert, Duke of York, has a problem.  He stutters....a lot.

       This is painfully obvious from the opening of the film The King's Speech.  When Albert, Duke of York played by Colin Firth, (PBS's Pride and Prejudice, Love Actually)  steps up to the microphone to deliver his father's, the King, speech at the closing ceremony of the 1925 British Empire Exhibition, he freezes and stammers to the stunned crowd in Wimbley Stadium and, likely, to all of the other countries in the British Empire: all 58 countries of the Empire.  He barely can get a syllable, let alone a word, out. 

This can't turn out well...

       With his stuttering problem, Albert is luckily the proverbial spare to his first-born brother, David (later King Edward VIII), who is set to inherit the throne upon their father's death.  However he seeks the help of speech therapists and eventually an Australian Lionel Logue, portrayed by Geoffrey Rush (Pirates of the Caribbean) who tries to help the potential King with his stammering.

       I'm somewhat biased since I probably could be considered a bit of an Anglophile (and considering the books I read, a Francophile, oddly enough), however this film is wonderful.    Colin Firth's portrayal as the future King George VI is stunningly good.  At times watching this film, I just sat amazed at the actor's portrayal of the stammering problem, realizing that I knew that it was just a film, but that it was coming across the screen absolutely lifelike.  Geoffrey Rush is equally good as the speech therapist treating the future king.  And, surprisingly, I found myself laughing at the situation and reactions between Rush, Firth, and the King's wife, played wonderfully by Helena Bonham Carter.

       Since watching this film and beginning to write this review, The King's Speech has been nominated for 12 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Supporting Actor.  All well deserved nominations, in my book.  I wish it well during this awards season.  I'd not be surprised if Firth wins Best Actor for his performance.

Rating: 5 out of 5.  Honestly...go see this film. I've seen a book version of this, but have yet to read it.  I just may be adding it to my growing to-read pile.