The King's Speech [M]

The Duke of York has a slight problem: his title is one that requires him to speak publically and he suffers from a stammer. Having tried numerous treatments to no avail, his wife discovers a highly recommended, yet somewhat unorthodox speech therapist and asks that Bertie have one last crack at finding a cure. As he begins to make progress, other dramas take place including the death of his father and his brother David’s abdication of the Throne of England. And with Germany threatening war, King George VI must make his first wartime speech, which will be broadcast to the entire nation. 

This is the first must-see film of this year. It has already picked up a hefty number of Golden Globe nominations and undoubtedly there will be nominations for the Academy Awards. It was a beautiful drama based on true events and had the perfect balance of drama and light-hearted comedy. It is definitely going into the collection when it’s released on DVD. 

The Duke of York has a slight problem: his title is one that requires him to do a fair amount of public speaking and, unfortunately, he suffers from a stammer. Having been through countless treatments to no avail, his wife discovers a highly recommended, yet somewhat unorthodox speech therapist that might be able to cure her husband, and she beseeches Bertie to take one last crack at it. As he begins to make progress, separate dramas begin to take place including the event of his father’s death and his brother David’s abdication of the Throne of England. And with Germany threatening war Bertie, now King George VI, must take control and make his first wartime speech, which will be broadcast to the entire nation. 

First off, I simply have to say the English can swear. They swear and they swear damn well! Americans overdo it so that it becomes ridiculous and inappropriate and the Aussies just make it seem too rough. But the English use the F word in such a way that it’s almost romantic. I salute you. 

Colin Firth stars as George the VI and his performance was nothing short of immortal genius. There has to be an Academy Award nomination for him after this movie. Seriously, I have not seen such a genuine and raw performance since… I actually don’t think I’ve ever seen a performance that came close to Colin’s performance in this film! Although he was surrounded by so many other famous faces, he eclipsed them all. There are literally no words nor statements to describe the raw power and beauty of Colin Firth’s performance in this film! 

Geoffrey Rush stars as Bertie’s speech therapist Lionel and he was wonderful. The more persistent character who also provided much of the comic relief, his performance was both engaging and deeply moving. The chemistry between Rush and Firth was absolutely magical. 

Helena Bonham Carter stars as Bertie’s wife and she was absolutely mesmerising. I have always said that Helena is the most attractive woman on the screen today and I still stand by that judgment. In this film she was optimistic, elegant, sincere, and just simply beautiful. I’ll always love Helena in whatever film she does. 

Also starring Guy Pearce, Michael Gambon, and Timothy Spall, The King’s Speech was a beautifully filmed drama that was both deeply moving and light-hearted at the same time. It had the perfect balance of comedy, profanities, romance, and honour and was an absolute delight to watch from start to finish. There was never a dull moment and it will definitely be joining the collection!