The King's Speech

Starring: Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Helena Bonham Carter, Guy Pearce, Jennifer Ehle, Michael Gambon, Derek Jacobi, Timothy Spall
Directed by: Tom Hopper
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
2010

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: During the months before World War II, King George VI (Colin Firth) of Britain struggles with a debilitating stutter. He begins working with an unconventional speech therapist (Geoffrey Rush) who believes he can help him where others failed.

Review:

Tim: I am still a bit upset at The King's Speech, although I suppose it's no fault of its own. I really believe that The Social Network should have won the Academy Award for Best Picture at the 2010 Oscars. I am not suggesting that this film is unworthy- it's truly a great movie. I feel like the Academy went with the safe choice- an inspirational historical drama, rather than the contemporary film that far surpassed most people's expectations and proved a truly American classic. The wrong film won Best Picture in my eyes.

Now, The King's Speech is not a bad movie at all. It's a superbly acted, inspirational, powerful, oftentimes emotional (and surprisingly funny) movie. It's a beautifully crafted film that hits all the right notes, and focuses on a difficult challenge that many people struggle with. It's a very award-worthy film. I still don't think it should have won (okay, I'm letting it go).

I need to spend some time discussing Colin Firth. Firth has always been an impressive actor, but he gives a career-defining performance here. I can't explain adequately how terrific he is. Firth plays a man who stutters horribly, but tries very hard not to. On top of that, as the movie progresses, he plays a man who has improved his stutter, but still occasionally stutters while trying not to stutter. There was nothing easy about this role, but Firth made every second seem realistic. It could have come across as acting or even too over-the-top, but he nails the part perfectly. I was very glad he won the Academy Award for Best Actor- he earned it through his emotional, complex, oftentimes stunning performance. This movie works so very well because of him.

His supporting players work well, too. Helena Bonham Carter is very good as Firth's wife. I'm glad she received a Best Supporting Actress nomination, but I'm glad she didn't win. While she certainly helps the film with her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth, she doesn't have a meaty enough role to deserve a gold statue. Geoffrey Rush is pretty fantastic as Lionel Logue. Rush works extremely well with Firth, and he delivers some of the funniest moments of the film. I felt like he was a little hampered by the fact that he's such an excellent actor that we have come to expect nothing but the best from him. He delivers and more than exceeds our expectations. Guy Pearce was pretty good, but not nearly at the same level as his co-stars.

I love the historical aspect of this story. The fact that Prince Albert became King George VI and managed to "lead" his country during perhaps its greatest/most difficult hour while combating a strong stutter is amazing. This is a story that too few people know today, and I was surprisingly unfamiliar with it. It's a powerful story of human achievement that we can all take lessons from. To persevere in the face of such adversity is amazing, and it makes a wonderful movie.

Tom Hooper did a very good job pulling this film together. It is wonderfully paced and never feels dull, slow, or rushed. It proceeds at the perfect pace- that is very difficult to achieve. I will say quickly that I am shocked- SHOCKED- that Hooper won Best Director over David Fincher for The Social Network. While Hooper was great, Fincher was significantly better. Still, Hooper should be commended for a terrific movie.

While I don't believe The King's Speech deserved all its accolades, the film was undoubtedly one of the best of 2010. It is truly a great movie, and I very much enjoyed it. It was emotional, inspirational, funny, and entertaining. I can't say enough about it.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 8



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: The Social Network, The Damned United