Rating: • • • • •
Age Recommendation: 10+
After hearing second-hand a handful of positive mentions of The King's Speech (2010), I was delighted to find, upon viewing it, a movie I thoroughly enjoyed. Dramas and biopics have the unfortunate tendency to be dry and dragging. The King's Speech is neither.
Colin Firth, although looking very little like the real-life King George VI he portrays, captures in the viewer's mind the essence of this fascinating tale. This is a story that cannot be done justice in a matter of sentences, so when you hear that this is the story of the Duke of York seeking help with a speech impediment, you must understand that there is so much more depth to this tale. Geoffrey Rush, playing the speech therapist, becomes the only man who can see beneath the shell of royal life and become "Bertie" (HRH Prince Albert/Duke of York/King George VI)'s first friend.
Although many will already know the general course of events leading up to World War II, if history holds any interest for you, then this fascinating look at 1930s England will be a delight. The problem faced by Firth is at once endearing and urgent for all its simplicity. You will be drawn into the life of this hesitant man from the offset. With its conflict, humor, and heartwarming moments, this ride gives you more than your money's worth of entertainment for the whole family (only the use of the F word, although for humorous effect, prevents my rating this a 5+ film). I found the story much more engaging than The Queen (2006), which lacked in the charm and pacing of The King's Speech.
Beginning at the tail end of the reign of George V, played by Michael Gambon, into the short-lived and scandalous reign of the Duke's brother Edward VIII, the film follows into the successive abdication of the new king and the resulting reign of our hero Colin Firth. His portrayal of the stammering royal is fantastic, for lack of a better word. Helena Bonham Carter is at her most dignified playing the duke's dedicated, supportive wife and mother of young Elizabeth and Margaret. Geoffrey Rush is wonderful as Lionel Logue, the therapist who treats even royalty as his equal. The only casting problem I had was with Timothy Spall as Churchill--I might suggest the Churchill in season 5 of the new Doctor Who instead, for looks.
This is a movie I truly believe everyone should see. It will most likely stir your emotions one way or another, but what is certain is that it tells a great story. Please do yourself a favor and see it. And really, don't worry about the R rating. It's only for language, and the language, though perverse in other contexts, is harmless in this film (see for yourself).
Summary: Fantastic music, fantastic casting, fantastic screenplay, fantastic story.
The Good: wonderful back-and-forth friendship between "Bertie" and Logue, musical score, casting
The Bad: could have picked a Churchill that the younger generation won't equate with a certain magical rat-person
The Even Worse: nothing
I also enjoyed this movie immensely. What surprised me was the emotional impact the movie had on my 88-year-old mother, who had tears in her eyes at the end of the movie. This was not because the story itself was emotional, which it was, but because it reminded her of what was to come when the story took place. Having lived through World War II, although from the safety of mid-America, she was aware of the conflict and suffering that were facing England, Europe, and indeed much of the world, and this movie takes place just at the start of the conflict. The movie was well-acted and a joy to watch, and in spite of a relatively small cast and mundane subject, the King's Speech had a monumental impact and is well-deserving of kudos.
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