The King's Speech (2010)

Studio: See-Saw Films, Bedlam Productions
Theatrical Release: December 25, 2010
Director: Tom Hooper
Rated R

Review by James Klein

When the Academy Award nominations were announced, one of my favorite films of the year that got nominated was Inception. Inception however didn't get as many nominations as I would have liked and the one film that did receive alot that confused me was The King's Speech. This looked like another stuffy British film, almost like a sequel to The Queen (although it really would be a prequel). As more and more people saw The King's Speech, the film became much more hyped and talked about. I had to see this film for myself.

Colin Firth stars as the soon-to-be King of England, King George VI. The film starts off with him as the Duke and shows his rise as the King of England during the brink of WWII. It was well known that the King had a severe stuttering and stammering problem and was thought to be unfit to be King. Geoffrey Rush co-starts as Lionel Logue, his speech therapist. While the film does go through some of England's history regarding the royal family, the movie is not a historical drama. It's a film about friendship. Both men were family men but also loners and both men never had a real friend until now.

King George was a family man and gentle with his two daughters but wasn't perfect. He had a short temper and was afraid of his own father, King George V. His older brother Edward (Guy Pierce)  was a bit more egotistical than his brother and was believed to be the next ruler. But even though George wasn't King, he still had to make speeches that his father would force him to make, just to try and put an end to his stuttering. It was George's faithful and loyal wife Elizabeth (Helen Bonham Carter) who spoke to speech therapist Logue on her own and tried to convince him to help her husband. What starts off as a rocky friendship soon turns into a film about two friends who both help one another out in times of need. This is what makes The King's Speech so special and very moving. Although Logue was a soft spoken and kind man, his unorthodox practices were unheard of at the time and would infuriate George, making him feel foolish. But as time goes by, his stuttering and stammering would slowly improve.

Director Tom Hooper's brilliant direction is heightened by the beautiful costumes and lush photography. The film is never dull to watch and he keeps the camera moving except during scenes between George and Logue. In these important scenes he does what most good director's do; he is patience and lets his actors act. No quick cutting, no rousing music (well at least for these scenes) and the film still moves along at a quick pace and is never boring.

Colin Firth is excellent as George and he nails down the frustration and embarrassment a man of his stature would have, especially at that time. His performance is neither showy or obnoxious. Geoffrey Rush is always great to watch and here he is at the top of his game. The King's Speech is also heightened by a very strong supporting cast. If any of these characters had been mis-casted, the film could have been a failure.

Does it beat Inception in my book? No, but I will be routing for The King's Speech come Award night.

I also want to take this time to dedicate my review to my little cousin Andrew who I couldn't stop thinking about while I watched the film. He too suffers from a severe stutter and continues to battle it each day of his life and yet continues to act and work on music, always keeping a sense of humor.