Review of The King's Speech (2010) by Gregory G — 01 Mar 2014
A historical drama about the unconventional relationship between Bertie (Colin Firth), suddenly crowned King George VI of England, and his eccentric speech therapist, Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush). Bertie's wife, Elizabeth (Helena Bonham-Carter), the future Queen, hires Logue to help him overcome a stammer.
After the death of his father, King George V (Michael Gambon), his brother Edward VIII (Guy Pearce) is abdicated from the throne, following a brief reign amid a scandalous marriage, ascending Bertie to the crown.
According to events presented here, Bertie must overcome a speech impediment to deliver a radio address to the British people on the brink of World War II. Written by David Seidler and directed by Tom Hooper, the material is dangerously close to Masterpiece Theater territory.
The offbeat humor in detailing the class warfare between the therapist and the king helps to balance the pomposity. The filmmakers err at avoiding any mention of Nazi appeasement within the monarchy in favor of simplistic heroism.
Colin Firth is terrific at drawing us into the vulnerability and inadequacy of a powerful leader; Helena Bonham Carter is a sympathetic Elizabeth; Timothy Spall seems to be impersonating Alfred Hitchcock instead of Winston Churchill but he's still effective.
Fine cinematography by Danny Cohen; music by Alexandre Desplat. Won Oscars for Best Picture, Actor (Colin Firth), Director, Original Screenplay. With Derek Jacobi, Jennifer Ehle.
This review of The King's Speech (2010) was written by Gregory G on 01 Mar 2014.
The King's Speech has generally received very positive reviews.
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