The King's Speech

Welcome to another episode of Lights....Camera....Popcorn!

Today's review is The King's Speech. Directed by Tom Hooper. Written by David Seidler.

100th review countdown....#99

MPAA Rating: R for some language.

Runtime: 118 min

Cast

Colin Firth - King George VI

Helena Bonham Carter - Queen Elizabeth

Geoffrey Rush - Lionel Logue

Michael Gambon - King George V

Guy Pearce - King Edward VIII

Derek Jacobi - Archbishop Cosmo Lang

Claire Bloom - Queen Mary

Timothy Spall - Winston Churchill


It's amazing how in times of crisis, the sound of someone's voice can be the only source of comfort. Not convinced? Think back to a time where you were at your lowest. So you pick up the phone and call your mom and told her what happened. How fast did you feel better after she said those magic words.

"Don't worry. Everything's going to be OK honey."

Well imagine having to be that same kind of voice to an entire kingdom. While dealing with a crippling  speech impediment. This is what King George VI of England was faced with during his unexpected rule as king.

After his brother David = King Edward VIII relinquishes the throne to marry a woman seen unfit to be queen. Albert Frederick Arthur George unexpectedly becomes King of England. The problem with that is he suffers from an uncontrollable stammer that plagues the monarch's confidence and the confidence of the people he's meant to rule. To help with this issue, he seeks the help of speech specialist Lionel Logue. Together, the two very different men set out to achieve the same goal at a time where the country is in severe unrest. As war approaches, the newly crowned king is tasked with making an address over the radio to his people. In the hopes he can inspire confidence in his ability to lead his people in time of war.

This movie teaches you a very important lesson. In times of war, sometimes the most powerful weapon  a person can wield is their voice.

As I watched Albert struggle with his speech I felt nothing but compassion for him. You want nothing more than for this man to succeed. You see him fight his stammer which then chips away at his self esteem. Combined with the immeasurable pressure that was put on by his father to "just get over" his disability, it was heartbreaking to see Albert tuck tail.

At the same token, it was a comforting sight to see Lionel refuse to bend with his techniques just because he was treating a member of the monarchy. He showed no quarter to Albert during their sessions. It was the only way to get through. This allowed you to root for Logue to succeed in not just his endeavor with Albert but with everything he set out to achieve in life.

Of course, it's easy to feel this way about these characters when they display amazing ability to illicit said emotions. This comes from two OUTSTANDING performances from Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush. Firth has once again put himself in the running for Best Actor for the second year in a row. I think his chances are better here than last year. He gives Albert the mousy quality of someone who feels unfit to rule. Then at the drop of a dime he unleashes a ferocious temper that transforms him into someone qualified to be king. It's those explosions of emotions that make his character so enjoyable. You can identify with him even if you don't suffer from his affliction.

Not to be outdone. Rush shines as Logue. He fights Firth in every frame for the spotlight and it was a fun battle to watch. Rush plays Logue with a dignified eccentricity that's both charming and alarming. He respects the crown but isn't intimidated by it. He realizes that if the King wants to be treated and cured of his stammer, the King must bend to his will. That's a tricky angle to play. Rush needs to impose Logue's expertise in his field but not at the expense of disrespecting the crown. He pulls it off (pardon the pun) regally. Clearly the two of them blended very well on screen and are well deserving of the nominations they are tabbed to receive come Oscar time. The one performance that I really didn't dig was Helena Bonham Carter's as Queen Elizabeth.

Allow me to clarify.

She like everyone else was fantastic. Carter holds herself up quite well with the boys, but for me there wasn't anything that says to me Best Actress nominee. I can't place it. I just didn't see an Oscar worthy performance. I saw a fabulous supporting performance headlined by two superior performances. Maybe that's it. Since Firth and Rush were so dynamic together, Carter gets lost in the momentum. Again, I'm not saying that she was terrible. It's quite the opposite. I think she gets sandwiched in between Firth and Rush who truly steal the show.

The script is well written complete with classic British lingo. The light moments that take place during the therapy sessions are paced so well that they come at you by surprise. This adds even more fire to Firth's and Rush's performances. They go back and forth so well that it really brings out how sharply the dialogue was written. The film gives you that draggy look but I promise you, it doesn't play that way. That's mostly because of the different range of emotions that you experience through the King. He's ashamed of his stammer, then he's afraid of speaking in public, then he's angry. Finally he's terrified of having to make his address to the people announcing England's upcoming war against Hitler. Those different spikes in tone and feel keep you from straying away from what could have been a slow moving film if it wasn't handled properly.

It was.

On the 5 star scale. The King's Speech gets the full house 5 stars. With a tremendous "Worth Every Penny" recommendation.

I really, really enjoyed this film. This one has a great chance of taking Best Picture. In fact I'm real close to making this one my pick for said honor.

That's a wrap for today. Up next is review #100. I want to thank those of you who voted for the 100th film. It was a very close race between 3 films. In the end it came down to 1 teenie tiny vote that broke the tie.

So for my 100th review I will be seeing......

C'mon people. Did you really think I was going to reveal it here? You clearly don't know me. I'm going to keep you in suspense until the review comes out. I might even have a surprise in store.

So until then, enjoy this one and as always.

Until Next Episode...."I'll Save You A Seat!"

"D"