Film: The King's Speech
Director: Tom Hooper
Written By: David Seidler
Distributer: Momentum Pictures
Run Time: 1 hour 58 minutes
Starring: Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Helena Bonham Carter, Guy Pearce
I?m generally not a fan of period dramas. You know the ones that I mean. The haughty toighty pieces that are so hung up on the details of the story and details of the era; that they completely forget to make the resulting film interesting. I'm also generally not a fan of feel good movies. You know the ones that I mean. The ones that spend so much time attempting to tell stories that make people feel better about themselves and leave with a smile on their face; that they forget to make the film not feel extremely patronising and condescending.
So, by all accounts, I should detest The King's Speech. On the surface, it looks like an uplifting feel good period drama designed to tick as many boxes on the Oscar checklist as humanly possible. But the actual film is a fantastic gem. A genuinely inspiring and un-patronising comedy drama that is anchored by two stellar performances by Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush.
Based on a true story, Prince Albert, Duke of York (Firth) is the second son of King George V. His vocation involves a lot of public speaking but Albert suffers from a debilitating stutter that frequently renders him incapable of even the shortest sentence under great pressure. His wife, Elizabeth (Bonham Carter), has tried every single speech therapist in London to fix his stutter but none have been successful. But then she happens upon Lionel Logue (Rush), an unorthodox Australian speech therapist who demands Albert's complete trust in treatment. All whilst the abdication crisis of 1936 forces Albert onto the throne too early and his biggest test comes when he has to give a speech on the wireless to the British people at the outset of World War II.
The King?s Speech is a very predictable film. There are no twists, no turns and no real tension thrown into the mix. But that's not really much of a detriment, because the story is told superbly well. The writing is quick and pacy, trying its damndest to ensure that the film never drags. And although the script is good, it is the performances that truly make this film.
Colin Firth has been spectacular at varying points throughout his career and he has shown to be an exceptionally gifted actor. The King's Speech has him at the top of his game and giving the performance of a lifetime. He makes Albert (or Bertie as the majority of the characters call him) a thoroughly likable man and every single time he stutters or fails to speak his mind due to his impediment you truly feel for him and root for him to pull through. But he does so in a way that doesn't make it seem like the film is forcing you to like him. He gives a layered and nuanced performance that feels less like a character and more like a real person. But the highest amount of praise for Firth comes from a friend of mine who saw the film recently. He has a stutter and he told me that Firth plays a man with a stutter to a tee. If that isn't high praise, I truly don't know what is.
Geoffrey Rush, meanwhile, is reliably excellent. Portraying an eccentric and unorthodox man in a way that still grounds him in reality. He stays away from giving Logue a random quirk or extremity and makes him an extremely friendly guy. Rush probably won't garner as much praise as Firth, because at this point we just expect greatness from the man, but he is still a tour-de-force. Helena Bonham Carter is the best she's been in ages without being criminally underused and Guy Pearce makes the perfectly hateable King Edward VIII more than just a one dimensional "bad guy".
It certainly feels about 15 minutes too long and it's mainly the exceptional lead performances that make the film, but The King's Speech is still worth seeing. For it is one of those rare breeds of inspirational movies that don't feel patronising. For it is one of those rare breeds of period dramas that gets the details right but also provides an excellent viewing experience. It is the cream of British acting tearing up the screen with some of the best performances of their career and everything else playing second fiddle.
Normally I judge movies based on their overall package, and if that were the case then this'd be a three. But on this case, I'm willing to make an exception. The acting is that exceptional, it makes up for everything else being merely good. So if you are a fan of acting and films with great acting, then you owe it to yourself to see The King's Speech. Otherwise, see it anyway and enjoy a feel good movie that doesn't treat its audience like idiots.
4 out of 5.
Director: Tom Hooper
Written By: David Seidler
Distributer: Momentum Pictures
Run Time: 1 hour 58 minutes
Starring: Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Helena Bonham Carter, Guy Pearce
I?m generally not a fan of period dramas. You know the ones that I mean. The haughty toighty pieces that are so hung up on the details of the story and details of the era; that they completely forget to make the resulting film interesting. I'm also generally not a fan of feel good movies. You know the ones that I mean. The ones that spend so much time attempting to tell stories that make people feel better about themselves and leave with a smile on their face; that they forget to make the film not feel extremely patronising and condescending.
So, by all accounts, I should detest The King's Speech. On the surface, it looks like an uplifting feel good period drama designed to tick as many boxes on the Oscar checklist as humanly possible. But the actual film is a fantastic gem. A genuinely inspiring and un-patronising comedy drama that is anchored by two stellar performances by Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush.
Based on a true story, Prince Albert, Duke of York (Firth) is the second son of King George V. His vocation involves a lot of public speaking but Albert suffers from a debilitating stutter that frequently renders him incapable of even the shortest sentence under great pressure. His wife, Elizabeth (Bonham Carter), has tried every single speech therapist in London to fix his stutter but none have been successful. But then she happens upon Lionel Logue (Rush), an unorthodox Australian speech therapist who demands Albert's complete trust in treatment. All whilst the abdication crisis of 1936 forces Albert onto the throne too early and his biggest test comes when he has to give a speech on the wireless to the British people at the outset of World War II.
The King?s Speech is a very predictable film. There are no twists, no turns and no real tension thrown into the mix. But that's not really much of a detriment, because the story is told superbly well. The writing is quick and pacy, trying its damndest to ensure that the film never drags. And although the script is good, it is the performances that truly make this film.
Colin Firth has been spectacular at varying points throughout his career and he has shown to be an exceptionally gifted actor. The King's Speech has him at the top of his game and giving the performance of a lifetime. He makes Albert (or Bertie as the majority of the characters call him) a thoroughly likable man and every single time he stutters or fails to speak his mind due to his impediment you truly feel for him and root for him to pull through. But he does so in a way that doesn't make it seem like the film is forcing you to like him. He gives a layered and nuanced performance that feels less like a character and more like a real person. But the highest amount of praise for Firth comes from a friend of mine who saw the film recently. He has a stutter and he told me that Firth plays a man with a stutter to a tee. If that isn't high praise, I truly don't know what is.
Geoffrey Rush, meanwhile, is reliably excellent. Portraying an eccentric and unorthodox man in a way that still grounds him in reality. He stays away from giving Logue a random quirk or extremity and makes him an extremely friendly guy. Rush probably won't garner as much praise as Firth, because at this point we just expect greatness from the man, but he is still a tour-de-force. Helena Bonham Carter is the best she's been in ages without being criminally underused and Guy Pearce makes the perfectly hateable King Edward VIII more than just a one dimensional "bad guy".
It certainly feels about 15 minutes too long and it's mainly the exceptional lead performances that make the film, but The King's Speech is still worth seeing. For it is one of those rare breeds of inspirational movies that don't feel patronising. For it is one of those rare breeds of period dramas that gets the details right but also provides an excellent viewing experience. It is the cream of British acting tearing up the screen with some of the best performances of their career and everything else playing second fiddle.
Normally I judge movies based on their overall package, and if that were the case then this'd be a three. But on this case, I'm willing to make an exception. The acting is that exceptional, it makes up for everything else being merely good. So if you are a fan of acting and films with great acting, then you owe it to yourself to see The King's Speech. Otherwise, see it anyway and enjoy a feel good movie that doesn't treat its audience like idiots.
4 out of 5.