Prince Albert, Duke of York (Colin Firth) becomes King George VI after his father, King George V dies and his brother, King Edward VIII gives up the throne in order to marry a twice divorced woman. Prince Albert at first isn't a huge fan of this because he has a huge stammer. This makes it quite difficult to give speeches over the radio, or elsewhere, like a good king of England should in the 1930s. Luckily for him his wife, Queen Elizabeth (Helena Bonham-Carter) loves him to death and finds Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush), the greatest speech therapist the world has ever known. Initially Albert thinks it is useless to have speech therapy, by Lionel Logue convinces him otherwise and they embark on a journey full of speech and friendship.The acting in this movie is incredible...mainly the principle three actors, who are simply a joy to watch and bursting with talent. I sense acting nominations all around for this film. Colin Firth just becomes Prince Albert/King George VI. It's amazing. He has the stutter down perfectly and it seems to come naturally to him. He is convincing as the King of England at the time, someone who at first is scared of the responsible of leading a nation while not being able to articulate himself fluidly and without stutters and hesitations. This fear combines with a general lack of self image which occasionally turns into anger. When all is said and done we have ourselves a man, confident in leading a country, and giving a darn good radio speech. Each part of the transformation is done exceptionally well by Colin Firth, who makes it hard to envision anyone else in the role. It was really nice to see Colin Firth in something other than "Mamma Mia!", since Pierce Brosnan sang in it and ruined everything beautiful about the world. Colin Firth has believable chemistry with Geoffrey Rush and Helena Bonham-Carter. Both of these are also great actors. I had only seen Geoffrey Rush in the first couple "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies and I didn't really think much of him, because those movies got ridiculous. However, after "The King's Speech," I love him quite a lot. He worked perfectly with Colin Firth. Each actor complimented the other perfectly and they were able to play off each other well, making for memorable scenes and several funny lines. Rush as Lionel Logue would not give up on King George VI, and as a result the two real life men formed a life long friendship. Finally, I was pleased to see Helena Bonham-Carter play a normal role. I am so used to seeing her in Tim Burton movies, or in roles that are similar in their creepiness. She has a lot of range as an actress and plays royalty quite well. Elizabeth's love and dedication to George was admirable and came off as perfectly realistic.
The cinematography in "The King's Speech," almost overshadows the brilliant acting. It comes pretty close. The art direction, lighting, camera work, and editing all combine to form a truly beautiful film. The cinematography is some of the best that I have seen this year in theaters, or in general. I won't even be able to do it justice in this paragraph because I didn't take notes on specific parts of the film, so I'll do the best that I can. Firstly, the sets were created incredibly well. In a period piece, such as this, set design is one of the major factors that give a realistic look to the film. Each building, room, piece of furniture, clothing, etc., comes off as something that would have actually been in England in the 1930s. Of course I am no expert on English decor of the 1930s, but I was visually very impressed in this regard and feel like the Academy, as big a scam as it seems like sometimes, will be too. The lighting and color of the sets and costumes also greatly add to the film. The majority of the film has generally flat lighting, with the occasional character in harsh shadow. The colors are dull, with browns, greens, etc. being prevalent. The last seen of the film, after the successful speech, the lighting got much brighter, kind of as a sign of success. This counteracting nicely with the duller, flatter colors being present mostly in the beginning of the film. Also, throughout the film they are several instances where a person, or part of a scene would be out of focus, adding to the visual appeal. Camera-wise there are some beautiful shots that I wish I could remember specifically. They are gorgeous aerial shots in buildings, shots that make certain characters appear to be the dominant figures in a scene, and just well composed shots, and unique perspectives. The film is worth it solely for the beautiful visuals.
The score is not prevalent many times during the film, but it is useful and adds to the dramatic or triumphant tone, depending on the scene. Sound in general is used well, in general often serving as a transitional device between scenes.
This film is rated R, solely for language, otherwise it would have been G or something. There is one major part where Colin Firth swears continuously for a little bit, managing to fit in a large amount of cursing. As it turns out when George is angry and cursing, he does not stutter. This scene is not only quite funny, and I am assuming quite memorable for people, but also shows the audience a little bit more about the dynamic character. I wouldn't advice taking small children to see this movie, and if you must then close their ears before it is too late.
So I assume that most people knew how this movie was going to end, that's understandable, but that won't hinder any enjoyment of the film. The dialogue and everything is just so wonderful and the story, at least I thought so anyway, was interesting. Also, for those of you who think the plot of "The King's Speech" is boring, then don't judge a book my its cover. True, the subject matter is slow at times, that's just the nature of the plot and real life occurrence. However, the film is never boring and the script and acting combine to form something entertaining, maybe not to everyone, but for people who appreciate well made film.
4 out of 4 stars...It's definitely getting a Best Picture nomination, among many others. "The King's Speech" is well acted and well made in every regard. It is a beautiful looking film and quite entertaining.
-Joseph Sbrilli
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