The King's Speech

The King's Speech is about just that. It does what so many other films have done this year, and filmed what should be unfilmable. One might think that a movie about speech therapy would get awful dull, but this does not. It is the pacing and the pauses that the film takes which makes it so good. That, and the performance (not to mention the gorgeous production value). Here, Colin Firth as King Henry VI delivers what should win him the Oscar. Every bit of his being is immersed in this character. He plays King Henry VI, who was a stammerer. ...And he was to be king. This caused quite the dilemma for him, he was neglected and considered a little dimwitted as a child for his condition, and as an adult, he must inspire a nation with words---but he can't speak. World War II is looming above Henry's head. It's about to come crashing down on him, and he's afraid. Anyone would be. His wife (played sweetly by Helena Bonham Carter) seeks out a speech therapist to assist him. She discovers Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush) who says with confidence that he can cure her husband. What ensues is slow and amusing, contemplative and interesting. From The King's Speech we do not get an inspirational story alone, but a much more important and significant portrait of imperfection within the royal family. So often they are portrayed as infallible, but with Henry VI, we see a man who is practically masochistic and self-hating. And yet, he overcomes, and he befriends Logue as an equal. One of my favorite scenes in the movie is where Henry VI is watching Hitler speak and his daughter asks him "What is he saying?" Henry replies, "I don't know, but he seems to be saying it rather well". And there is a look on Henry's face of complete understanding of the world. He realizes the enormity of his situation, and he realizes what it will take to be able to convince a nation. The King's Speech is directed by the englishman Tom Hooper (John Adams, The Damned United). He's a director who specializes in historical drama, especially when it's British. I expect that The King's Speech will stand as his enduring work. It's a great film.
The King's Speech: ★★★★