The King's Speech

The King's Speech (KS) is the dramatic and sometimes cleverly humorous true story of England's King George VI aka Bertie (Colin Firth) in the years leading up to World War II. Bertie's got plenty of troubles long before he ascends to the throne. Most notably Bertie stammers, with pretty much everyone everywhere, a thorny problem when you're a member of the Royal Family and expected to speak publicly to your countrymen. He also is at odds with his older brother Edward VIII (Guy Pearce), who, though next in line for the throne when their father George V (Michael Gambon) passes away, is seen by everyone as disrespecting the crown by dating a divorced American woman. Can Bertie make his brother see reason? Can Bertie overcome his stammer? Can England persevere during these dark times?

To totally summarize KS's plot would be laborious, so I'll try to be brief. Bertie's speech impediment is his major flaw; he can't seem to get through any kind of conversation without, well, stammering his way through it. Despite numerous attempts to correct his issue and at his motivational end, Bertie's wife Elizabeth (Helena Bonham Carter) convinces him to try one more man: Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush). Lionel uses his rather unusual methods to try and help Bertie speak properly: speech exercises, physical movements, singing what he has to say, etc. These speech therapy sessions run concurrently with other big moments in Bertie's life. Bertie and his dad are worried that Edward will marry the twice divorced American Wallis Simpson and disrespect the crown. Hitler and Nazi Germany are continuing to threaten Europe. Bertie sees his ascension to the crown coming like a train on the tracks, but he doesn't want the job because he doubts himself - this doubt is primarily fueled by his stammer, which he doesn't fully believe he can fix. It's a vicious cycle.

KS does an excellent job of balancing all of its storylines: Bertie and Edward's contentious relationship, the slow march of England to war with Germany, and the difficulties of the speech impediment on Bertie, all while keeping the relationship between Bertie and Lionel at its core; the gradual growth of their friendship through the film is truly beautiful to watch. KS builds the dramatic tension while finding the precise moments to inject humor and warmth. The screenplay is exceptional, and the subject matter, which is handled so appropriately, is accessible to anyone; there is not a single person I can think of who wouldn't enjoy watching this movie.

The pacing of KS is perfect. Historical movies such as this sometimes fall into the trap of either moving to quickly through the events or crawling too slowly towards its obvious climax. KS avoids these snares. Not too fast yet not too slow, it rhythmically builds to its climax: King George VI's speech to all of England which essentially starts WWII. By the time Bertie gives his speech, you are so wrapped in the story and his success as a character that you can't help but be excited, cheering him on internally with every spoken cadence. In the theatre I saw KS in, during his climactic speech, numerous members of the audience were literally on the edge of their seat. That's a pretty amazing feat considering the climax of the movie is a man talking.

Beyond the story, the other major strength of this movie is the acting. Every single actor in this film is perfectly cast - there are no weaknesses. Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush are locks for Oscar nominations, and they are more than deserved. Individually they both establish themselves as excellent actors that have true dramatic skills, yet their on-screen chemistry is so good, so authentic, so genuine, so touching that I half suspect that when a day's shooting was over they went out for beers together. I wouldn't be surprised if either or both actually won the Academy Award. Additionally, Firth's chemistry with Helena Bonham Carter is also strong. She does an excellent job of embodying a woman that is supportive and loving yet challenges her husband when he needs it. Guy Pearce is excellent as Bertie's contemptuous brother, and Derek Jacobi shines in his few scenes as the Archbishop Cosmo Lang.

My only complaint, if you can call it that, is that there were times when the camera angles or shot choices were a tad distracting. I can sometimes be frustrated by films that are "over-directed." While there certainly are instances when that happens in KS, like a few of the elongated tracking shots when characters are walking (the scene that best exemplifies this is when Lionel and Bertie are walking and arguing in the park), it doesn't happen often enough for it to be a true sticking point. This really is a minor quibble.

I loved KS. Right after the Social Network, I thought this was the 2nd best film of 2010. It is engaging yet endearing, thought-provoking yet insightful, poignant yet funny. As I said before, I cannot think of a single person who wouldn't enjoy this movie. Go see it. You'll be glad you did.

Long live the King!