Sunday 9 January 2011

The King's Speech

If I am going to the cinema I like to see big noisy films as let's be honest they aren’t going to look and sound half as good on even the highest quality home theatre system. The problem with this lifestyle choice is that sometimes dramas get pushed to the back of the queue. It’s nice that Oscar Season arrives during the post Christmas lull and I use the opportunity to see movies, such as The King's Speech, that would in all likelihood get lost during the busy Summer Season.

PLOT: Prince Albert (Colin Firth) is second in line to the throne and is happy to be so as it keeps him out of the public eye however after his father King George V dies and his brother King Edward VIII abdicates in order to continue his relationship with Mrs Wallace Simpson, Prince Albert takes up the crown and becomes King George VI.
The problem is Prince Albert suffers from a stammer which is exacerbated by the pressure of public speaking and with his sudden placing on the throne and the country on the brink of war he is expected to become the voice to calm the public. Albert’s wife Elizabeth (Helena Bonham-Carter) enlists the help of Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush) a well respected yet unorthodox speech therapist who tries to get to the bottom of Albert’s stammer.
The two work together in order to prepare Albert for various speeches. I work at not crying my eyes out for the best part of two hours and a King is born. END PLOT

I have never been so emotionally engaged with a movie as I was during The King’s Speech. It was great to watch Albert, or Bertie as Lionel insisted in calling him, and Lionel’s friendship grow with scenes ranging from down right funny to emotionally traumatising especially the moment when Albert breaks down believing he is not a worthy King.

I have never been a big fan of Colin Firth but that changed today as he is absolutely fantastic as Prince Albert. Firth not only raised the bar but reset the standard and it will be a brave decision not to give him the Oscar for his performance.

Geoffrey Rush (a strong contender for Best Supporting Actor) was also brilliant as was Helena Bonham Carter as Elizabeth in a much smaller role than expected.

There was no weak link with the supporting cast and the movie contained a nice little moment between Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle, the quintessential Mr Darcy and Elizabeth Bennett, meeting for the first time.

It has been a long time since I sat in the cinema as engrossed as I was during The King’s Speech. It is just excellent film in every way imaginable. If I was to pick a flaw it would be that it ended.

There were no tricks in The King’s Speech. There were no special effects. There was just Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush acting and as it turns out the simple drama was the noisiest film I have seen in a long time. 10/10.

2 comments:

  1. I want to see this movie so much, really need to find a showing nearby!

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  2. It is the best movie I have watched in a long time.

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