Last fall the Toronto Film Festival was abuzz about the latest offering starring Colin Firth. The King's Speech, starring Firth, Geoffrey Rush, and Helen Bonham Carter is the unlikely but true tale of how the Duke of York (later to be King George the VI) turns to an unconventional therapist (played by Rush) to cure his painful stammer. A colleague of mine saw it at TIFF and has raved about the movie ever since.
When it finally opened just before Christmas I patiently waited for it to be screened at a local theatre. Yesterday, after three weeks of patience (far more than my usual store I'd say) we hopped into the car and drove to Mississauga where it was playing.
As always, I went with a degree of trepidation . . . the inner cynic always thinks that the experience I shall have won't live up to the hype and crushing disappointment shall result.
Silly inner cynic. Nothing could have been further from the truth with this film.
Screenwriter David Seidler, who actually had a pretty severe stammer growing up, has written a script about his apparent personal hero, King George VI, who overcame the same handicap with the help of a failed actor turned speech therapist (Rush playing Lionel Logue) to flourish as a monarch. Seidler injects humour and irony into the proceedings at just the right times to make this story work, and work well. The fact that much of the story takes place within the arc of known history also causes you to feel more empathy for the young Duke as he struggles to overcome his disability in an era where disabled people were hidden away from view. Disabled Rotalty . . you can only image the consequences (irnoic perhaps given the level of inbreeding amongst the European Royal Houses . . .)
We know from history class that the Prince of Wales will abdicate thrusting Bertie onto the throne as George the VI. We know that Hitler will soon embark on crazy antics that plunge the world into a nightmarish struggle. We know that this King will be tested - he is going to have to inspire strength in his people that they never knew they had. He is going to have to communicate with them and not cause them to look aware in embarrassment as he tries to form his words and convey them . . . which is the reaction to his stammered utterances in the early scenes of the film.
There are some really fantastic sequences, and every single exchange between Albert and Logue is full of memorable dialogue. Logue's amusing disregard for Bertie's royalty makes for some brilliant laughs, and both men display a great sense of humor. The impeccable chemistry between the two really drives the film. In most films starring Geoffrey Rush, he steals the show, but the heart of The King's Speech belongs to Firth, who is brilliant here - you actually feel his pain and many in the theatre were actually crying when he managed to overcome his impediment and give his now famous 'we are at war' speech.
Helena Bonham-Carter didn't really have a lot to do as Elizabeth, but provided great support and genuine encouragement. Paul and I were both struck with how nuanced she was - perhaps more noticeable to us given that the last movie we had seen her in was Harry Potter and there was nothing nuanced about her portrayal of Belatrix Lestrange. What she was able to convey with the simple arch of a brow or the nod of her head was telling - it was nice to see her play a character rather than a caricature.
The King's Speech is the story of personal courage rising above adversity. Elitism and hierarchy. Friendship. Influence. Triumph. Equality. Trust. Self belief. Of course, these are all the hallmarks of an Oscar winner and this movie will likely be rewarded at awards ceremony after award ceremony - as it should for it is well.
Okay, it must be fate, Mark and I just finished discussing when we were going to be able to go and see this movie together as schedules right now are tight on weekends with swim meets for Matt, and finally decided two weeks from now, when Matt was traveling with choir for concerts he is singing in, would work. Disappointed at needing to wait this long (we are both history majors and the time period encompassed, people/players, etc. are ones of interest and knowledge), we said, "Okay, then, two weeks." At which point, I thought, okay, I will do a little blog reading while and first up is your blog with this topic. Weird. Thanks for the review, it sounds marvelous to me!
Posted by: Kayte | January 09, 2011 at 11:29 AM
It really WAS brilliant, wasn't it? Colin Firth is a great actor.
Posted by: sandrac | January 09, 2011 at 06:02 PM
I am sure that you'll love it when you finally see it. I have a history background as well so I think I appreciated it even more.
Funny thing Sandra - I don't generally like him at all . . . until the King's Speech.
Posted by: JDeQ | January 13, 2011 at 09:48 AM