The King’s Speech (2010)

The King’s Speech is another of those films that I never saw in theaters, which I regret because of how much I enjoyed it.

Featuring an all-star cast, with Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, and Helena Bonham Carter in the lead roles, The King’s Speech succeeds in its simplicity. The film’s score by Alexandre Desplat is light and simple, there are no explosions or CGI special effects, or any action scenes/car chases, but it still manages to be completely enthralling. Colin Firth’s performance as the stuttering King George VI is what makes the film so fantastic, but it’s not just his flawlessly consistent stutter that makes him so good; it’s everything outside of the stutter that he brings to the table that makes his performance so memorable. We see the common human troubles that this monarch fights with, from everything to bullying, food deprivation, to disappointment from his father, but Firth doesn’t just tell us all of these things – we’re able to see it in how he moves, how he behaves, and how he talks.

Though Firth is the one who carries the movie, Rush as Lionel Logue is great as well, but, then again, when isn’t Geoffrey Rush great? Through his performance, we see a man who believes in other people’s potential to the fullest, and in Carter’s performance as George VI’s husband we see one hundred percent emotional support, but, again, these aren’t things that we have to be told to understand – all of this is clearly displayed in the way the actors present their characters. It’s difficult to explain, but it’s obvious when you watch the movie yourself.

A movie definitely worthy of its Academy Award for Best Picture, The King’s Speech is more than I expected from a subject matter that seems bland at first glance (and, to be honest, it is), with Colin Firth’s outstanding performance carries the film above and beyond what it might have been without him. It’s fun at times, it’s incredibly dramatic at times, and there are even moments that could break your heart, but it never stops being entertaining and a pleasure to watch.

Chad

Rating: 4 (out of 5)

MPAA: R – for some language

Note – This movie is rated “R” for language by the MPAA, but it is a ridiculous rating. The only bad language found in this film is limited to two separate scenes in which it is used quite extensively but in a completely non-offensive way. Feel free to be your own judge, but I say that this is a film perfectly suitable for teenagers.

P.S. – Read my review of this film’s score, composed by Alexandre Desplat, here!