The true story of King George VI of Britain, from the days where his father was King to his rise to the throne. Oh did I mention he has a speech impediment which he needs to overcome? The King’s Speech is not your typical film about a King or a royal family, there is far more to the story than simply someone becoming a King. The film at it’s core is about friendship and overcoming the obstacles which stand in your way. This is what happened to the King, he needed to over come his speech problem and in the process he gained a life long friend in Lionel Logue. Through this the King was able to lead the nation into a war and have the confidence he lacked all through his life.
This is a film which I feared would be ruined by hype, thankfully the film for the most part actually does live up to it. Certainly deserving of award nominations, it really is something rather different and unexpected. If you didn’t know what this film was actually about, and at it’s core being a speech problem, I think the end product would be a real delight. All the elements for this film just came together, and I was highly entertained. I think the real stand out in this film was Geoffrey Rush as Lionel, he was fantastic in every frame. Not to say Colin Firth wasn’t good, he really was but when it came down to it Lionel is the character that will stay with me. I just have to say Helena Bonham Carter quite surprised me as Queen Elizabeth, she added a gorgeous charm to this woman and I really didn’t expect that. The film got it right with their three leads, each offering something different. There are some great supporting roles with Michael Gambon playing King George V, Guy Pearce as his son King Edward VIII and a truly outstanding Timothy Spall as Winston Churchill.
I quite loved the screenplay by David Seidler, it was witty and engaging and even at times a little sad. It certainly is a film that can encourage people to overcome their fears, and not let things hold them back in life. I like things which have a positive message, and this really did. Tom Hooper got great performances as I mentioned earlier, he has a great eye for setting a scene as well. The early scenes of speech therapy are just so great to watch, and so well done, it is enjoyable and I didn’t think that watching speech therapy could be! I guess my only real issue with the film was some of the pacing, it was slow at times and I am not sure this story needed almost 2 hours to be told. I really think it would have worked just as well (maybe even better) with about 10 minutes less. But over all this was a great viewing experience, and it showed a friendship that was so special, it was touching. I can highly recommend this, it certainly surprised me in a big way.
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