THE KING'S SPEECH (R)
MOVIESAL'S GRADE: A+
| Cast: Colin Firth...King George VI Helena Bonham Carter...Queen Elizabeth Geoffrey Rush...Lionel Logue |
If you are anything like me, you probably didn't think it was possible for there to be a legitimately suspenseful film made about WWII anymore. I mean, we all know how it started. We all know how it ended. We all know what happened in between. What you don't know, however, at least if you are anything like me, is this story.
By the time the final scenes came around, I was sitting on the edge of my seat in the theater holding my breath. Not because there was about to be a gunfight. Not because the hero was walking towards certain death. No. I was on the edge of my seat because a man was facing a microphone…and I cared what happened to him next. Legitimately cared.
I almost don't want to tell you anything about the plot at all, just because if you don't know this story, you need to learn it as it unfolds. Colin Firth is an absolute joy to watch as the stuttering son of the King of England who has no choice but to get over his stutter and face a horrifying invention that's poised to change everything-- the radio. Firth has already been nominated for and won awards for the performance, and there are undoubtedly more on the way. Believe me, he has earned each and every one of them. The character he creates is nothing short of amazing; flawed, noble, and determined. He is a man of deep pride who sees his flaws as clearly as anyone else does, and is desperate to break out of the vicious cycle of being controlled and limited by them. It has been a long time since I have been so engaged by a performance. It would have been so easy to turn a stutter into something showy or really ham it up. Firth avoids this flawlessly, instead making us feel his utter pain and humiliation at every word he has to force from his throat. Not one moment rings false or staged.
The supporting cast are all adept. Helena Bonham-Carter shines as the supportive wife of the future king, and everyone is absolutely saturated in the time and place. However, the real emotional center of the movie is the relationship between an unorthodox speech therapist named Lionel, played by Geoffrey Rush, and Firth's “Bertie”. The connection the two men have, while not immediate or simple, runs deep. It grows slowly over the course of the movie, and so does our concern for what happens to both of them. We want them to succeed. We want them to be friends. We want them to win. The stakes might not seem high at first…pride, status…but they quickly escalate as war drums nearer.
I almost don't want to tell you anything about the plot at all, just because if you don't know this story, you need to learn it as it unfolds. Colin Firth is an absolute joy to watch as the stuttering son of the King of England who has no choice but to get over his stutter and face a horrifying invention that's poised to change everything-- the radio. Firth has already been nominated for and won awards for the performance, and there are undoubtedly more on the way. Believe me, he has earned each and every one of them. The character he creates is nothing short of amazing; flawed, noble, and determined. He is a man of deep pride who sees his flaws as clearly as anyone else does, and is desperate to break out of the vicious cycle of being controlled and limited by them. It has been a long time since I have been so engaged by a performance. It would have been so easy to turn a stutter into something showy or really ham it up. Firth avoids this flawlessly, instead making us feel his utter pain and humiliation at every word he has to force from his throat. Not one moment rings false or staged.
The supporting cast are all adept. Helena Bonham-Carter shines as the supportive wife of the future king, and everyone is absolutely saturated in the time and place. However, the real emotional center of the movie is the relationship between an unorthodox speech therapist named Lionel, played by Geoffrey Rush, and Firth's “Bertie”. The connection the two men have, while not immediate or simple, runs deep. It grows slowly over the course of the movie, and so does our concern for what happens to both of them. We want them to succeed. We want them to be friends. We want them to win. The stakes might not seem high at first…pride, status…but they quickly escalate as war drums nearer.
This movie is not something to miss. Pure and simply, this is why we go to the movies in the first place.
THE BOTTOM LINE:
Entertaining? Yes
Enlightening? Yes
Summary: Firth’s performance propels this to the ranks of amazing, and he’s supported by an equally great cast. Do not miss this movie!
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