...Timing isn't my strong suit

The King’s Speech 
Directed by: Tom Hooper
Written by: David Seidler

On Christmas afternoon, my Grandmother suggested going to the movies as a way to kill the long hours and relax after the whirlwind holiday of relatives, Church, presents, and food. At first, she presented us with going to see Black Swan, which I really want to see, but perhaps not with my Grandmother, who would complain about it’s racy scenes and suspenseful nature. Since she had yet to even see the trailer for Black Swan, I gently suggested to her she probably would not like the film (I was right - she later saw the trailer and was glad we didn’t go). Instead, she suggested The King’s Speech, mainly because of it’s good reviews, historical setting, and casting of Colin Firth. Though it was Christmas, I was dead tired and not in the mood to see a high collar English film about a monarch, I went anyway, knowing I’d have to see it eventually (it’ll most likely be nominated for an Oscar and I do try to see all nominated films, though I’ve failed horrendously at this task in the past) and I pay better attention when it’s on the big screen. 

No surprises, it turned out to be a really good movie, and though it might not win Best Picture or Best Actor, it’ll definitely rack up some nominations (as it has for the Golden Globes - 8 I think). Colin Firth plays the late King George VI (Bertie to his family), Helena Bonham Carter plays his wife, Queen Elizabeth, and Geoffrey Rush plays Lionel Logue, the speech therapist who becomes a friend and cheerleader of the King. All three actors play their roles well, which can be expected of these three at this point (Carter impressed me the most, simply because she was not donned in crazy makeup with wild hair, and Tim Burton had nothing to do with this film... though Firth did well in making me believe he was the stuttering King rather than Mr Darcy). I was further surprised/excited to see Michael Gambon as King George V, but then, it wouldn’t be a British film without at least one actor from Harry Potter (this film had two - Gambon and Carter).

The film itself follows Bertie’s impromptu rise to his coronation as King, and his struggle with his speech deficiency (i.e. stutter). In a time of growing reliance on the radio to deliver news, broadcasts from the monarchs were important to inspire the citizens and represent their country. In America, Roosevelt and his “fireside chats” helped the nation rally behind him and believe in him during the crises at hand. Imagine, then, having to issue an inspiring speech over the radio when you have a stutter. This was Bertie’s problem, and the inciting incident that kicks him into finding a solution. Enter Lionel Logue, an out-of-the-box speech pathologist who not only helps Bertie, but also becomes a friend and one of his leading supporters. The chemistry between the two men is at the heart of the film, and it was enjoyable to watch Logue’s offbeat methods and personality clash with the soon-to-be-King’s.

Though the written idea of the film sounds just like any other Historical tale of the monarchy, it stands above the stiffness so often found in those films, and allows the humor and characters to shine through. Look out for it on your Oscar ballots. (101/1001 #13)