The King's Speech (2010, R)

The King's Speech is an impressively mounted, light hearted, albeit predictable, drama. It received 12 Academy Award nominations for films of 2010, and won 4, including Best Picture of Year. No doubt, this is a very good movie, although it is not the movie event of the year.

The film follows the life of Prince Albert, the Duke of York (Colin Firth), in the turmoil years before World War II. With his father, King George the V dying and his older brother, David, abdicating the thrown, the Duke of York finds himself as the king of England, King George the VI. However, Prince Albert faces a big dilemma: his heavy speech impediment has caused him to have a dread of public speaking. In fact, the film opens with him giving his first speech in front of a large crowd of British citizens, and with his speaking problem not only disturbing him but also the audience. The prince goes through a bunch of speech therapists, one of which who recommends he smokes, and another who suggest he put marbles in his mouth while talking, but none of them are able to cure his impediment. His loyal and supportive wife the Duchess of York, (Helena Bonham Carter), finds Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush), a failed Australian actor and former speech therapist, who takes on curing Prince Albert, using many different types of therapy, including laying down, reading with music playing, and copious amounts of swearing. The two different men don't get along at first, but soon become friends, and in a few years time, Prince Albert begins to lose his stammer, but tensions rise as he becomes King George VI, and must give a speech in front of millions of people around the world when Britain and France go to war with Germany.

The King's Speech is well directed, very well acted, well shot with a great production set and very impressive costume designs. Nevertheless, it's inevitable that this is a predictable film.

It's directed by Tom Hooper, who one the Oscar for Best Director of the Year. But by the time the credits role, the movie really belongs to it's three main stars: Firth, Rush and Carter.

The King's Speech has received critical acclaim, and has done very well at the box-office. It's a vastly entertaining film though not big in scope, and one that also doesn't gain any more momentum by the latter half of the film then the first half.

It's a true story that hasn't been told before. More inspiring then incredible, but nevertheless keeping a steady, unchanging pace, the King's Speech is a handsome, well-crafted pic, boosted by a good director and a talented cast.

                                      ****/5