The King's Speech

For about a month now, I've been hearing great things about The King's Speech.  I never doubted the rumors, knowing what Colin Firth is capable of, as he has proved himself a superior actor time and time again. Especially now, he doesn't disappoint.  In fact, I would go as far to say, that he brought back to life my faith in the art of acting.

The King's Speech is dated in the early 1930s when King George V of Britain (played by Michael Gambon) dies and leaves his throne to his son Edward VIII (played by Guy Pearce).  Edward is soon abdicated from the throne and replaced with his brother Prince Albert, Duke of York (played by Colin Firth) who becomes King George VI.  It's a little bit of a mouth full, I know.  Basically, while all this is going on in the background, Colin Firth's character, nicknamed Berty, attempts to fix his speech impediment with a speech therapist named Lionel Logue (played by Geoffrey Rush).  Once he becomes king, he is to give the speech of a lifetime in order to inspire his people to unite against Hitler in WWII.

The amount of incredible actors in this film is staggering.  I'm just going to name some of them for you, so you can have an idea...

Colin Firth (aka. Mr. Darcy), Geoffrey Rush (aka. Captain Barbossa), Jennifer Ehle (aka. Elizabeth Bennet), Helena Bonham Carter (aka. Bellatrix Lestrange), Timothy Spall (aka. Wormtail) and Michael Gambon (aka. Dumbledore).  Almost a Harry Potter/Pride and Prejudice cast reunion.                   

 Anyways, back to the film.  The focus remained for the most part on Berty's speech impediment, which is a stammer. The detail and dedication that Colin Firth put into his role was something to see.  It's rare nowadays when actors truly take their time, being specific with every word, every movement, every nod of the head or tilt of the neck.  I felt that everything that was done had its purpose, had a reason for being, and was carefully orchestrated.  Especially with the stammer.  Firth made every twitch of the mouth a work of art and I applaud him for more than succeeding in that extremely difficult task.

Helena Bonham Carter playing Elizabeth, Berty's wife and future Queen Elizabeth, pulled off her role with grace, strength and complete confidence.  Personally, I'm so used to Carter picking roles of a dark and twisted nature, it was so refreshing to see her take on something opposite to that entirely.  She completely left her Fight Club, Sweeny Todd, Corpse Bride and Harry Potter days behind her, making me forget that she was the same person at all.

Geoffrey Rush achieved the same goals.  His witty banter and overall lovable character brought to life the heart of the story.  Firth and Rush made an unbeatable duo that made the film soar.  They brought a humour to the film that was quick, fun and, most of all, welcoming to its audience. 

To conclude, this film ran on the superiority and detail of the acting, which is always for me the most exciting thing to watch.  I also appreciated the accurateness of the history and its flawless presentation.  This film is the strongest I've seen of all 2010, and deserves numerous Oscars as proof for its hard work.

I give this film 9.5/10 if not for everything I've already spoke of, then for bringing together my favourite romantic couple, Mr. Darcy and Miss. Elizabeth Bennet, in that one short - but definitely planned - scene near the end of the film.