Post date: Aug 11, 2011 10:55:16 PM
(★★★ out of ★★★★★)
In The King’s Speech, we follow Prince Albert (who would later become King George VI, played by Colin Firth) as he attempts to treat a lifelong stuttering ailment with the help of his speech therapist, Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush). During his treatment, the Royal Family undergoes somewhat of a crisis (crisis, of course, being used in the sense of #FirstWorldProblems), as King George V dies and Prince Albert’s older brother, Prince Edward, abdicates the throne. Finding himself the newly crowned King of the United Kingdom (and now responsible for radio broadcasts), Prince Albert (or “Bertie” as he is affectionately called by Lionel) feels ever mounting anxiety over his speech impediment. While the movie was rather slow-paced, I didn’t feel like it dragged on and I was rarely bored. Within minutes into the film, I was quite invested into the characters of Bertie and Lionel. I remember consciously wondering to myself what quality it is about good actors that allows them to, in so little time, make complete strangers care about them (I’m sure the writing plays an important role). Additionally, I was rather fascinated by King George VI's stutter. I have only interacted with a few people in my life who have had a severe stutter, but it has typically been a jarring experience. I remember dwelling on these encounters after the fact, wondering how difficult it must be for the person to have their mind throttled by their voice, but I was also quite impressed with their willingness to talk, despite their impediment. Overall, I would say the film is worth watching for all, but to those audiences with particular interests in WWI and WWII era history or in the Royal Family, it is a can't miss.