The King's Speech
The King's Speech
The King's Speech -
Overview
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Brief Review
The true story about King George VI is a master class in acting with some phenomenal performances from the three central characters. Colin Firth gives the performance of his career as the stammering Duke Of York and is supported by the equally brilliant Geoffrey Rush and Helena Carter. The praise showered upon this gem of cinema is well deserved and everyone should see this excellent film.
Full Review
Released in 2010, The Kings Speech tells the story of the stammering Duke Of York and his ascension to the throne and conquering his speech stammer. The film has received praise and awards all over the world and can arguably be called the best film to come from that year.
The story revolves around King George, Bertie to his friends, and his sudden rise to the throne following the death of his father and the cowardice of his brother. King George has a big voice but due to his stammer, has to receive unorthodox therapy to help him overcome his problem-which in turn forges a friendship that will last the rest of his life. The story works well for its purpose and moves the story along nicely but its a minor point here as the focus is on the acting.
Colin Firth is the stand-out here as lead man Bertie but only just. His portrayal of the stammering king is bang on the money and the haunting look that clouds his eyes is an excellent example of why he was the best man for the job. His acting expertise are on show for everyone to see here and he definitely delivers the best performance of his career. His stammer doesn't sound put on and is very realistic, fooling you into thinking thats his real voice.
Helena Carter is well known for playing psychos and looneys in various films such as Harry Potter, Alice In Wonderland and Sweeney Todd. Here though, she plays Bertie's wife in a more sensitive role which she slips into effortlessly. Her use of humour is brilliant and adds a touch of light-heartedness to the otherwise dark and mature film. Her supporting role is put to good use here and she works well with Colin Firth to deliver an equally realistic performance.
The speech therapist Lile also deserves a mention as the third actor to stand out in the cast. Geoffrey Rush, known for playing Captain Barbossa in Pirates Of The Caribbean, delivers on all fronts and although he doesn't steal the show here like he did in Pirates, he is still fantastic. His unorthodox speech therapy suits his character well and he bounces well with Colin Firth in his role.
So with phenomenal acting and the film based on a true story, its strange to think that despite no big action sequences, no CGI and no massive shockers, the film is still a world class act. This is almost like a documentary in some ways but the camera work is sensational. The opening shots of the microphone while the credits role and the difference in stature and preparation between Bertie and the commentator are excellent and really help to set the tone for the whole movie to come.
Overall, The Kings Speech is one of the best films to be released in 2010 and features a wealth of acting talent throughout held together by three phenomenal performances from Helena Carter, Geoffery Rush and of course, Colin Firth. The story is good but this is all about one man and his struggle to overcome his stammer to become a leader, so the focus is solely on the acting. This character driven story is an excellent example that sometimes, you don't need a massive explosion splashed in CGI to make an audience go wow. A must buy.