The King’s Speech (Tom Hooper, 2010):USA,UK,Australia

Reviewed by Brittany Christianson. Viewed at the Santa Barbara Film Festival 2011.

The King’s Speech is about overcoming the obstacles life throws at you.  It is an immersive experience, almost like you are struggling with King George VI’s speech impediment.

After several attempts at speech therapy King George VI of Britain (Colin Firth), is nearly ready to give up hope.  His wife, Queen Elizabeth (Helena Bonham Cater) sets out for one final attempt.  She meets Lionel Louge (Geoffrey Rush), a well-known speech therapist.  Although Lionel has no credentials and his practices are a bit unorthodox, King George VI, in desperation, agrees to meet with him.  From the beginning the friendship was a bit rocky, but grew to become powerful.

The movie portrays the actual historical events very well.  The most memorable scene is when King George VI is instructed to read Hamlet’s play, ” to be or not to be”.  Wearing headphones to block out his own voice, he is finally able to speak without a stammer.  Although he is not yet ready to take over England as King, he has taken a huge leap to being the King his father was.

The writer of the movie David Seidler, also from a children movie The King and I, understands the feelings and the animosity that King George VI is feeling.  Growing up David too had a stammer, after multiple attempts he also began to give up.  He heard how King George VI, one of Britain’s most famous people had a stammer; David found much strength in this.  Having gone through what the King had gone through gave David Seidler the idea of reenacting the historical moment, and turning it into a film.  David Seidler nailed it, he wrote the film with passion and sincerity. So the challenge of movie writing began.  With the help of Director Tom Hooper, also of The Damned United (2009), he took the screenplay and brought it to life with help of Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush and Helena Bonham Carter.  Although these roles are not traditional roles for the actors, they really brought the parts to life.  The actors embody the characters so well, you nearly forget who they are as actors.

The King’s Speech was nominated for 12 Academy Awards including best picture, and there is no wonder why. This movie also won the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival People’s Choice Awards.  Collin Firth (King George VI) really leads the way with his character.

The move grabs you from the beginning. Everyone encounters obstacles in life, whether they are speaking in front a class or speaking to the country of Britain.  It matters how you deal with them, having the strength to over come them and feeling empowered.  With the precise historical events, the admirable actors and the tough life struggles, this movie reaches the top of my favorite movies of 2010.

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Published:
02.03.11 / 2pm
Category:
Films, Santa Barbara Film Festival 2011