The King’s Speech is a real c-c-corker of a film

The King’s Speech opened up at select theaters this week to rave reviews and it’s no surprise as it is a wonderful and thoroughly entertaining film.

The film begins with Colin Firth as the stuttering yet highly intelligent Albert Frederick Arthur George (or as history knows him, King George VI) attempting to give a speech live on the radio. It is one of the most awkward bits of cinema I have ever had the pleasure of watching. His extremely slow, stammered speech had everyone in the theater squirming in their seat. After trying out a succession of speech therapists and doctors to no avail, Albert’s  wife (played by a very subdued Helena Bonham Carter) hires the services of an unusual speech therapist named Lionel Logue.

Logue, acted superbly by Geoffrey Rush, is an Australian-born speech therapist whose methods seem quite bizarre, especially when directed at a member of the royal family. In a way, The King’s Speech is the quintessential ‘buddy’ movie – Albert, as successor to the british throne, is uptight, proper and all about decorum. Lionel is the complete opposite, believing that only by dealing with each other as equals can he treat his patient. He insists on calling Albert ‘Bertie’ and refuses to answer to anything but ‘Lionel’.

What follows are two delightful hours of dialogue between the ‘straight man’ and his ‘wacky’ counterpart and includes scenes of Albert rolling on the floor, singing nonsense songs and a fantastic bit where Albert is convinced use every swear word he knows to prove he can indeed speak without a stammer.

As it takes place in the 1930′s, in the background of this story are the rumblings of the increasingly powerful nazi party and another potential war with Germany. Albert’s older brother Edward is crowned king, but as he is a womanizer and nazi sympathizer he quickly abdicates the throne, leaving Albert as King. Edward’s role is played by Guy Pearce, who has a knack for playing narcissistic, jerky characters so well you really want to just clock him right in the nose.

The movie culminates in King George VI’s historic speech, given the day Britain declared war on Germany. With his friend Lionel by his side, Albert is able to deliver a speech heard around the world.

It is an excellent film, one of those rare bits of cinema where as the credits roll you realize you could watch the two main characters chat for at least another two hours.

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