To put it as simply as possible, The King’s Speech is an art house feel-good film that was directed well and performed to literal perfection. On paper, the story of The King’s Speech doesn’t sound that moving. The tale of King George VI, his speech impediment and the friendship he acquires through working with a highly peculiar speech therapist by the name of Lionel Logue. Put on the screen and what you get is nothing short of a fantastic movie.
The story is a fascinating one filled with fun moments and dramatic ones, but there are also times where its filled with bleak ones and in that way, the film becomes real and heart-warming and when times are good. Some may find the film slow, but its not an obnoxiously long film like some could be that center around a period like this. It tells exactly what needs to be told and tells it well. After watching, you’re not only happy because you just watched a good movie, you’re happy because of the outcome of the story.
The film deserves praise, as do the people who helped contribute to the making of it, but the real praise belongs to the performers. The only way a film like this could possibly work was if fantastic actors were performing in top form. That is exactly the case with King’s Speech. Just the supporting cast was fantastic. Helena Bonham Carter’s character wasn’t given much room to breath, but for what she was given she was breathtaking.
The real performances to note were the two main characters. Colin Firth as King George VI and Geoffrey Rush as Lionel Logue. Both were absolutely brilliant. In The King’s Speech, what you get is two entirely different characters performed flawlessly. I loved every aspect of both performances, I truthfully can’t say whose performance I found more moving. Sure the character Lionel Logue might be more entertaining, but on a performance level both actors were nothing short of spectacular and a truly perfect pair that complimented each other to no end.
The King’s Speech is just an example of a great film. It tells a story that is both deep and inspirational , while at the same time never failing to entertain. Substance like this could’ve easily fallen flat, but it never once lets up. That might be in part based on the fact that we are watching two amazing performers give some of the greatest performances of their careers. The King’s Speech is a film I highly recommend if you’re planning to get some enjoyment out of going to the theater.
Grade: A
A well crafted piece of entertainment built around a couple of flashy but engaging performances from Firth and Geoffrey Rush. Good review, check out mine when you can!