The King's Speech: A Nation Finds Its Voice!

Overall Rating = 4.5 Stars of 5 Stars

Imagine the possibility of becoming king of England, a post you've never wanted, never prepared for, and even though you're a prince, never imagined assuming. Imagine your father, the king, dies, and your older brother, following the royal line of succession, happily assumes the throne. Now imagine, due to some scandalous affair, your brother abdicates his crown, and now you’re forced, as the next heir in line, to become king. Now imagine, as a result the German martial forces threatening war with your nation, you must prepare to give a national speech to inspire your nation and to inform your allies and the world of your nation’s resolve to stand steadfast against the Nazi aggression. Now imagine that you have a debilitating stammer which you believe not only makes you unfit to be king, but that incapacitates you from delivering even the most basic of dignified speeches.

  

These are the events and circumstances that set the stage for The King’s Speech. Prince Albert (Colin Firth), called “Bertie” by family members and close friends, employs the services of speech therapist Lionel Louge (Geoffrey Rush) to help him overcome this handicap. Bertie puts his faith in the unorthodox methods of Louge to help him to find a respectable voice befitting his royal station.

Colin Firth as Bertie is quietly commanding and demonstrates an astounding level of technical concentration necessary to play this role of the stammering Prince Albert. George Rush brings warmth to Lionel Louge as he coaches the future king to overcome this challenge. Helena Bonham Carter as Bertie’s wife and confidant is encouraging and gracefully regal. Timothy Spall as Winston Churchill helps to put the events of the movie in historical perspective, as he is most associated with a specific period in British history.

Tom Hooper is a sensitive helmsman directing a film that manages to inspire, not through the bombastic proclamations and rabble rousing of a dictator who would rule the world, but through the quiet reflections of a naval officer who is forced to find his voice and embrace his destiny.

The movie manages to rouse the spirit, even with its sober subject matter. Though I enjoyed this movie, it is not a movie I would recommend to everyone. Though the pacing is marvelously organic, it may be too slow for some movie audiences. But for those audience goers who appreciate movies driven by characters, this movie is worth the sixpence for admission. Out of five stars, I give The King's Speech 4.5 stars.