This post is a bit late today because something interesting happened at the theater. I showed up at the theater well ahead of time, only to find out that the 3:30pm show had been sold out, leaving me with the only choice of buying tickets for the 6:30 show, and 3 hours to kill. I had heard good things about The King's Speech, prompting me to view it, but I didn't expect that word had traveled as well as it clearly has. Find out if word of mouth has served The King's Speech well, after the jump.Walking into the theater I was greeted with a second surprise. A sea of white hair. It seems that this film plays to quite a different audience than I'm usually a part of. This worried me a bit at first, but at least I didn't have to deal with any shouting during the movie.
Based on a true story, The King's Speech is about King George VI and his battle with public speaking caused by his severe stutter. This unsurprisingly means the recipe for this movie includes strong characters and dramatic moments of vocabulary, with some politics thrown in to taste. I even found several instances of hilarity which broke the tension at the just right times.
Acting and performances are strong and entirely believable by all in the movie. Colin Firth as King George VI does a great job and you believe his frustration, embarrassment and anger as he is forced to deal with his stutter, but Geoffrey Rush as speech therapist Lionel Logue stole the show for me. Rush brings a charm and character so friendly you can't help but like him. Few have the balls to stand up to the King, and there's a short scene between Lionel and the Archbishop that I found particularly amusing.
I must say it's hard for me to remember the last time I found myself holding my breath during a speech. And what a speech it is. The build up of the tension caused by the believability of the King's stutter, and characters you truly care about all add up to a great ending with the King's titular speech. I can easily recommend this movie, especially if you're a fan of dramas or historical pieces. But even to those who aren't, this is a smart, witty, and intelligent film that might even teach you something about real life events of the past. I think we'll see this getting some award nominations when the time comes.
I'm trying to catch all the movies that have the "award buzz" around em and this is one of em.
ReplyDeleteIm glad to see it seemed to have gone well for you but i still have my doubts if and when i get the chance to see it. Still hasnt arrived in my area.
I think that however good this movie may be, I don't think it is a movie for me. But who knows, it could be!
ReplyDeleteSince I stutter in real life and can relate to this movie on a deeper level I'm glad to hear its not just a PSA about stuttering. Can't wait to see it.
ReplyDeleteBy the way if you liked this you should check out rocket science. Same kind of story but its a child dealing with his stutter. Very good movie.
I was thinking I'd have to force myself to go and see this, but I'm way more interested now I've read your review.
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