Movie to Rent - The King’s Speech (2011)

A dear friend and I went to see The King’s Speech the other night and had a wonderful evening.  I can tell you that if you do not British movies, stop…do not go on…you will not enjoy this movie.  However, if you liked The Queen (2006) or Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007) you will like this movie.

This movie tells the true story of Albert Frederick Arthur George, the Duke of York who later became King George VI of England and better known to today’s world as Queen Elizabeth II’s daddy.  We see the transition of from his father (King George V) to his brother (Edward VIII) to him.  But this movie gives us a very human and real story.  The reality on how royal children were raised is revealed, warts on all.  You feel for Bertie (as his family called him) who struggle with a stammer which dates back to his horrid childhood.  (SPOILER ALERT) You learned how he was starved by a spiteful nanny, forced to change from left-handed to right-handed (common back then), painfully had his legs straightened, and how he was tormented by father and brother nearly from birth. 

Colin Firth is amazing.  His stutter is absolutely believable.  You feel his pain and struggle with shyness and lack of confidence.  You really believe him when he says he does not want to be king.  You know he loves the children and his wife.  You see the friendship he develops with Lionel Logue, his speech therapist.  Geoffrey Rush is superb as Lionel.  Again, the actor disappears and all you see is the character. Helena Bonham Carter rounds out the main trio of actors.  Although today’s audiences recognize her primarily as quirky characters (Bellatrix Lestrange or the red Queen).  But when she first entered the world of acting she was best known for her costume dramas.  She has not lost her touch and plays Queen Elizabeth (the Queen Mum today) deftly.  Supporting actors round out this well-acted piece include Guy Pearce as Edward VIII, Derek Jacobi and the Archbishop, and Michael Gambon as King George V.

The acting is flawless.  The cinematography is breath-taking.  The emotion is raw.  Worth every penny!