Tom Hooper's The King's Speech (2010)

I don’t typically go for Oscar bait centered on the British Aristocracy. It’s not really my thing – too stuffy and self-important. Well, you can go ahead and throw that out the window because director Tom Hooper has delivered a crowd-pleaser if ever I’ve seen one. The story of King George VI and his determination to conquer his severe stammer, aided by his quirky speech therapist, Lionel Logue, is the feel-good film of the year. Brilliantly realized by Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush, both characters spring to life with the sort of enthusiasm that you can practically feel through the screen. While at first it may appear that this is yet another in a long line of stuffy aristocratic historical dramas, the truth is that The King’s Speech is as much a comedy as anything. At the risk of losing what credibility I have, I dare to use one of the great clichés—a triumph of the human spirit—because there really is no better way to describe the film and the feelings it arouses.

The film opens with Albert George (Firth), the Duke of York (for he has not yet taken the throne), preparing to address the crowd before the 1925 Empire Exhibition at Wembley Stadium. His stammering speech has a visibly unsettling effect the listeners in attendance and we see this problem extend to his home life, where he struggles to tell his daughters a bedtime story. At the behest of his wife, Elizabeth (the excellent Helena Bonhom Carter), Albert begins taking lessons with a goofy speech therapist named Lionel Logue (Rush). It was around this time that the radio began to play a large part in the British monarchy, with the prospect of regular radio addresses looming in the near future. As King George V declines in health and eventually dies, the crown is passed to Albert’s brother Edward (convincingly played by the great Guy Pearce); however it soon becomes clear that the hard-partying Edward has no interest in being King, and he eventually runs off to marry the twice-divorced Wallis Simpson, abdicating the throne and thrusting the responsibility to the understandably terrified Albert. Upon declaration of war with Germany, Albert, now King George VI, is given a three-page speech to read over the radio. This is the titular speech and serves as the culmination of a long struggle between Albert and Lionel. The journey these two men take to this famous moment is chronicled with tenderness, wit, and humor, transforming what could have been a rather dull and dreary story into an uplifting and wildly entertaining one.

As mentioned above, the reason The King’s Speech works so well resides with the two leads. Geoffrey Rush does what he always does, effortlessly imbuing the character with multiple layers and idiosyncrasies that culminate in a character that is both humorous and stern, believable and wonderful. It is the kind of performance that Rush is now know for, but that doesn’t diminish its impact. As good as Rush is, Colin Firth is even better; building off of his fantastic work in last year’s A Single Man, Firth tackles what may be the most difficult role of his career and comes up aces. He takes on the challenge, not only of portraying a king (with living relatives, as his daughter went on to become Queen Elizabeth II), but a king with a severe speech impediment. It’s easy to imagine the role becoming grating for audiences, but it is a credit to Firth and director Tom Hooper that the film rises above what in hindsight seems a petty concern by resisting the urge to tone down the king’s stammer. The struggle and consternation is plainly seen on Firth’s face and the audience will empathize with him, regardless of their own speech habits. It is the crowning achievement of Colin Firth’s career, and he will most certainly be rewarded by the Academy.

With all of that said, I must confess that The King’s Speech didn’t take hold of me in the way that films like Black Swan, The Social Network, and The Fighter did. I chalk it up to my own personal viewing preferences, as there is nary a fault to be found in Tom Hooper’s film. The King’s Speech contains excellent performances (most notably by the two brilliant lead actors), sterling production values, assured direction, and a humorous and measured screenplay. It may sound like a simple story about one man helping another with his stammer, but the film somehow transcends its subject matter and stands as one of the better films of the year. 4.5 out of 5 stars.