F-f-f-f-fornication?

The King's Speech

Sometimes you hear about a movie and you think, "Well that just seems like Oscar-bait." You know, that type of well-acted, stuffy, British movie about royalty that will not really interest you but will win awards? Well, when I first heard about The King's Speech, I assumed it was that kind of movie. Of course the acting would be good--Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush are always incredible. Well, buzz began to build around tis little movie, and soon I was reading that it was not only winning critics' awards, but "audience favorite" awards at festivals all over the world. So I though maybe I'd check it out. But seriously, a movie about a king who stammers?

Yes, seriously.

The King's Speech , directed by Tom Hooper, is by far one of the best films of the year, and Colin Firth gives one of the best performances in years in the feel-good, funny, crowd-pleasing, and touching true story. Firth plays Bertie, who will reluctantly become King George VI (the current Queen's father), but who suffers from a terrible stammer. The invention of radio poses a problem for the royals, who before could get away with such speech problems. Well, throw in the real-life drama of King Edward VI and his divorced lover, and Bertie becomes king.

His wife (who we knew in our lifetimes as the Queen Mum), played wonderfully by Helena Bonham-Carter, is determined to get Bertie help with his speech problem, and finally encounters Dr. Lionel Logue, who is more of a psychotherapist than a speech therapist. Well Lionel and Bertie begin their sessions, hilarity ensues, etc. These two actors play stunningly well off of each other, and their scenes together are a delight to behold.

Trust me when I say that even if none of this description appeals to you, it is impossible not to love The King's Speech. The story is compelling, the interchanges are poignant and funny, and the climax is stirring.

Colin Firth should win the Oscar. Not only has he perfected the stammer and all the tics that accompany it, but his facial expressions convey such pain, such distress, that you feel like you're watching one of those performances in which the actor had channeled something real.

The King's Speech is quite simply a wonderful film.